Who Is Stephen Curry?

Stephen Curry is a professional American basketball player with the Golden State Warriors. The son of former NBA player Dell Curry, Stephen first garnered national attention for his impressive play at Davidson College. He was drafted in 2009 by Golden State and eventually developed into one of pro basketball’s top players with his stellar shooting s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s. After garnering Most Valuable Player honors and helping the Warriors win the NBA championship in 2015, Curry led the team to a league-record 73 wins the following season. In May 2016, Curry became the first person to be named MVP by unanimous vote in NBA history, and one of only 11 players to win the MVP award two years in a row. He then helped the Warriors win the NBA title again in 2017 and 2018, both times over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Early Life and Family

Stephen Curry was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Wardell Stephen Curry II in Akron, Ohio on March 14, 1988, but mainly grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. The oldest son of former NBA player Dell Curry, Curry learned the fundamentals of basketball by watching and practicing with his father. However, it was mom Sonya, a former Division I volleyball star, who instilled the discipline to train in her son while Dell Sr. was with his team on road trips.

Curry has two siblings. His younger brother, Seth Curry, went on to a career in professional basketball after starting at Duke University. Stephen’s sister Sydel became a volleyball player at Elon University.

College Career and NBA Draft

Lightly recruited by major college basketball programs despite a standout career at Charlotte Christian School, Curry enrolled at tiny Davidson College near his hometown. He immediately showcased his s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s by scoring 32 points against the University of Michigan in his second game and earning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

“Make it work no matter what you have to work with – that’s something that stuck with me very early on as a point guard. Adjust. Get creative. Try a different angle, a different lane, a different move or a different shot – just make it work.” – Stephen Curry

Curry became a national star in March of his sophomore year when he carried the Wildcats to a berth in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament with a series of high-scoring performances.

After leading the nation with an average of 28.6 points per game as a college junior in 2009, Curry was selected with the seventh pick of the NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

NBA Stardom

Despite his slight frame and boyish looks, Curry proved capable of handling the NBA opposition with his shooting and ball-handling abilities. As a guard, he averaged more than 22 points per game after the 2010 All-Star break and wound up finishing second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. His impressive play earned him a spot on the USA Men’s Basketball Senior National Team, which won the gold medal at the 2010 World Championships.

Curry sustained a sprained ankle while practicing with the national team, an injury that lingered for the following two seasons.

A return to full health allowed him to regain his dazzling form in 2012-13, and Curry responded by setting an NBA record with 272 three-pointers. Named the Western Conference Player of the Month in April, he followed by leading the Warriors to an upset against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

Championships

After earning his first All-Star nod in 2014, Curry reached new levels of performance and popularity the following season. As one half of the “Splash Brothers” duo, which also featured sharpshooting guard Klay Thompson, Curry led an exciting Warriors team to an early 16-game win streak and was the leading vote-getter for the 2015 All-Star Game.

Curry capped a memorable season by helping the Warriors knock off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, giving the team its first championship since 1975.

For an encore, Curry helped the Warriors to 24 consecutive wins out of the starting gate in the 2015-16 season, a torrid pace that propelled the team to an NBA-record 73 wins. The superstar guard again demonstrated his unparalleled s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s throughout the season, finishing with an astounding 402 three-pointers and a league-high 30.1 points per game.