Yesterday, Golden State Warrior point guard Stephen Curry was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Curry received 100 of 130 first-place votes to beat out Houston Rocket guard James Harden.
Curry averaged 23.8 points per game, 7.7 assists per game and broke his own record for 3-pointers in a season with 286. Even more impressive, he led the Warriors to a franchise-record 67 wins.
If you follow the NBA, you know Curry’s story. Just in case you don’t, here’s a brief rundown…
Seen as too small, he was not recruited by major college basketball programs. Looking like he was about 12-years-old, he earned a scholarship to play at Davidson. As a sophomore, he set the college basketball world on fire and led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.
A perfect Cinderella story, especially when you consider a this…
Forgotten in the retelling of Cinderella is the fact that the unlikely hero had a lot of help. The poor, locked-up girl had the magic of a fairy godmother. Our poor, under-recruited player, had the magic of a sweet shooting father.
Dell Curry, Steph’s father, played 16 years in the NBA and is regarded as one of the league’s best outside shooters. So while he was not wanted by the best college basketball programs, it wasn’t as if Steph was dealt an empty deck. He had great genes and didn’t have to leave the court in his front yard to receive world-class instruction. I’d say that is the basketball equivalent of a pumpkin carriage taking him to the ball.
So let’s recap Steph Curry’s story…
- He had a few things going against him – undersized & overlooked
- He had a few things going for him – terrific bloodline and grew up on the NBA’s sidelines
Some good & some bad. Sounds like the story of many of us, doesn’t it? We’ve all been counted out or picked last. And while we probably didn’t have a dad who played in the NBA, we can probably count on one or two things in our favor. We all have some good & some bad.
So what is the one thing that sets Steph Curry apart?
Belief.
Steph Curry has unwavering belief in his ability and his God. So much so, that he even wrote about it on his shoes.
“Charged by belief” is the slogan for his Under Amour signature shoe. The slogan is written on the shoe, as is “I can do all things” and “4:13” which is written on the shoe’s tongue in reference to Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“It’s part of my DNA, who I am,” Curry said.
It’s also my mantra, how I get up for games and why I play the way I do.”
In a world of doubters, belief, is what drives Curry. When schools felt he was too small, he believed in himself. When two other point guards were drafted ahead of him, he believed God put him on the right team. On a night when he misses his first five shots, Curry believes he will make the next one.
Muhammad Ali said, “Once belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”
Things such as winning the NBA’s MVP award.
As we pointed out earlier, Steph Curry’s story is not too much different than ours. It has had its ups and its downs. What makes Curry a real MVP is his belief.
That is what we should learn from his story. He believed in himself, even when others did not. He turned his belief into a deep conviction and he continues to do so by writing about it on his shoes.
Maybe if Cinderella would have thought of that, she wouldn’t have lost hers.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
