Hemal Jhaveri

The hoops god tells WIRED that his path to greatness was blazed by “irrational confidence” and going beyond the metrics. Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler—producer of the new Curry doc, “Underrated”—agrees.

My guess is that most employees at the Beverly Hills Hotel know who all the big-name movie stars are, but when I arrive at the hotel restaurant and there’s some confusion about the reservation, I find myself unable to say the relevant name. A simple “I’m here to meet Javier Bardem” would instantly clear things up, but the name-drop feels … entitled? Arrogant, somehow? I wait at the bar, worried I’ve soured the interview before it even starts. I’m expecting Bardem to be intense and demanding. He…