During the incredible 2015-2016 season for the Golden State Warriors, in which they finished with an NBA-record 73 regular season wins, fans would come to the arena hours in advance of the game, just to watch the Warriors — and especially their sharpshooting superstar, Stephen Curry — warm up. Curry, in particular, proved to be an incredible draw for those fans, most especially the children. The slightly-undersized, baby-faced Curry became one of the most beloved players in the NBA among the league’s youngest fans, given his prolific scoring ability, and an almost child-like approach to playing the game in general.
In return, Stephen Curry has been very active in giving back to that particularly loyal demographic of fans, through his off-the-court, charitable, and philanthropic efforts. Since early in his career in the San Francisco Bay area, Curry has visited hospitals numerous times, spending an extended period of his own time with the children admitted to those hospitals. Most recently, he spent one of his off days earlier this season in November, visiting with a seven-year-old leukemia patient named Brody Stephens, who of course happened to be a huge fan of Curry. Curry gave Stephens his own game-worn bracelet, and in exchange, Curry wore the half-orange, half-black bracelet he received from Stephens, which had the words “BrodyStrong,” in his next game.
Outside of hospital visits, Curry supported the East Oakland Youth Development Center, a local non-profit organization located right near Oracle Arena, where the Golden State Warriors play their home games. The Center focused on helping the local youth achieve excellence in education, career, and service to their communities. After winning the NBA’s MVP award in 2015, he donated the prize vehicle he received with that award, a 2016 Kia Sorrento, to the organization.
Curry’s efforts towards improving the lives of children extends much further than just northern California too. In 2012, he started donating three insecticide-treated mosquito nets for every three-pointer he made to the United Nations Foundation’s “Nothing But Nets” campaign, focused on fighting the spread of malaria in developing nations. Those efforts actually earned him an invitation to speak at the White House, as part of President Barack Obama’s launch of his Malaria Initiative strategy for 2015–2020.
Even with the acquisition of superstar Kevin Durant, Curry remains one of the most popular players in the NBA. With his deep grounding in his Christian faith, Curry will undoubtedly continue to use his popularity and his means achieved through his basketball successes, to impact the lives of so many of his fans — of all ages.