The reigning NBA MVP and current MVP frontrunner Stephen Curry turned 28 on Monday, and to celebrate, we have 28 facts about him.
1. His real name is Wardell Stephen Curry II.
In a Warriors World Q & A, he says that he was named after his father, and even though he is widely known as “Stephen” or “Steph,” his close friends still refer to him by his birth name.
2. He was born in Akron, Ohio.
Not only were Curry and LeBron James born in the same city, but they were born in the same hospital, according to NBC Bay Area.
3. His parents are both former athletes.
His dad, Dell, played in 16 NBA seasons for five different teams. His mom, Sonya, was a college volleyball standout. Guess it runs in the family.
4. His sister, Sydel, plays volleyball at Elon University.
Yeah, it runs in the family.
5. He is a gifted golfer.
In addition to his heroics on the basketball court, Curry is an avid golfer and that he shot two-under par at Pebble Beach last summer, according to the Golf Digest. He also recently hit the links with President Obama at Martha’s Vineyard
6. He holds the record for three-pointers in a season in both the NBA and NCAA.
That’s right … The NBA’s deadliest shooter was re-writing the record books long ago, with 162 makes during his sophomore season at Davidson, according to NBA.com.
7. He is extremely active in charity work.
In addition to winning the 2013-14 Kia Community Assist Award, he has worked extensively in the fight against malaria, including his help to distribute 38,000 bed nets to families at the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, according to NBA.com
8. He once starred in a Burger King commercial as a kid.
9. His mother fines him each time he commits a certain amount of turnovers. (via San Fransisco Chronicle)
Yes, he’s 28-years-old and the reigning NBA MVP, but Curry has a verbal contract with his mom. She fines him $100 for each turnover he commits after his third each game. Meaning, if he commits four turnovers, he owes her $100. Five turnovers= $200, six turnovers=$300, etc.
10. He started playing basketball when he was about five years old. (via Warriors’ Facebook Q & A)
Twenty-three years later, who would have thought he would be leading the dawn of a new era.
11. If he were to choose an actor to play him in a movie, it would be Denzel Washington. (via Warriors’ Facebook Q & A)
It’s tough to picture the 61-year-old Denzel portraying Curry, but anything’s possible, right?
12. Snakes are his biggest fear. (via Warriors’ Facebook Q & A)
Don’t worry Steph, they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.
13. He has two daughters.
His older daughter, Riley, became an instant celebrity when she hijacked his press conferences last season. His second daughter, Ryan, was born in 2015, and she has some big shoes to fill.
14. His biggest pet-peeve is when people sneeze without covering their nose. (via Warriors’ Facebook Q & A)
Coming in at a close second, continued criticism from retired NBA stars.
15. Muggsy Bogues was his favorite NBA player growing up.
He told the Big Lead that he admired Bogues — the NBA’s shortest player of all-time and his father’s former teammate — as a kid.
16. He once found a wallet with $160 and returned it.
He described the incident to the Big Lead:
“It was at the beginning of my sophomore year and I found a wallet in the dining hall. We have this campus-wide email that goes out every morning – Davidson is a small community, people look out for each other, you know? – and I put it in there. But my email had my first name, ‘Wardell,’ on it, so I don’t think the kid knew it was me until he showed up at my door. He was like, ‘you lit up Maryland in the NCAA tournament’ and then asked for my autograph. Pretty funny.”
17. He first dunked a basketball during his freshman year at Davidson.
18. His first date with his wife, Ayesha, was on Hollywood Boulevard.
He told AskMen.com:
“We went to Hollywood Boulevard in LA. She was living there at the time and I was visiting. She picked me up in her Astro Van. We drove around Hollywood Blvd and took a picture with the Marilyn Monroe statue that was on the Walk of Fame, had some chai tea lattes and did some sight seeing and it went from there.”
19. Two of his favorite movies are “The Princess Diaries” and “A Walk to Remember.”
According to his sister’s interview with ESPNW, Steph has a soft spot for chick flicks.
20. He is the longest tenured player on the Golden State Warriors roster.
Drafted in 2009, no player on the roster has been with the Warriors for longer.
21. His favorite childhood memory was when he got on stage with the hip-hop group, Kris Kross.
22. He didn’t receive a college scholarship from any major Division I program.
According to NESN.com, he only received three scholarships to play college basketball: Davidson, VCU, and Winthrop.
23. He wears the No. 30 to honor his dad.
24. He met Kevin Durant at an AAU event when he was 10 years old.
Durant told NBA 2K Uncensored:
“I walk in the gym and this guy’s stepping across half court just pulling jump shots. Splash. Splash. And when we played him, he had like 35 and he was like 10 years old. I was like, who is this? And 10 years later … that was Steph Curry.”
25. His favorite TV show is How to Get Away With Murder. (via Warriors’ Facebook Q & A)
Nicknamed the “Babyfaced Assassin,” it’s only fitting that this would be his favorite show.
26. His worst habit is eating candy. (via CBSSports.com)
His favorite sugary snack? Maynards, a fuzzy peach candy made in Canada.
27. If he could trade places with any athlete, it would be Rory McIlroy. (via Sports Illustrated)
There’s that love for golf again. Rory, the ball is in your court.
28. He is a frequent visitor to USATODAY.com, Twitter, ESPN.com, and Sports Illustrated.
He told SI’s “hot clicks” his favorite websites to visit when first logging online.