An incredibly candid & earnest convo between Adam Pally, who did Mr. Throwback with Steph, and comedian Tom Papa, on his podcast Breaking Bread with Tom Papa, about how Steph’s charisma & overall in-person presence about him is different in a way that’s palpable & to them draws parallels to Obama.

Note: When I say Pally "did Mr. Throwback" with Steph, what I really mean is that he wrote and created it lol so major undersell on my part in the title, but I was limited to 300 characters so had to make do.

Algorithms doing what they do, put this clip in my feed and man, what an incredibly cool conversation. You can feel the sincerity in the awe with which they speak about Steph.

The click is about 5-6 minutes long, but transcript is below for those who are unable to watch it for whatever reason. Also, the link to the full podcast episode this clip is from is here, for those who want to watch the whole thing.

Adam Pally: You know, I've been in every situation with every sort of network, with every sort of network executive, with every sort of cliche that you've ever known how they're all true, you've heard them all. [Mr. Throwback] was the best version I've ever had of that.

Where the network was like, 'Hey, this is weird and we know it and it's where you're out on a limb, but Steph likes it. So here are our notes and their notes made it better because usually we [comedians] go too hard. I think we go too hard sometimes and we don't want to, I mean, [Steph's], you know, presidential almost.

Tom Papa: So huge.

Pally: Huge. So you don't want to ruin that with your, like, reference.

Papa: Does he ever give you notes?

Pally: Yeah, he'll give us notes, because it's improvised a lot. So sometimes we'll be on stage and going and then, you know, the dailies will come in and he'll be like, I think we went too hard there. [And we're like] got it. Copy.

Papa: Is that his sensibility?

Pally: No, he has like a comedian's sensibility. You can riff with him and kind of roast and then also at the same time he can do bits and like he's got all that. He's just very wholesome and has very strong sense of himself and, and his brand, and what he wants to accomplish in the future. So he'll just be like no, let's just cut that off.

Papa: Man, I remember, I don't know if it was a Laker game or a Knicks game, but he wasn't playing. He was in street clothes just on the edge of the court, but the charisma of that guy. I mean, it's not all just on what he's accomplished on the court. Like this guy had like just the way he would stand, the way he would just joke with people. It's small, subtle, but it's pure charisma.

Pally: Yes. Like, one of his very close adult friends is Obama and they talk a lot. There's been articles written about his presidential aspirations, and I don't know if any of that is really true, but I do know that it feels like you're with someone of that, like a presidential force, the way he moves through the world. The way the day is scheduled, the way that people that he comes in contact with are only uplifting to him, and he then uplifts others now. There's no like bullshit.

Papa: God, it's so crazy. Do you think he was always that way or do you think he cultivated it and built it?

Pally: No, I think his dad was an NBA player and one of the best. Like Dell Curry, I think is underrated as an NBA player. When I was a kid, Dell Curry was known as the best shooter and when you played NBA Jam, you wanted the Hornets so you could have Dell Curry. He was the best shooter. And [Dell] lived a very wholesome life, and I think Steph grew up exceptional.

You know, like we make a joke about it in the show – Steph's like "anybody can do it" and I'm like, "Well, I mean, anybody whose dad is an NBA player and has the probably one millionth percentile of hand-eye coordination. So like anyone like that can do it, sure."

You know, but there is that. Like he IS exceptional.

Papa: It's a fascinating thing to think about because there are so many elements that could derail that.

Pally: Yeah, like life. He's got kids, he's got four children.

Papa: Yeah and even before that, like you become good friends with a not great guy, or you get in a long term relationship with someone very unhealthy. Or I mean, there's so many things that it's almost like there's a, I don't know if there is, but it definitely conjures up the thoughts of some people have this destiny vibe to it. You know, like Obama is like a perfect example of it.

Pally: I think it's destiny, but I also think it's, it's like a frequency. It's like there is a certain frequency when you're around people. I think people are quick to cut it down, you know?

Like, you know the stories about a young [Marlon] Brando walks in the room and like lights it up and people are like, 'oh yeah? eye roll' However, I think at the time, a young Marlon Brando walks in a room and people are like, whoa.

So I think there are people like that, that just operate at that frequency that makes things, it makes things move. Like when he's around, it's like, you know that movie, Phenomenon? it's like things move, people elevate, things. Everybody's on their P's and Q's, everybody's moving, the lines are crisper. You know what I mean? And it's one of the things that I was like, oh, I'm taking that with me. Like, I don't know if I can do that, but any set I now walk on, like, I'm operating up here.