Special All-Star weekend in Charlotte for the Curry family
CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> Sonya Curry hasn’t stopped smiling all weekend.
She has had quality time with her grandchildren with the entire family in town for All-Star Weekend festivities. She even hit a half-court shot at a community center her family helped refurbish.
On Saturday night, she emerged from Suite 21 at the Spectrum Center beaming after spending the evening with family and watching sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest.
“It’s been everything that I hoped it would be,” she said of her sons’ return to their hometown for All-Star weekend. “Seeing Dell out there on the court being able to share that moment with the boys was awesome. And having the family all here to watch — that’s hard to beat.”
With remnants of halfeaten appetizers and drinks still sitting on the counter, some of the young ones were starting to fuss having grown restless after being up well past their bedtimes.
Still, Sonya didn’t want the night to end.
Neither did her husband. Dell had changed into a suit and tie after shooting a few balls alongside former NBA players Glen Rice, Mark Price and Ray Allen to raise money for charity before the main 3-point event began.
It didn’t come close to the most fun he had on Saturday — or this weekend.
“Look around, all of our family was in here,” he said pointing to a crowded suite as Stephen’s wife Ayesha put their 19-month old son Canon into a stroller. “They had a great time, you could tell. That’s what it is all about — to give our family a chance to experience this and be a part of it.”
The have been plenty of highlights and memories made during the Curry homecoming.
Seth fulfilled a lifelong dream of participating in his first All-Star 3-point contest and his girlfriend Callie Rivers, son of NBA coach Doc Rivers, has been wearing a large diamond ring on her left hand — though Seth has declined to publicly comment on their reported engagement.
Stephen got to cross off a bucket list item when he leaped into the student section at his alma mater Davidson College Friday night after the Wildcats rallied to beat St. Joseph’s. He posed for pictures with Davidson students who were wearing only Speedos and smiles, saying “I didn’t get to do that when I was playing there, so I wanted to get that experience.”
Dell was honored at the NBA Legends brunch Sunday after spending 16 seasons in the league and retiring as the Hornets all-time leading scorer, a mark that has since been broken by AllStar Kemba Walker.
And Sonya, well she made the biggest shot of the weekend, draining an underhand toss from halfcourt on Friday — and then launched into a wild celebration — after beating her three children’s teams at a Charlotte community center that the Curry family helped to refurbish.