Steph Curry’s mom, Sonya Curry, and his father, Dell Curry, have become staples at Golden State Warriors games. The couple knew about life in the NBA long before Steph started playing thanks to Dell’s 16 seasons in the league. Dell was drafted by the Utah Jazz with the No. 15 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. In addition to the Jazz, Dell played for the Cavaliers, Hornets, Bucks and Raptors.
Dell averaged 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists during his NBA tenure. He was known as being one of the best shooters of his era making over 1,200 three pointers over his career. Dell and Sonya met as student-athletes at Virginia Tech. Sonya is just as competitive as anyone in the Curry family, and was a top volleyball player in college. Steph admits to getting his competitiveness from his mother.
“The competitive side is I just want my kids to beat the crap out of people when they’re out there,” Sonya told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Let them know you’re there, let them know you’re there for a reason.”
Learn more about Steph’s parents, Sonya and Dell.
1. Sonya Told Steph He Needed to “Wash His Mouth Out With Soap” After Dropping an F-Bomb on TV
Steph started the 2018 Western Conference Finals in a bit of a slump, but was able to bounce out of it in the second half of Game 3. After a nice drive to the basket, Steph was caught on camera yelling, “This is my f—–g house.” The video went viral, and his mother was not too pleased with her son’s choice of words.
“She [Sonya Curry] already sent me two home videos, showing me the clip and playing it back,” Curry told ESPN. “She was telling me how I need to wash my mouth out, saying to wash it out with soap. It’s a message I’ve heard before…She’s right. I gotta do better. I can’t talk like that.”
Steph’s oldest daughter, Riley, was in attendance, and teammate Klay Thompson joked that he hoped she didn’t see her father drop the f-bomb.
“I saw that,” Thompson told USA Today. “That was funny. I hope Riley didn’t see it, but it got Oracle pretty fired up. That’s a rare occurrence. I’ve never really seen Steph … use that language, but that’s what the playoffs brings out in you. Don’t do that at home, kids. It’s just once in a while.”
2. Dell Took a Red-Eye Flight From a 2018 Warriors Playoff Game to Play in the Quail Hallow Pro-Am With Jason Dufner
Dell’s NBA days are behind him, but the former sharp shooter has become an avid golfer. Dell was selected to play in the 2018 Quail Hallow Pro-Am with Jason Dufner. According to the Charlotte Observer, Dell has even played a round of golf with former President Barack Obama.
To make his scheduled tee time at Quail Hallow, Dell had to take a red-eye flight after watching his son play at Oracle Arena in the second round of the NBA playoffs against the Pelicans. The Charlotte Observer detailed Dell’s travel schedule.
Dell left Oracle Arena with about two minutes left before the Warriors finished off the Pelicans 121-116, to take a 2-0 series lead. That got him ahead of the postgame traffic. He had to head across the bay, to reach San Francisco International Airport, and catch a midnight (PDT) direct flight back to Charlotte.
“Landed in Charlotte about 8:15,” Curry recalled just before teeing off Wednesday. “Took a shower and came over here.”
Curry played 16 NBA seasons (10 in Charlotte with the Hornets) before retiring, so overnight flights are a big part of his past. How much did he sleep on the plane?
“Just a couple of hours,” Curry said. “I was really excited about the game last night.”
3. Steph’s Mom Has Been Known to Yell at Her Son If He Is Not Playing Defense
Steph’s parents frequently attend Warriors games, but the couple has been attending Steph’s games long before he made it to the NBA. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Steph noted his mother prided herself as being a defensive stopper in high school, and would yell at him during games if his defense was not up to her standard.
“If I wasn’t playing defense, that was her thing when she played in high school,” Steph told Graham Besinger. “She was a big time defender. So if I wasn’t playing defense the way I was supposed to, she’d yell at me, ‘What are you doing? Guard your man! Guard your man!’ Basically, she’s giving away, for my opponent, she’s giving him fuel. He knows, ‘Oh yeah, he’s not guarding me. I gotta keep going at him.’ I always loved to know that my parents were supportive, and were engaged in what we were doing. So, I had no problems hearing her from the stands.”
4. Steph’s Brother, Seth, Also Played in the NBA & His Sister, Sydel, Was a Standout Volleyball Player at Elon University
Not only were Dell and Sonya standout athletes, the entire family turned out to have a knack for playing sports. Steph’s younger brother, Seth Curry, played four NBA seasons, and last played in the league in 2017. Seth played for the Cavs, Grizzlies, Suns, Kings and Mavericks. Seth shined at Duke, and went on to play in 118 NBA games. Seth’s best season came in 2016-17 season when he averaged 12.8 points and 2.7 assists in 29 minutes of play per game.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Steph’s sister, Sydel Curry, played volleyball at Elon University before concussions forced her to retire prior to her senior season. Sydel’s husband, Damion Lee, played for the Hawks during the 2017-18 season, and squared off against Steph on the court. Despite athletics being a way to bring the family together, Dell and Sonya did their best not to pressure their kids to play sports.
“We decided early that we wouldn’t focus on that [sports] with our kids,” Sonya told the SF Gate in 2013. “I watched so many other children of players, young boys who just thought this life was automatically expected and then didn’t know what else to do. From the beginning, ours knew that was Daddy’s job. I tried to keep it normal and grounded.”
5. Sonya Saw Dell at a Virginia Tech Basketball Practice During Her Official Visit
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Sonya first “met” Dell on her official visit to Virginia Tech. During her visit, she took in one of the men’s basketball practices, and noticed Dell during the session. The couple would later begin dating as Sonya played college volleyball at Virginia Tech, while Dell was a standout basketball player before making the jump to the NBA. Sonya’s high school volleyball coach John Pierce noted she was quite the volleyball player despite being undersized at just 5’5″.
“Just an astonishingly good kid,” John told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Really delightful young girl, just fun to be around. She was small then, and she stayed small, but she already had a great work ethic, great parental support from her mom, Candy, who did not play around. Candy’s kids toed the line.”
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Sonya & Dell Curry, Steph’s Parents: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know