It’s seductive, this late-night silence that falls over the streets surrounding San Francisco’s Chase Center when there’s no basketball being played. That is, until you enter the building. A sense of unease replaces the same tranquility; the area is large and maze-like, with hallways that collapse into one another. A corner light spoofs, jerking back and forth. A tune reverberates from an indeterminate distance. I follow the sounds and end myself at a sort of underground gymnasium. A bunch of handlers laugh, encircling Stephen Curry, who appears to have just finished working out. Two 30-pound barbells bearing the Golden State Warriors emblem are resting at his feet. His head is covered with a Warriors towel. Certified Lover Boy by Drake bounces off the walls.

GQ’s February 2023 issue features a cover by Stephen Curry. Order a copy from GQ.com. Levi’s Coverall, $128. His own shirt. Shoes by Birkenstock, $145. Hat, Belstaff, $80. Hublot watch, $7,200. David Yurman bracelet, $12,000.

Here, in the heart of the Warriors arena, is where Stephen Curry has painstakingly rebuilt both his team and himself. And it was like watching the making of a superhero when we caught a glimpse of him in this secret hideout right before our interview. However, it’s the follow-up, the tale of his rebirth. The mythology is more elaborate, and our hero is superior than it was. The tune changes in an instant. When “You Only Live Twice” begins, Curry is filled with energy. He smiles beneath the towel’s shadow, makes hand gestures, and shakes his head in time with the beat. Making the seemingly difficult seem easy in unexpected ways, the song is a fitting anthem for a player going through a second NBA existence.

Three titles and five straight final appearances were achieved during the first phase of the current Warriors dynasty. The season of 73 wins. Curry broke the record for most three-pointers made in a single season and then broke it again and again. Then things started to go apart. One memorable shot dates back to the 2019 NBA Finals, towards the end of the third quarter. In the series, the Warriors are behind the Raptors 3-2. However, they are ahead by three in the actual game. Kevin Durant had left the game early due to an injury, and now Klay Thompson, who was barely able to walk, was being helped off the field with what would later be determined to be a ruptured ACL. On replay, Curry was shown hitting the ball in frustration—a unusual break from his normally composed manner. It appeared as though he had a revelation at that precise time. As the lone remaining star, he resisted his team’s eventual decline. Well, he was. In the end, the Warriors were defeated. During the off-season, Durant moved to Brooklyn. The league was taken off track by the pandemic. Before Thompson’s ACL tear even healed, he tore his Achilles. Curry’s hand became hurt. Some people thought it was a successful run. We received five years of incredible work. Every dynasty has an end.

However, there’s something amazing bubbling up in the Bay once more. This was the site of an NBA game the previous evening. After visiting Golden State, the Raptors suffered their 15th defeat in their previous 17 home games. Curry only scored 12 points on 2-10 shooting, far from the kind of performance that fans have grown accustomed to seeing him put together this season, but the Warriors still prevailed, albeit very easily. This was different from the previous season, when it occasionally seemed like Curry needed to play at an almost unsustainable level for the Warriors to be in a game. nearly unsustainable because he was able to keep it going throughout the season. Those brave deeds were both astounding and a little unsettling. Sometimes I thought it was the last gasp before the flame went out completely. Curry continued to play despite the possible physical consequences, pushing a squad that some thought was losing ground.