Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk says NBA star Steph Curry inspires him because of the similar pressure he faced as a young man

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Tony Hawk marvels at Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry.
The skateboarding icon recently told Business Insider that Curry is "the most inspirational athlete" to him.
Hawk said he "holds himself with class" and "can’t imagine" the pressures he has been put under since a young age.
It will be on Curry to overcome pressure on Thursday, as he will be determined to help the Warriors in a must-win Game 6 against Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
Hawk, meanwhile, will receive a lifetime achievement award in New York, also on Thursday.
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Stephen Curry is an inspiration to Tony Hawk.

The Golden State Warriors point guard is a three-time NBA champion and widely acknowledged as the greatest shooter in the history of the sport.

The Warriors are trailing 3-2 in the NBA Finals and it will be on Curry to help restore parity, or the team will lose its championship status to the Toronto Raptors.

For Hawk, Curry is not just an exemplary player but also an incredible man because of his ambassadorial image, for the way he handles pressure, and for showing class throughout his career.

"The most inspirational athlete to me is Steph Curry," Hawk told Business Insider. "I think he holds himself with a lot of class, humility."

Hawk, the most famous and successful skateboarder of all time, told Business Insider that he relates to Curry because of the extraordinary pressures that are put on young athletes, and marvels at the basketball player’s ability to shine.

"I can’t imagine the pressures that are put upon him at such a young age," he said. "I think that he navigates it very well and I admire that. I had to go through similar experiences as someone his age but at the same time, a lot of ups and downs in a career, but … I see only the successful part with him."

Going further back, Hawk said the athletes he most admired growing up were basketball players.

"I definitely took cues from athletes growing up like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal." He added that he also liked Wayne Gretzky.

But what made those three 1990s icons so special to Hawk? "They had longevity. They have a legacy," he said.

Hawk will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the sixth annual Clio Sports Awards on Thursday, in New York.

Curry and the Warriors contest a must-win Game 6 in the NBA Finals against the Raptors, also on Thursday.

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