Young Stephen left often attended his father’s NBA practices and games Here he sits with his father along the sidelines at a shooting contest during the 1992 All-Star Weekend 8 STEPHEN CURRY NBA SHARPSHOOTER
Young Star Discovering Basketball Stephen became interested in basketball at a very early age during visits to his grandparents home in Virginia Stephen and Seth played on a homemade backboard that their grandfather Jack Curry had put up years before when Dell was a child The ground around the backboard was uneven and the boys had to dodge around obstacles like puddles Stephen developed very good ball-handling skills by dribbling over the uneven ground He perfected his shot so that he could avoid having to chase the ball into the cluttered yard around the backboard Stephen started playing basketball in a recreational league when he was seven or eight years old He was small for his age but he worked hard to develop his basketball skills Dell worked with Stephen to improve his shot so that he could compete against bigger kids Stephen liked to watch Dell practice with his NBA teammates They sometimes let 9
QUICK FACT Stephen also played baseball football golf and soccer as a kid him practice with them Stephen was able to learn a lot about basketball by attending those practices The Currys were a successful couple They had money As children Stephen Seth and Sydel never had to go without the things they needed However Sonya and Dell wanted Stephen and his siblings to know the value of working hard to earn things they wanted The Curry children did chores around their home Stephen’s jobs included washing the dishes Stephen applied the same work ethic to becoming a better basketball player High School Stephen played high school basketball for Charlotte Christian School He was always the smallest player on his team the Knights Stephen began his freshman year playing on the junior varsity team At the end of the season he was able to join the varsity team He even got a chance to play in a state tournament game that Charlotte Christian ultimately lost and he made a three-pointer His coaches could see that he was a special player at age 15 despite his height of only 5 feet 6 inches and his skinny frame He wanted to wear number 30 like his father did throughout his professional career but the Knights number 30 jersey was much too big for him Stephen had to wear number 20 throughout his high school years QUICK FACT Stephen and Seth Curry often played pick-up games at the Charlotte YMCA where they surprised bigger opponents with their skills He gained a reputation for his quickness and his ability to suddenly change directions on the court He had an uncanny ability to use angles and make shots that were seemingly impossible especially three-point shots 10 STEPHEN CURRY NBA SHARPSHOOTER
Young Star Players on opposing teams often underestimated him because of his size They did not expect him to be able to beat them by making three-pointers Teams rarely found ways to contain his scoring Every year Stephen played for Charlotte Charlotte Christian School gave Stephen Curry this framed award honoring his accomplishments during the ceremony held in January 2017 to mark the retirement of his jersey number 20 Christian School he became stronger and better He worked hard in practice and took game films of his games home so that he could study them Stephen improved aspects of his game beyond his three-point shot including his passing skills his dribbling and his mid-range shots He also gradually grew taller throughout his high school career Stephen earned a varsity letter for basketball in three seasons while playing for Charlotte Christian He led the team to conference championships in 2004 2005 and 2006 The team also played in the 11
