Warriors’ Curry has a platform — and a message.
Can it really be almost a decade since a baby-faced kid in a gray suit and lavender tie heard his name called by David Stern on NBA draft day, and jammed a blackWarriors hat onto his head?
Stephen Curry himself is surprised at the passage of time.
“Those three years at Davidson felt like the 10 that I’ve played here,” he said in a recent interview. “Even with all the things I’ve experienced, from the low win totals of the (head coach Don Nelson) years to all the banners now.”
As the Bay Area has watched, Curry has grown from a kid whose place in the NBA was unsure, to a man in full. A 30-year-old, two-time Most Valuable Player who could be heading for a third trophy (though Curry suffered a setback Thursday when he strained his groin and is sidelined for probably a few games). He is a three-time NBA champion who could be heading for a fourth banner.
Off the court, he is a husband, a father of three, a mature and thoughtful person who lives life with a sense of purpose. He knows he has a platform, and he’s not afraid to use it.
“I’m comfortable with knowing I’m not going to please everybody,” he said. “You try to be educated. You try to be articulate. You try to be well-versed in what you’re talking about. I know that as soon as I say something and plant a flag on one side of an argument, there’s going to be some backlash. That’s part of the territory.
“You just have to stand for something. And you have to speak for people who can’t really speak for themselves. That’s why I
“You just have to stand for something. And you have to speak for people who can’t really speak for themselves. That’s why I feel it’s important.” Stephen Curry, Warriors guard
feel it’s important.”
Over the summer, Curry advocated for an issue that is never far from his heart: gender equity. The son of a strong mother, Sonya; the husband of a dynamic wife with her own career, Ayesha; the father of two girls (Riley, 6, and Ryan, 3) growing up in a challenging world; Curry is frustrated when he sees that sexism is still rampant in the world..
He wrote a piece for the Players’ Tribune in late August headlined “This is Personal.” In it, he addressed gender equity, including the pay gap.
“Every day — that’s when we need to be working to close the pay gap in this country. Because every day is when the pay gap is affecting women. And every day is when the pay gap is sending the wrong message to women about who they are, and how they’re valued, and what they can or cannot become,” he wrote.
The catalyst for the piece came earlier in the summer when Curry hosted a free camp for girls 8-17. He also invited two of the nation’s top female high school players to his Under Armour Select Camp, where they were included with the nation’s top male prospects. Such inclusion is not only rare, it might be the first time that an NBA player hosted an all-girls camp.
“It opened my perspective to what’s in their future, breaking down things they might have to deal with as they grow up,” Curry said of his campers. “You can’t separate the fact that as a dad (of daughters), there are issues I might not have been aware of prior, that are important to me.”
The camp was a resounding success. Former players including Jennifer Azzi, as well as other female leaders in the sports industry, were brought in to speak. The players were engaged. Their parents were thrilled that their daughters had the same opportunity that their sons routinely get.
“It was such a different vibe,” Curry said. “They were super genuine and appreciative and thanking me for the opportunity. We had the same feedback from the counselors. They said they wished they could work that camp every week.”
In the resulting Players Tribune piece, he wrote, “I mean, ‘women deserve equality’ — that’s not politics, right? That’s not something that people are actually disagreeing on, is it? It can’t be.”
Guess again. Of course, he got some backlash.
“Everything is politics,” Curry said. “It all goes back to the climate that we’re in. It’s unfortunate. But, talking about it on the human level, everyone should have equal opportunity.”
Curry’s viewpoint on gender equity has been sharpened even further by the arrival in July of Canon, his infant son. The world has responded to the male Curry differently than to his two older sisters.
“I see these random stupid comments on social media about how my son is automatically going to play basketball,” Curry said. “Things like, ‘Oh, you’ve been waiting on that boy.’... If Ryan says she wants to be a professional basketball player, I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen.
“Having a son is more of a responsibility to live out as an example of how a man should carry himself, and empower and appreciate the women around him. My job is not just to say it but to do it and to live it.”
“Living it” is important to Curry. He wants to focus on actions, not just words.
“How do you promote actual change that’s tangible and creates a better situation?” he wondered. “I know that using your voice and your opportunity to create awareness can wake people up a little bit.”
Like other members of the Warriors, Curry was active around the midterm election. He wore a hoodie with the words “I am a voter,” written on one sleeve. The night before election day, he wore a T-shirt with the March For Our Lives phrase, “The young people will win.” He has a production company that is partnering with actress Viola Davis to produce a documentary about the 2015 Charleston, S.C., church massacre.
Why are NBA players so much more comfortable with activism than other athletes? Curry has some thoughts.
“We are the most visible — it’s hard for us to go unnoticed out in the public,” Curry said. “I feel we understand the true power of our voice. We know we have support from the league we play in. We’re collaborative — there’s not so much of a contentious relationship. The league has evolved — become, for lack of a better term, more woke.”
And, Curry added, the players support each other. The Lakers’ LeBron James has stood up for Curry on social media; Curry has returned the backing when James has been attacked. The support is not just among present-day NBA players. A group of current athletes, including James and Curry, led the effort to provide retired NBA players with top-level health-care coverage.
“We all have each other’s backs,” Curry said. “We encourage each other, and those conversations go on when people don’t know … on the daily. We’re probably closer than most leagues.
“Once you’re in in this league, you’re part of a brotherhood. We’re all blessed to play this game, so if you have an opportunity to pass that back, you do. That’s part of the connectivity we have as a body.”
On the court, Curry was off to another MVP-type season before the recent groin injury, and having fun. He encouraged Warriors guard Shaun Livingston to end last season’s habit of shouting out how many regular-season games are left at the end of each one.
“This year, we have young guys we’re trying to groom into new roles to really help us be successful, then there’s the big question mark around DeMarcus (Cousins) and when he’s going to come back,” Curry said. “It helps us chop up the season into little bite-size pieces, so we can set mini goals. That’s important for us to stay focused and give us tangible things to go after rather than just, ‘Oh, we have 82. Let’s try to get through it.’ ”
What else can Curry accomplish? He’d like his shot at winning a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, after pulling out of the Rio Games in 2016 because of injury.
Off the court, Curry is a family man. He’s gleeful that his extended family is “slowly but surely all moving to the West Coast.” His sister, Sydel, is married to his teammate Damion Lee and his brother, Seth, is playing for the Trail Blazers. Curry flew to Portland on a day off to watch Seth’s team.
Riley is in first grade, and already can dribble 100 times in a row, shoot a jumper, ride horses and cook a few things in the kitchen. Ryan is in preschool and is described as extremely funny.
Curry and his father-in-law have been holding down the home front with the girls, while Ayesha has been in Los Angeles filming a new show — “Family Food Fight” with her production company. Her culinary and style stars continue to rise. Two more International Smoke restaurants — a collaboration between Ayesha Curry and celebrity chef Michael Mina — are set to join current locations in San Francisco, Hawaii and Houston next year.
Ayesha has had Canon with her while she works in Los Angeles. Curry says that after his wife’s difficult third pregnancy, she is relishing every moment with what they expect will be their last child.
“I’ve got to steal my moments,” Curry said.
“She’s busier than I am,” Curry said. “I know where I’m going to be for 82 games but her schedule is crazy, and she’s got a 3-month-old attached at the hip. She’s killing the game.
“That’s the biggest reward I’ve seen. She’s breaking the stereotype — being a working mom, the demands that come with it, the perceptions of how she spends her time. She’s aware of how she inspires people with what she does.”
Her husband, too. A grown man, in the prime of his career.
“Every day — that’s when we need to be working to close the pay gap in this country.” Stephen Curry, Warriors guard