Stephen Curry, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound point guard for the Golden State Warriors and the NBA Most Valuable Player this season, is a sharp-shooting devout Christian professional basketball player.
But despite being considered by some to be the greatest shooter in NBA history and achieving superstar status, Curry refused to get all of these accolades into his head and remains humble. Stephen always points his right index finger every time he connects a three-pointer to remind everyone that all the glory of his success belongs to God.
Curry told Decision in an interview, "Obviously, there's a lot of hoopla and fanfare that follows you wherever you go, but I know where my talent comes from. I know why I play the game, and it's not to score 30 points a night, but it's to use the stage I'm on. I've been put here for a specific purpose: to be a witness and to share my testimony as I go through it."
He continued, "He's the type of guy you look at and say, 'That's how I want my son to be. It's a great testament to who he is and the God he serves."
Writing for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes web site last year, Curry said he wants to point the people "the Man who died for our sins on the cross. I know I have a place in Heaven waiting for me because of Him, and that's something no earthly prize or trophy could ever top."
Curry's humility combined with tremendous basketball skills, earned him the respect of his colleagues, even the man who calls himself 'king.'
LeBron James, who goes by the moniker "King James," acknowledges Curry's strong performance on the court.
"One of the best shooters the NBA will ever see. You just hope he misses," James said of Curry. Incidentally, James' Cleveland Cavaliers is currently engaged with Curry's Golden State Warriors in the Best-of-Seven NBA Finals series.
Curry's father Dell, played for the Charlotte Hornets and often took him and his younger brother Seth to his games, where they would sometimes shoot around with his team during warm-ups. This probably helped shape Stephen's path into the NBA league.
Stephen attended Christian schools from elementary to college. He studied at a Montessori school that had been started by his mother, Sonya, in elementary. When his father played for the Toronto Raptors from 2001 to 2002, Curry attended Queensway Christian College in Etobicoke, Ontari when he was in the eight grade and went to high school at Charlotte Christian.
He was 13 when he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior and Lord, Stephen said. Curry stressed, "It was a big decision that my parents couldn't make for me. It's been a great walk since then. He means everything to me."
Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who co-pastors a church in Van Nuys, California, described Curry as a person who is calm with tremendous faith. Curry, he said, always plays his best night in and out. Of course, it helps that Jackson and Curry same the same passion for Christ.
Jackson further stated, "He's the type of guy you look at and say, 'That's how I want my son to be. It's a great testament to who he is and the God he serves. He comes from a great background and has a great foundation. I made sure to go to his parents and thank them for the way they raised him. It's been a tremendous blessing to me and my family to be able to coach him and trust this basketball team to him. If I'm going to bet the house on somebody-which is really what I'm doing-it's going to be a guy like that who has tremendous character."
Outside of the court, Curry can always be seen wearing apparel made by Active Faith Sports, to evangelize the fans about his Christian faith. A t-shirt of Curry reads, "In Jesus name, I play," summing up his reason for doing the best he can on and off the court.
