Who is Stephen Curry?
You might know Stephen Curry for his on-court accolades, but his off-court life is nearly as interesting. The son of retired NBA player Dell Curry, Steph remains active away from basketball, participating in the Nothing But Nets movement sending malaria nets to African countries and spending time with his wife Ayesha and their two daughters, Riley and Ryan. Steph’s brother Seth plays guard for the Dallas Mavericks. Ayesha is a professional chef with her own cooking show. Steph is one of the best basketball players in the world and certainly one of the most exciting shooters in the game. But he's much more than that.
Age – 29 years old
Curry was born on March 14, 1988 in Akron, Ohio when his father, Dell, played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He grew up in Charlotte, N.C., after his father was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA expansion draft. Stephen Curry started playing basketball casually by participating in his father’s warmups. The Curry family moved to Toronto before Dell finished his career as a member of the Raptors. Stephen Curry played for the Queensway Christian College boys' basketball team and led them to an undefeated season. He started playing for the club team Toronto 5–0, where he faced future NBA opponents Kelly Olynyk and Cory Joseph.
Stephen Curry was a star on the Charlotte Christian School before committing to Davidson for college. Scout.com ranked Curry as a three-star recruit out of high school. He initially wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and play for Virginia Tech but was only offered a walk-on role.
Curry’s breakout season for Davidson came in his sophomore year, when he averaged 25.9 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in a season in which the Wildcats reached the Elite Eight. He earned Associated Press' All-America Second Team honors. He averaged 28.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.5 steals his senior year before declaring for the NBA.
Curry has achieved a few NBA achievements for his age. He was the youngest player to reach 1,000 career three-pointers made before James Harden reached the milestone 12 days later.
Curry was 27 years old when he won the 2015-16 NBA Finals.
Height - 6’3”
Curry is listed at 6’3” on the Golden State Warriors roster. He grew into his adult height in his sophomore year at Davidson. Before the NBA draft, he was measured just over 6'3" in sneakers and 6'2" without any shoes.
Salary - $12.1 million for 2016-17
Stephen Curry is earning $12.1 million for the 2016-17 season. Nearly 80 other players are making more than the two-time MVP. Curry could hit free agency and sign one of the largest deals in NBA history after the 2017 season. Curry inked a four-year, $44 million contract extension in 2012. In recent seasons, the Golden State Warriors have signed mega deals with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant. LeBron James remains the highest-paid player in the NBA with a $31.0 million salary with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wife – Ayesha Curry
Stephen Curry is married to his wife Ayesha. They met as teenagers at a youth church group in Charlotte. They re-connected as adults when Curry was nominated for an ESPY awards and attended the show in Los Angeles. Ayesha was acting and modeling in the city at the time. Ayesha initially turned Curry down before he tried again on Facebook. They started dating and got married in 2011. The couple has welcomed two daughters, Riley and Ryan. Ayesha has made a name for herself in the cooking industry with a cooking show and cookbook.
Daughter – Riley Curry
Riley Elizabeth Curry was born on July 19, 2012. She is the first child to Stephen and Ayesha Curry. Riley entered the public spotlight by crashing one of her father’s postgame press conferences as he answered questions from reporters. Riley laughed and chimed in with a “be quiet.” She continued to go viral on the internet as she sang Big Sean’s “Blessings” in a subsequent press conference. Curry was reportedly offered several movie and television roles after her press conference appearances. She made a cameo in TLC’s Playhouse, when the show debuted a customized playhouse for her.
Daughter - Ryan Curry
Ryan Curry was born on Jul 10, 2015. She is the youngest daughter to Stephen and Ayesha. The couple went to Hawaii to celebrate Ryan’s first birthday. Photos of Ryan Curry wearing leis and flowers led to Buzzfeed bestowing her with the title of “Cutest Baby Born in 2015.”
College and Draft Year – Davidson class of 2009, 7th pick in 2009 NBA Draft
Curry attended Davidson, a small private college in North Carolina, where he lit up the Southern Conference over three seasons. Curry majored in sociology in the classroom while he set program and national records in the gym. As a freshman, he scored 21.5 points per game and earned conference first-team honors, leading Davidson to 29 wins and an NCAA Tournament visit. But the point guard was just getting started: He upped his scoring production to 25.9 points per game as a sophomore and earned his conference’s player of the year award before pushing Davidson to its first Elite Eight in nearly four decades. For his final act in 2008-9, Curry notched his second straight Southern Conference Player of the Year award and led all of college basketball with 28.6 points per game. But Davidson missed The Dance despite winning 26 games, and Curry’s college career ended in the NIT.
Weight - 190 pounds
A nimble 190-pounder, Curry carries a light frame in addition to a lightening quick jumper. But don’t be fooled, Curry is mighty strong. He can deadlift 400 pounds, a weight too heavy for many of his taller, bigger peers, and his strength has left many of his teammates in awe.
House - $5.8 million
Curry has made the rounds in the bay area, hopping from one luxurious pad to the next over the past few years. Right now, he calls home a five-bed, 10-bath palace nestled among the trees of Alamo, Calif. Previously, Curry resided in a three-bedroom Oakland loft, and from there he jumped to an expansive five-bedroom house in Walnut Creek. Most recently, Curry lived in a Spanish-style home in Orinda with a Syrah vineyard before moving to his current 10,000 square foot estate.
Injuries - Ankle surgery, 2011 & 2012
For the most part, Curry has proven remarkably durable during his career, appearing in at least 78 games in five of his first seven seasons. But the key phrase is the most part—Curry has also been dogged by ankle troubles, which sidelined him for most of the 2011-2 season. Ankle issues took Curry out the only game he missed in his entire college career in February 2009, and ankle sprains in his second year in the NBA required surgery after the 2011 season. During the next season, already shortened by the NBA lockout, he missed long stretches due to ankle sprains. He missed most of the second half of the season and had ankle surgery again in April 2012. Over the past five years, though, he has consistently stayed on the court. Curry did struggle with a knee injury during Golden State’s run to the 2016 NBA Finals, but he returned in time to help finish off the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
Best quotes
Funny:
“The only thing I'm probably afraid of is having too many turnovers. I have a bet with my mom that involves a little money, and if I have too many turnovers, she gets in my pocket.”
“Some of the stuff I do on the court is what most people think they can do.”
Frustrated:
After hitting a fan with his mouthpiece: “I’ve thrown my mouthpiece before — I usually aim at the scorer’s table.”
On slumps: “It’s a make or miss league. I’m not immune to that at all either.”
This January, while slumping: “"I try to get better from year to year, so if you survey it from that standpoint just off of raw numbers, I'm not achieving my goal right now.”
Family:
“FaceTime helps me a lot. I feel like I'm at home even though I'm not.”
After passing his dad for career points in NBA: “I’m in the family business, so to have that accomplishment is pretty special.”
“After the game, you’re just so happy to see your family.”
"One thing my pops always told me is you never count another man's money. It's what you've got and how you take care of it.”
