By Kaylee Bolson | @westanwinner/@kayleebolson  and Valerie Lopez | @valschwarie

 

Wonder what it’s like to be a successful fan? Ask NCT Dream’s Chenle, a proud fan of the Golden State Warriors and member of Dub Nation. He expressed love for his favorite basketball team, the Golden State Warriors, and his favorite player, Stephen Curry, on multiple occasions, garnering attention from the team and Curry each time! On May 15, the National Basketball Association (NBA) posted their Q&A session with Chenle about his love for Curry and teased the release of Chenle’s playlist for the Golden State Warriors ahead of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on May 16. 

 

Chenle’s NBA Website Debut 

In Chenle’s Q&A, Chenle discussed his love for basketball, NCT Dream’s recent 맛 (Hot Sauce) album, and plans for the future. 

Chenle explained that he first got into Stephen Curry in 2016 after he watched the Warriors face Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC). He was inspired by the Dubs’ teamwork and was in awe of Curry’s ability to pull off each “amazing play after amazing play.” Chenle shared that he views Curry as a role model for his incredible skills and character on and off the court. He cited that Curry was always striving to do his best and made time for his family as examples.

Chenle stated that he is looking forward to the day he can perform “맛 (Hot Sauce)” in front of fans and was excited to see that NCT Dream’s album was finally out after months of hard work. His personal favorite song from the album is “Rainbow.”

“Once things get better—I want to perform in front of our fans, go visit the CHASE Center and watch a Warriors home game… And maybe even meet Steph and become friends. I got to go watch the game in Shanghai in person in October 2017, and that was one of the happiest moments of my life. Even just the thought of possibly going to a Warriors home game makes me so excited,” Chenle shared.

 

In addition to meeting fans and watching the Dubs play, Chenle expressed his desire as a huge fan to collaborate with British singer Ed Sheeran.

Chenle showed excitement for the feature on his personal Weibo account. 

https://twitter.com/renminrise/status/1393807585644486660?s=20

 

Chenle’s Playlist for the Golden State Warriors

On May 16, the “Dub Nation Playlist” was dropped, featuring songs that Chenle hand-picked. Chenle’s Spotify playlist is composed of songs by NCT, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, One Direction, Lauv, and Shawn Mendes. 

 

Chenle on the “Dub Hub”

On the LYSN Bubble platform for K-pop artists to communicate with fans, Chenle posted a screenshot of his appearance on the screen behind Curry. Chenle said that he participated in the video call for the game.

Some NCTzens watched the game and spotted Chenle.

https://twitter.com/puppiejeno/status/1394099029101907969?s=20

The Warriors also posted a video of their on-call audience, which had both Chenle and Mark doing the infamous “sseuka dance” from their “맛 (Hot Sauce)” choreography.

 

A Hot Response on Social Media

Fans showed excitement for Chenle’s accomplishments as a fan of Curry.

https://twitter.com/aintkring/status/1394129984390721537?s=21

https://twitter.com/liebchenle/status/1393738074018906114?s=20

 

Some NCTzens even related to Chenle’s experiences as a member of Dub Nation.

 

Other fans made jokes about the experience.

https://twitter.com/lovagen/status/1394060594022686720?s=21

 

Some fans took note of Chenle’s music choices for the Spotify playlist that he curated.

https://twitter.com/nomoreeggstofry/status/1394137786178056193?s=21

https://twitter.com/liebchenle/status/1393741055929950208?s=21

https://twitter.com/nctwea/status/1393790097955323908?s=21

 

Chenle’s Past with Curry and the Dubs

Prior to his exclusive interview and playlist for the Golden State Warriors, Chenle had multiple encounters with the team as a fan for six years. Chenle has shown NCTzens his love for Curry in various ways, including selfies in Golden State Warriors jerseys and mentions in YouTube videos. 

In 2018, Chenle expressed his love for Curry and showed off his basketball skills in a video he posted on Twitter and mentioned Curry in the hashtags. Later that year, Chenle posted a picture next to a Golden State Warriors bear before their concert performance.

https://twitter.com/NCTsmtown_DREAM/status/1068858143864578048?s=20

In 2019, Chenle wished Curry a happy birthday with a selfie. The following year, NCT Mark and Johnny hosted a three-episode YouTube show called “Help! JOHNNY MARKY,” where they taught Chenle how to get recognized by his favorite basketball player. As a project for the show, he tweeted a message to Curry and called him the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in response to a post the Warriors made. After the short series, Curry tweeted Chenle in early August, inviting him to see the Golden State Warriors once the situation in the world improved. Curry also mentioned Chenle’s personal Weibo account.

Earlier this year on February 7, Chenle posted a video to thank the Golden State Warriors for gifting him a signed jersey.

https://twitter.com/NCTsmtown/status/1358596467116527617?s=20

These are only a fraction of the times Chenle has shown his love for basketball, Stephen Curry, and the Golden State Warriors team. While Chenle has certainly proven to be a successful fan, NCTzens hope for more of these heartwarming moments between Chenle and Curry.

What is your biggest flex as a fan? Let us know by tagging us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok!

Check out our latest article on NCT Dream’s record-breaking album here!

Thumbnail Courtesy of SM Entertainment

, , , ,