P.J. O’Byrne, 10, wept when she learned that Curry rested while holding a colorful sign that read “Forward, Warriors!
For her birthday, she received Warriors tickets to a Nuggets game originally scheduled for Dec. 30 but later postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak at the Nuggets camp. Then, at a rescheduled game, she was devastated to learn that her favorite player would not be playing.
The moment was captured on cameras, the Warriors tweeted and went viral. In response, the Warriors gave the young fan and her family tickets to the next game, also against the Nuggets three days later.
She cried again, happily this time, when Curry visited her in the stands before Thursday’s game. He spoke to her, signed her poster and took photos.
“That’s the whole point of the NBA,” Curry said in an interview after the game. “Our fans are everything. I told her that I appreciate the support and love. I know she was upset on Monday and we need to make amends.”
Not to be outdone, the Nuggets also provided her with MVP jerseys.
Curry ended the evening with 34 points to lead the Warriors to a 113–102 win over the Nuggets. He also scored 20,000 career points, becoming the 49th NBA player to reach that milestone.
After seeing the Warriors lose on Monday, O’Byrne was delighted to see her team win as they closed a nine-point gap at halftime to ultimately win by 11.
It was their first win over the Nuggets this season after three losses, and they pressured the Memphis Grizzlies for second in the Western Conference.
The Warriors will now return to San Francisco, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.