Look at Curry Man
April 20, 2021 2:18 PM   Subscribe

Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors, along with his wife Ayesha, have helped serve 16,000,000 meals to Oakland kids this year. In November he bought a new food truck for Homies Empowerment, after theirs was stolen and trashed. In early April, he worked with the Bruce Lee Foundation to raise money to show solidarity with the Asian community. He's also found time to set the record for the most 3 point buckets in any 11 game stretch in NBA history for players 33 and older.

On April 13th he passed Wilt Chamberlain as the Warriors' all time leading scorer. He's currently this season's leading scorer, averaging 31.4 points on 49% shooting yet the Warriors are 29-29, sitting at 10th place in the Western Conference. What are the chances he'll be considered for MVP?
posted by oneirodynia (32 comments total) 42 users marked this as a favorite
 
Bonus Curry content: Steph's Q&A with Dr. Anthony Fauci

Steph's wild And-1 against the Celtics

Curry's highlights vs. the 76'ers last night, in which he scored 49 points and shot 10 3s.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:28 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]


“When you look at those numbers, you get uncomfortable,” Stephen said.

Yes, indeed. In a good way.
posted by chavenet at 2:36 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


I'm not generally a fan of basketball but this guy sounds awesome.
posted by wenestvedt at 2:38 PM on April 20, 2021 [9 favorites]


wenestvedt: i am, and he is.
posted by lkc at 2:46 PM on April 20, 2021 [10 favorites]


MVP is a regular-season award. Stephen Curry should be MVP for this season.
- GSW fan.
posted by asra at 2:47 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


I live in the Bay Area, and someone I know knows someone who was Curry's neighbor back when he still lived in Orinda or Walnut Creek, some years ago now. The story they told was that Curry contracted to build an in-ground pool after he bought a house in a nice wooded neighborhood. After the pool was finished, he threw a pool party for all the kids in the neighborhood, including the families of the contractors who built the pool.

He's a good egg.
posted by suelac at 2:52 PM on April 20, 2021 [42 favorites]


Glad to hear he's as good a guy as his public image suggests. What I love about him is the sheer joy he exhibits out there. What I hate is that the Warriors took him a pick before the Knicks could have...
posted by AJaffe at 2:57 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


I'm always cautious about giving US pro athletes (and probably at least two futbol leagues) credit for not (yet) being some flavor of Milkshake Duck, but Curry does appear to transcend the history.

After the pool was finished, he threw a pool party for all the kids in the neighborhood, including the families of the contractors who built the pool.

Something that probably doesn't even occur to most other pros. /grar
posted by rhizome at 3:32 PM on April 20, 2021 [4 favorites]


Steph is 33????
posted by skewed at 3:45 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]


> Steph is 33????

Still rocks his dad's #30 which is what he's making each night just on 3 pointers.
posted by lkc at 5:05 PM on April 20, 2021 [1 favorite]


MVP is a regular-season award. Stephen Curry should be MVP for this season.

Curry is having a ridiculous run right now, but the Warriors are a .500 team. Granted, they are hot garbage without him on the court - but the real MVP this season is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, who leads the league in PER, win shares, and win shares per 48 minutes, is averaging 26.4 points/11.1 rebounds/8.8 assists per game as a center (and to be clear those would be MVP numbers at any position but doing it as a center is basically unprecedented), and is shooting 42 percent on threes, which is just a hair behind Curry's 43.1.

Curry's a historic player, the best shooter of all time, and a two-time MVP already. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But this is Jokic's year and it's not particularly close.

I'm always cautious about giving US pro athletes (and probably at least two futbol leagues) credit for not (yet) being some flavor of Milkshake Duck, but Curry does appear to transcend the history.

The majority of NBA players give away a whole lot of money to charity - food and gift drives for the needy are the usual choices, because most of them growing up either played with kids who came from poor families or were poor themselves.
posted by mightygodking at 5:05 PM on April 20, 2021 [8 favorites]


This is all good (and Steph Curry is fucking *good* on the court), but these feel good stories about super stars giving back ring hollow to me. No disrespect to the super star who is trying to do good.

I have worked at a lot of non-profits over decades. These kinds of things are "helpful" this week, but it doesn't change anything structurally. Honestly, ask yourself if you are happy with the idea that the underprivileged can rely on the benevolence of athletic superstars to solve their problems.

Steph Curry: you are amazing to watch and we love you. It's awesome that you recognize there are people in your community who don't have access or advantage. Don't you think there is something that could happen at the county/state/national level that could do much more than your food truck is doing?

I'm asking as a big fan who thinks you have a bigger voice than you are using.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 5:12 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]


Would it not be MeFi if we did not overthink our beans? Surely not.

Steph has done a lot. There are other things he's done that haven't been mentioned. Elevating artists and their causes, building courts in areas for kids to play on, and being a consistent voice for the right things.

On top of that he's one of the 500 best basketball players on the planet. And at this point everyone has pretty much agreed it's time to call him the greatest shooter ever. I usually say this when people talk about dunking and tell them to go stand at the free throw line and just try to run and jump from there, but yeah go out to your local court and stand at half court. Most local courts are nowhere near the size of an NBA court, so you're probably a little past the 3 point line. That's where this guy is consistently making shots from, even when you're in his face the moment he crosses into the front court.

It's unreal. And to do that at all, it takes an unbelievable amount of practice and work.

Now do that in an actual game against local people. Now do it against good collegians. Now do it against some of the best professional athletes in the world. If you don't play a lot of basketball let me tell you from decades of experience, the moment you get tired, your shot is the first thing to go. Not only is he doing it, doing it in a game, doing it in a game against pro athletes, but he's also doing it as essentially the guy to worry about on his team. As in, you stop him, you stop his team.

This dude is hitting fadeaway sideways shots in the fourth quarter and not even hitting the freaking RIM. It's like something out of a movie, I'm telling you.

So he's doing all that, doing the things mentioned in the post, speaking out, hosting Fauci, bringing on Barack and taking time to even teach guys how to shoot on the side (I have a friend who learned from him, yes I'm jealous lets not talk about it). Steph is okay in my book.

Also, Steph can totally be MVP, Jokic doesn't have anything in the bag, Embiid is a candidate, and if Steph wins it's all good. Why? Because there's no criteria for the MVP award. Zero. None. Media voters could vote for him because they like the color of his ankle braces or his shoes. Did we mention yet that he started his own brand a few months ago to help underprivileged kids?

Beans look ok from here.
posted by cashman at 5:55 PM on April 20, 2021 [15 favorites]


Honestly, ask yourself if you are happy with the idea that the underprivileged can rely on the benevolence of athletic superstars to solve their problems.

This is practical stuff: putting food in front of kids. I'm not at all happy that there's room for them to do this, but it wouldn't be done if they weren't doing it. I'm not sure what you think they should be doing — using that money to run for office? How would they distinguish themselves in that case from everyone else who professes to be concerned about poverty?
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:58 PM on April 20, 2021 [8 favorites]


Stephen's little brother Seth, who actually has the higher career 3-pointer percentage of the two (for now at least), was hanging with him offensively for the first half of last night's game, but then Steph found another gear to almost single-handedly dispatch my beloved 76ers. The ease with which Steph creates separation with a step-back or just blows by defenders for a layup makes him pretty much unguardable when he decides to take over a game. As much of a bummer as it was to see my team lose that game, it was great to witness someone playing at an other-worldly level.

And yes, if he keeps this up, he definitely belongs in the MVP conversation. He probably can't win it because of the silly "team wins affects an individual award" factor, and Jokic definitely is the guy right now, but there's another month of basketball left, and a lot can happen.

Re: the off-the-court good he's doing: it's not sufficient, but is necessary. We can't kick back and count on the rich and famous to solve societal ills, but Stephen Curry giving back isn't stopping someone else from doing their share, or preventing the rest of us from taking larger-scale collective action to address issues in the streets or at the ballot box.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:02 PM on April 20, 2021 [2 favorites]


Steph Curry: you are amazing to watch and we love you. It's awesome that you recognize there are people in your community who don't have access or advantage. Don't you think there is something that could happen at the county/state/national level that could do much more than your food truck is doing?

It's Steph and his wife's foundation, EAT, LEARN, PLAY that has served over 16 million meals to Oakland kids since the pandemic started:
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have provided over 18 million meals and 4 million pounds of groceries to Oakland families, and others in need. We have also delivered 15-pound boxes of fresh produce to 24,000 families since March 2020 throughout Oakland public schools and parks & recreation youth campsites. Over 1,000 individuals and organizations contributed to this effort, made possible through our partnerships with World Central Kitchen, Alameda County Community Food Bank, and Oakland Unified School District.

This isn't just a photo opportunity.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:03 PM on April 20, 2021 [13 favorites]


Also I think the Currys are pretty aware of the fact that it needs to be more than just them:

"California’s budget is a statement of our values, principles and priorities as a people. The inclusion of funding that supports schools giving children and families access to food — a most basic human need to foster learning and growth — is a critical lifeline for families now, and our children’s future.

The state Legislature has proposed funding through the state budget to school districts to continue providing meals, and we urge the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to pass this budget. Just as the heroes in Oakland have stepped up to provide food to children and families who have struggled so hard for so long, California must step up and ensure this much-needed funding. Together with our partners, we will continue to do all we can to support children and families in our community through this crisis."
posted by oneirodynia at 6:06 PM on April 20, 2021 [8 favorites]


It's hard to think of a smaller group that did more to knock Trump out of office than Black professional athletes, and the NBA led that charge.

And the Golden State Warriors were out in front of the rest of the NBA (along with LeBron, of course).

So I think criticism of Curry for not doing enough is way out of line at this point in our nation's history.
posted by jamjam at 6:20 PM on April 20, 2021 [22 favorites]


love steph curry but believe reality would be served by more people advocating for dame lillard for mvp
posted by Lyme Drop at 6:24 PM on April 20, 2021 [3 favorites]


On top of my frustrations with the government that aren't Curry's fault, I'd rather not have to second-guess support for Curry's deal with the military- and cop-outfitter known as Under Armour.
posted by rhizome at 6:35 PM on April 20, 2021


the real MVP this season is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets

Well, Jokic would be a worthy winner. But there is a difference between the kind of defense attention that Steph faces and the one Jokic faces. If one were to consider the conditions under which each player is producing their eye-popping numbers I think the narrative might shift. I am a homer and I could be wrong. There used to be a gravity score or some such metric that quantified this but I am unable to locate that.
posted by asra at 7:48 PM on April 20, 2021


Here's Steph supporting collective action for systemic change, not just giving charity.
posted by latkes at 9:32 PM on April 20, 2021 [5 favorites]


I would not be second guessing where Mr. and Mrs. Curry are directing their efforts. They’ll do what they can to address the structural issues but that does not change the fact, especially in the economic devastation from the pandemic, that a lot of people need a lot of help *right now.* We need long term fixes. A lot of people need short term fixes and need them badly because those people can’t even see long term right now when their worried about where the food to feed their family is going to come from next.

On the court, Curry is among the most entertaining players I’ve ever watched. He might not be the best ever when you look at guys like Jordan, but he is a devastatingly great mad bomber from anywhere on the court who can also get to the rim in heavy traffic. You pick him up at half court or else, because he’s open anywhere once he crosses the timeline. Normally you can lay back a bit off guys 30 feet from the basket to get ready for a switch or to take a defensive position closer to the three point line, but if you lose sight of Curry for a half second that far out, the next thing you know the ball is going through the net. He is so good at drawing fouls on three point shots. And if you decide to defend him close, he’s not only gonna score on you, he’s gonna take your soul while he’s at it. Jordan is the best ever to play the game. Shaq is the most dominant guy ever. As for most entertaining player, it’s between Curry and Bird. Although Maravich would have been a riot to watch.
posted by azpenguin at 9:46 PM on April 20, 2021 [5 favorites]


as a liberal arts college undergrad and now professor, I'm always happy to see Curry (who played at Davidson) being so so dominant. (Also, iirc, Davidson won't induct him into their hall of fame because it's exclusively reserved for graduates and he entered the draft before graduating!)

I also like watching Curry because he looks so much smaller than a lot of other players, being merely 6'3''. He's fun to watch.

This has been basketball thoughts from a guy who doesn't watch much basketball.
posted by dismas at 7:16 AM on April 21, 2021 [4 favorites]


He's great on Holey Moley
posted by InfidelZombie at 7:45 AM on April 21, 2021 [1 favorite]


some years ago in an earlier incarnation of the Warriors on a tear, I caught part of a game and saw Curry make a few of those incredible shots. and I thought "oh, he's just a little bitty thing!" haha 6'3". gotta love an NBA court for making a 6'3" man look tiny.

that said, I think that what he and his wife are doing is great. they fully recognize that systemic, legislative change is needed, but it the meanwhile they can do some good on the ground, in the moment. we need both. and yeah, no the stuff should not need to come from private citizens deciding to be philanthropic, I completely agree. but they are still helping people, and perhaps inspiring also. maybe someone in the community that they have helped will go on to enter politics and be part of those changes. as an Oakland resident, and a voter, I do what I can to support both the long and short term goals.
posted by supermedusa at 10:11 AM on April 21, 2021 [3 favorites]


Curry and James Corden made a charming visit to a mini golf place in Alameda, a little town next to Oakland. (I live in Alameda.) Sadly the mini golf place closed a couple of years ago.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:34 PM on April 21, 2021


He's great on Holey Moley

Ha ha, this show is fun and a welcome (less problematic) iteration of MXC. I'm not 100% on Rob Riggle, Marine that he is, but he does all right and I'm find with him being the funniest jock around. Could be worse! This and Ellen's Game of Games are the best prime time game shows right now by a mile, including the talent ones. /derail
posted by rhizome at 2:52 PM on April 21, 2021


Curry and James Corden made a charming visit to a mini golf place yt in Alameda, a little town next to Oakland. (I live in Alameda.) Sadly the mini golf place closed a couple of years ago.

aw, I didn't know Subpar closed. :(

One of my favorite things about this carpool karaoke is seeing Alameda and Oakland out the window as Steph and Corden sing How Far I'll Go and Love is an Open Door.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:35 PM on April 21, 2021


I must share my favorite Steph Curry commercial.

Steph is my favorite basketball player. He is bizarrely humble for how talented he is. You just have to admire that.
posted by Become A Silhouette at 7:20 PM on April 21, 2021


Listen to Jrue Holiday (a great defender, current NBA player for the Bucks) and JJ Redick (a shooter, currently plays for Dallas) talk about Steph. The word "Transcendent" gets used.
posted by cashman at 5:43 AM on April 24, 2021




« Older You Are Not Your Thoughts   |   That means the showrunner is Miranda Priestly, you... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments