NBA superstar Steph Curry says his parents were integral to his faith journey and that he has made Scripture a central part of his home life with his wife and three children.
Curry, a two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion, made the comments to Fatherly.com while discussing his new children's book, I Have a Superpower, which tells the story of an 8-year-old boy named Hughes who enjoys playing basketball.
Asked to name his favorite childhood books, Curry mentioned the Bible.
"My parents read a lot of Bible stories with me. That's how I learned my faith, so those are very meaningful to me to share with my kids," Curry told Fatherly. "But there wasn't a specific series or book that I had lined up to share with my kids. I tried to be open to what they were interested in. They're old enough now that I take their lead. They come home with Dork Diaries and that type of stuff. I just love the fact that they are reading to me now. They're the storytellers, and I'm the audience, and that makes bedtime more fun."
Curry, an outspoken Christian, has risen to NBA stardom while juggling a travel-heavy career and fatherhood. He and his wife, Ayesha, have three children: Riley (10), Ryan (7) and Canon (4).
"We're fortunate to have FaceTime when I'm on the road," Curry said. "My dad traveled a lot during his 16 years in the NBA, and I don't know how my parents did it back in the day without technology. During the offseason, I have much more time with my kids, so I'm trying to do as many fun things as possible and do little things like showing up to their practices. Carpooling is an amazing time [chuckles]. The beauty of it is that you come to appreciate all the little things that seem kind of mundane or routine."
Curry says he wants his new book to help children understand the importance of hard work and maintaining a positive attitude. Those values, he says, were instilled in him as a child.
"They created an environment where I learned early on how to respond to failure," Curry said. "I played on a 10-and-under AAU basketball when I was 9, so I was the youngest on the team. And there was a big moment in the national championship game where I missed a free throw to tie the game and the next one as well. So by missing those two free throws, we lost the game. My parents were very supportive of me during those moments. Even now, the emotions I experience when I think of that time are very tangible. And the power of that experience has helped me learn not to be afraid of failure.
"I'm always telling my kids that they have to try stuff, and sometimes it's not gonna work. Sometimes it is, but all you control is your focus and attention. It's all about your approach to life. My parents set that foundation for belief and confidence that can prepare you for any moment and not be afraid of what the consequences might be or what the outcomes are going to be."
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Al Bello/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
