Former President Barack Obama with Curry during a visit to the White House in 2015 to launch the president's initiative on malaria

Personal Life

On July 30, 2011, Curry married longtime girlfriend and Toronto native Ayesha Alexander in Charlotte.[13][14][226] Together, they have three children, daughters Riley (b. 2012) and Ryan (b. 2015)[227][228] and son Canon (b. 2018).[229] In July 2019, Curry paid $31 million for a home in Atherton, California.[230] Curry's younger brother, Seth, is also a professional basketball player,[231] and his younger sister, Sydel, played volleyball at Elon University.[232] Curry has been outspoken about his Christian faith.[233][234] He spoke about his faith during his MVP speech by saying, "People should know who I represent and why I am who I am, and that's because of my Lord and Savior." He also said the reason that he pounds his chest and points up is that he has a "heart for God" and as a reminder that he plays for God.[235] On some of his "Curry One" basketball shoes, there is a lace loop scripted "4:13". It is a reference to the Bible verse Philippians 4:13, which reads "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."[236][237] Curry has a tattoo of First Corinthians 13:8 in Hebrew on his wrist ("Love never fails...").[238] Curry is also an investor in Active Faith, a Christian sports apparel brand.[239][240] Curry suffers from keratoconus and wears contact lenses to correct his vision.[241]

During the 1992 All-Star Weekend, Curry's father entrusted him to Biserka Petrović, mother of future Hall of Fame player Dražen Petrović, while Dell competed in the Three-Point Contest. Following the 2015 NBA Finals, Curry gave Biserka one of his Finals-worn jerseys, which will reportedly be added to the collection of the Dražen Petrović Memorial Center, a museum to the late player in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.[242]

Curry is an avid golfer; he played golf in high school, and frequently plays golf with former teammate Andre Iguodala.[243][244] A 5-handicap golfer, Curry participates in celebrity golf tournaments and has played golf alongside Barack Obama.[245][246][247] In August 2017, Curry competed in the Ellie Mae Classic on an unrestricted sponsor exemption.[248] Although he missed the first cut, he scored 4-over-74 for both days he participated, surpassing most expectations for an amateur competing in the pro event.[249] In August 2019, Curry and Howard University, a historically black institution in Washington, D.C., jointly announced that the school would add NCAA Division I teams in men's and women's golf starting in the 2020–21 school year, with Curry guaranteeing full funding of both teams for six years.[250] Curry is also a fan of British soccer club Chelsea FC.[251][252]

Public Image

Curry is one of the most successful players in the NBA, and he has also become an international celebrity, on par with four-time MVP LeBron James.[254][255] Like James, he has been considered the face of the NBA, but has said that he is not motivated by that and is not looking "to take LeBron's throne or whatever. You know, I'm trying to chase rings, and that's all I'm about. So that's where the conversation stops for me."[256] His flashy play and penchant for coming up big in the clutch have made him a fan favorite, and his smaller physique is said to have made his success seem more attainable for younger fans of the NBA.[257][258] Curry's jersey was the top seller in the NBA for the 2015–16 and 2016–17 NBA seasons.[259]

ESPN has ranked Curry among the most famous international athletes, while Forbes has ranked him among the world's highest-paid celebrities for his endorsements.[260][261] ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry reasoned that one reason for Curry's popularity is that while most people are not tall enough to dunk, everyone can attempt a shot, which is something Curry inspires.[216] Owen Davis of Sky Sports echoed this sentiment, stating, "After all, not everyone is blessed with supreme height and athleticism, but everyone can learn to pass, dribble and shoot. Curry is proof that if you work hard enough, you can still find ways to dominate, no matter your size."[222] Monte Poole of NBC Sports found Curry to be "the most human of superstars," with a childlike aura to him when he plays with success. His fanbase ranges from very young children to the elderly, and casual or committed fans enjoy his style of play. Poole stated that "the joy factor exponentially increases" when Curry is on the court and that "the sight of this relatively ordinary specimen sending much bigger players into silent surrender is an intoxicant for the Warriors and their fans."[253]

Curry speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019

Business Interests

Curry is widely known for his partnership with Under Armour, where he is considered to be the "face of their footwear line."[262] Originally signed to Nike, Curry joined with Under Armour in the 2013 offseason.[263] As Curry became MVP and one of the most popular athletes in the world, sales of his shoes have become a major factor for the brand, with stock prices rising and falling based on the success of the Curry shoe line.[264][265] In September 2017, it was announced that Curry had signed an exclusive autograph contract with Steiner Sports Memorabilia. The full product line will include hand-signed official basketballs and jerseys, autographed photographs of epic moments, flashy framed signs and wall-art, game-used memorabilia, and limited-edition pieces.[266] In October 2018, Curry announced his involvement with the relaunch of Palm, a mobile companion device that pairs with a primary smartphone.[267] Curry is an investor and the leading brand ambassador for Palm, which is a small startup based in San Francisco which licenses the Palm name from TCL Corporation. He is also involved with designing and testing accessories and even helped to name the device.[268]

Charity

In 2012, Curry started donating three insecticide-treated mosquito nets for every three-pointer he made to the United Nations Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign to combat malaria. He was first introduced to the malaria cause by Davidson teammate Bryant Barr when they were both in school. Curry visited the White House in 2015 and delivered a five-minute speech to dignitaries as part of President Barack Obama's launch of his President's Malaria Initiative strategy for 2015–2020.[269][270]

In 2015, Curry wore sneakers that had Deah Shaddy Barakat's name on them (one of the victims of the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting). According to his sister Suzanne, Deah Barakat was known for his "love for basketball and anything Steph Curry."[271] Deah's number for his intramural basketball team at North Carolina State University was Curry's No. 30, and he posed for a photo that was similar to one that Curry did for GQ.[271] Curry said that Barakat's family "did a great job of reaching out to me and making me aware of the details of his life and personality [...] It was really kind of a cool deal to be able to use the platform yesterday to honor Deah and his family [...] I'm going to send them the shoes I wore yesterday. And hopefully, they know that I've been thinking about them."[272][273][274] Also in 2015, after winning the MVP award following his impressive season, Curry donated his prize vehicle—a 2016 Kia Sorento—to the East Oakland Youth Development Center, a local non-profit organization located in the backyard of Oracle Arena.[275]

In December 2018, while on a podcast, Curry questioned whether the Apollo Moon landing actually happened, which received substantial media attention and criticism. NASA offered Curry a tour of the Johnson Space Center and to discuss the matter with him. Curry later said that he was joking about the Moon landing not having happened. He had Under Armour create some shoes inspired by the comment and subsequent discussion. After wearing them to a game, he signed and auctioned them off. The shoes sold for $58,100 on eBay after 113 bids, and the money was donated for STEM education initiatives.[276][277]

Sources