Photo credit Golden State Warriors
This local hero is getting better every year, working on skills and resilience to reach seemingly unattainable heights.
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry often is described in
such glowing terms. He’s proud of his
“Steph is a particularly important figure for the young people of
this city,” says Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “He always brings to them
the message to work hard in school, not just athletics, and he really
resonates with them and the rest of the community.
“He’s the best at his craft, but so humble and full of gratefulness
to his family, faith, community and team. Steph’s a great role model for
kids.”
And adults.
It would be difficult to find someone who better symbolizes Oakland’s
remarkable recent and ongoing rise than Curry, and not coincidentally,
it is occurring simultaneously with the Warriors’ ascent to
unprecedented excellence. Just as the Warriors are giving the city a
lift, the greater Oakland community is boosting the Warriors.
“Oakland is starting to gain recognition for the amazing culture that
we have sustained for years,” says Selena Wilson, vice president of
organizational effectiveness at East Oakland Youth Development Center
(EOYDC), one of the many local organizations that Curry and other
Warriors are helping.
“The people of Oakland possess a sort of resiliency and togetherness
that I think is reflected in the Warriors. There’s also a sense that the
consistency with which we have showed up as true supporters and fans is
paying off—there’s a real sense of pride that has uplifted the spirit
of the city.”
Warriors Community Foundation
Curry participates in Feed The Children at Beebe Memorial Cathedral in Oakland
Since purchasing the team in 2010, owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber
built upon its tradition of community involvement by creating the
Warriors Community Foundation, which is committed to making a meaningful
impact on the lives of underserved Bay Area children. The foundation
has increased contributions from individuals, foundations and corporate
partners to approximately $1.5 million per year, and this has enabled it
to expand its community outreach.
“We’ve applied a much more strategic approach to grant making,
outreach and fundraising during the past three years,” says Jose Gordon,
executive director of the foundation. “We divide our efforts equally
between Oakland and San Francisco, and make sure that our work is
relevant and serves the needs of these communities.”
Regina Jackson, president and CEO of EOYDC, applauds the Warriors’ efforts.
“Under the new management, our Warriors have been re-engineered from
the inside out, having not only created a dynamic and energetic
championship team, but also facilitating a championship approach to
identifying community needs and orchestrating ways to respond to them,”
she says.
Warriors personnel, including Curry and other players, make
significant contributions through the foundation. The NBA requires
players to participate in a certain number of community activities and
efforts, and the team has no problem meeting the requirement.
“They do much more than required,” Gordon says. “Fortunately, we have
players who are deeply involved and committed to the community. They
expressed an interest in knowing how they can best help, and have become
involved with specific efforts.
“The players are enriched by the experiences, and feel a commitment
to the community. With many teams, players are out of town during the
offseason, but with the Warriors, many players have chosen to live here,
even if they are from other areas. They feed off the community and help
to showcase it. Our players are heroes—not just because of their
talent, but also because they’re very self-aware and involved.”
Ajay Relan, founder of
—which
provides bagged lunches to needy individuals and families in more than
100 cities around the world—described how the entire Warriors team,
including coaches and staff members, participated in an event at Oakland
Marriott City Center in December.
“They built meals, wrote handwritten love notes acknowledging the
humanity of recipients and shared experiences on their own personal
platforms,” he says.
Giving Back
Curry at a Get Fit event at International Community School in Oakland
Curry has been serving several organizations through the Warriors Community Foundation, including
Feed the Children and Get Fit (see sidebar). The contributions he is making are deeply meaningful to him.
“It’s special because I’m…trying to play well and inspire the game I
love,” Curry says regarding his involvement with the nationwide
Make-A-Wish Foundation. “The [youth are] all from different states and
backgrounds, and for them to have an attachment to me and my story means
a lot.”
Gordon says that giving back is part of Curry’s nature and values.
“He has a wonderful family—his parents and siblings are invested in
the community, too,” Gordon says. “He is comfortable in his own skin and
this translates into the incredible comfort he has with kids, staff,
teammates and cultures.
“Giving comes naturally to him: I don’t know if he knows how to be
any other way. You can see it in his joy and style of play, in how he
shares the ball.”
Curry has been very involved with the Oakland community, and both are
feeding off their symbiotic relationship. It will continue through the
Warriors Community Foundation even if the team moves to San Francisco,
as planned, in time for the 2019–20 season.
“Our vision is that the foundation remains headquartered in Oakland
and continues to invest equally in both Alameda and San Francisco
counties. We feel that it’s our responsibility as the bay’s team,”
Gordon says.
Challenges on the Road to Success
While Curry has had a privileged life—son of a former NBA player,
lived in nice areas, attended excellent schools, etc.—he has faced
significant challenges.
He won all-state honors while leading Charlotte Christian High School
in North Carolina to state playoff appearances—and then wanted to play
for the Virginia Tech Hokies. His mother, Sonya Adams-Curry, was an
All-Metro volleyball player there and his father, Dell Curry, was Metro
Conference Player of the Year there before embarking on a successful NBA
career.
The Hokies weren’t exactly excited about the younger Curry’s slight
6-foot-2-inch, 163-pound frame, however, and didn’t offer him a
scholarship. He ultimately decided to accept a basketball scholarship to
Davidson College in North Carolina. Curry quickly established himself
as a deadly shooter and developed into one of the nation’s top college
players. He left Davidson after his junior year, and was chosen ninth by
the Warriors in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft.
Curry averaged 17.5 points per game in 2009–10 and was named to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team, but the Warriors finished with a 26-56
record. After a successful second season, he had surgery to repair torn
ligaments, resulting from several sprains in his right ankle.
He seemed healthy when the 2011–12 season began, but sprained the
same ankle twice and then strained a tendon in his right foot. Curry
underwent surgery in April 2012, and ended up playing in only 26 of the
82 regular-season games as his scoring dipped to 14.7 points per game.
Making of a Superstar
Steph Curry volunteers at Get Fit Time Out at Manzanita Community School in Oakland
Despite the rash of injuries and two surgeries, the Warriors signed
Curry to a four-year, $44 million contract extension before the 2012–13
season. They believed that his dedication and commitment would enable
him to overcome his injuries and develop his talent, and they were
right—but to a degree no one could have ever expected.
Curry led the Warriors to the playoffs, averaging 24 points per game,
and was chosen to the All-NBA First Team. Before the 2014–15 season,
the Warriors hired Steve Kerr as coach, replacing Mark Jackson. Kerr
encouraged a faster pace, giving Curry more opportunities to shoot.
Curry flourished, averaging 23.8 points and winning the Most Valuable
Player Award as he led the Warriors to the NBA championship.
This season, Curry continued to improve, averaging a league-leading
30.1 points; making 402 three-point shots, obliterating his own NBA
record; and becoming the first player to unanimously win the MVP Award.
The Warriors, with amazing chemistry and fabulous teamwork, achieved the
best regular-season record in NBA history, 73-9, and nearly won another
championship, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals, four
games to three.
Curry, now 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is arguably the best shooter in
NBA history and has impacted all of basketball with his sterling
offensive play. He has developed shifty, lightning-quick moves that are
as entertaining as his exceptional long-range shooting. He makes
everything look easy, belying the enormous amount of training that saved
his career and enabled him to become one of the NBA’s major stars.
Keke Lyles, a former member of the Warriors’ medical staff now with
the Atlanta Hawks, found that early in his pro career, Curry relied too
much on his ankles for foot speed and change of direction. So, Lyles
created a routine to strengthen Curry’s lower body, including a yoga
pose to build balance and core strength; hip hinge, a fundamental
movement of lower-body exercises; and trap-bar dead lifts, which amplify
gluteal muscles and hamstrings.
Curry continues to work on lower-body exercises and other conditioning methods with personal trainer Brandon Payne.
Curry also works tirelessly at his basketball skills, always trying
to improve his game. He pushed himself harder than ever to prepare for
the 2015–16 season, increasing his three-point range, among other
things. His dedication paid off, inspiring his millions of fans and
gaining new ones throughout the world.
Role Model Par Excellence
It’s improbable that more than a fraction of Curry’s young fans will
make the NBA, and it’s unlikely that any will equal his basketball
accomplishments. But all of them can learn from and practice the same
determination, faith, humility and social awareness that he displays on
and off the court.
“Steph is someone who kids can see themselves becoming, if they put
in the time and effort,” says Kahlil Fuller, the founder of NBA Math
Hoops, an organization supported by the Warriors and dedicated to
improving math literacy among urban youth. “He isn’t a 6-foot 9-inch
specimen, but he has unstoppable skills. I think that this extends
beyond basketball: Steph represents the hope that anyone can succeed in
life and become truly great.”
Two of Curry’s shining moments in the Oakland community came after he
won his NBA Most Valuable Player awards. A new Kia Sorrento SUV was
part of his award prizes both years: Last season, he gave it to EOYDC
and this year, he donated it to Covenant House, an Oakland-based
nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless youth.
“When he gave our kids the keys to his MVP award—the Kia Sorrento—he
affirmed their existence,” says Jackson of EOYDC. “He said, ‘I hope this
car can help you get to more field trips that will encourage you to
explore.’
“It is rare that someone at his level can connect directly to a
child, but he does so in a way that encourages youth and demonstrates
character. His sportsmanship and encouragement of the team stresses a
dynamic of excellence and resilience uncommonly accessed by our
population.”
Just as with his basketball skills, he seems to do so effortlessly: It’s part and parcel of who he is.
“Steph represents the hope that anyone can succeed in life and be truly great. ”
–Kahlil Fuller, NBA Math Hoops
Off-the-Court Contributions
Steph Curry’s community contributions are vast and varied, and include the following.
•
Make-A-Wish Foundation: In December, Curry
fulfilled the wishes of 10 boys from across the country by inviting them
to a Warriors practice and game in Oakland.
“It’s an honor that these 10 Make-A-Wish kids chose me to share a day
with them,” Curry said afterward. “I wanted to spend as much time with
them as I could at practice today, and they got to enjoy a show tonight,
so hopefully this is a day they will remember.”
•
Feed the Children: Curry and his family regularly
team up with international hunger relief organization Feed the Children
to provide support to 400 Oakland families during the holidays.
•
Get Fit: Each season, Curry participates in an NBA
Get Fit event in which he partners with Kaiser Permanente to motivate
youth to stay physically and mentally fit throughout the year.
“It’s great to be here at Manzanita Community School [in Oakland] to
get outside and have fun with these kids,” Curry said at an event. “The
Warriors and Kaiser Permanente do a great job of keeping students active
and focused on exercise and good nutrition throughout the school year.”
