To my cousins Sarah, Ameera and Ali

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/adaj36namvqz

Stephen Curry, in full Wardell Stephen Curry II, byname Steph, (born March 14, 1988, Akron, Ohio, U.S.), American professional basketball player who led the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to championships in 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2021–22 and to the best regular-season record in league history (73–9) in 2015–16.

Curry grew up in basketball as the son of 16-year NBA veteran sharpshooter Dell Curry. The younger Curry learned the intricacies of the game from his father. His keen shooting and high “basketball IQ” were not enough to persuade college coaches to overlook his wiry frame and unremarkable 6-foot (1.8-metre) height. He did not receive scholarship offers from major college basketball programs and attended , which had an enrollment of fewer than 2,000 students.

He quickly made his mark, however, averaging 21.5 points per game as a freshman to lead all first-year players in the country. Curry became a national sensation during his sophomore season, when he led 10th-seeded Davidson on an improbable run to the Elite Eight of the men’s top-division in a performance that featured what would soon be recognized as his signature shot: a three-pointer from well outside the line.

His junior season did not feature any such postseason heroics, but his average of 28.6 points per game led the country, and he was named a consensus first-team All-American. He then entered the 2009 NBA draft, in which he was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

Curry made an immediate impact with the Warriors, becoming the team’s starting point guard and averaging 17.5 points per game in his first season. A series of ankle sprains led to Curry’s playing just 26 games in the 2011–12 season, and he underwent off-season surgery. He then signed a modest four-year $44 million contract extension that allowed to surround its budding star with other talented players. Curry led the league in three-pointers made (272) in 2012–13. The following season he repeated that feat (with 261) and earned his first All-Star selection. In 2014–15 he made a then-record 286 three-pointers while leading the Warriors to an NBA-best 67–15 record and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the following postseason, Curry propelled the Warriors to the franchise’s first title in 40 years over the years.