Stephen Curry, holding his daughter Riley, laughs with Andre Iguodala during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade and Rally in Oakland, on Friday, June 19, 2015. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
We may root for them, but it’s not easy to like some professional athletes. There aren’t a lot of role models out there. Then there’s the Warriors’ Steph Curry, the guy who not only has no problem knocking down a game-winning 38-footer at the buzzer (Think the Thunders game on Feb. 27 ), but also shows no fear in having his daughter with him during a post-game press conference (Think Riley stealing the show following his team’s Game 1 victory in the conference finals last year.)
If there’s any doubt about the pride he takes in being a dad, check out this interview with Steph in the June edition of Parents magazine. It’s one of the first times he and his wife, Ayesha, have talked about their relationship and their experiences in raising Riley, 3, and Ryan, 10 months. (First off, how many professional athletes make the cover of Parents as well as Sports Illustrated – and just about every major sports publication there is – in the same month?)
Here are two great moments in the interview with Parents:
Steph Curry on road games: “FaceTime helps me a lot. I feel like I’m at home even though I’m not. My girls get to see me, and Riley is at the age where she asks where I am and when I’ll be back, counting down how many ‘sleeps’ until Daddy gets home.” Any parent who travels can empathize.
Ayesha on Steph: “The thing I love about him is that he’s not too cool for school. He’ll get down on the floor and play with the girls. He’ll put on dress up clothes if he has to, and he’s very patient, which is something I’m not. We balance each other out.”
Yes, you have to like this guy (and his family). But he’s making life difficult for guys like me.
My kids, particularly my 13-year-old daughter, Clara, is crazy about Curry and his whole family. Her dream job: being the Curry’s babysitter. Her second dream job: Being Riley Curry.
In other words, she’s making me work on my jumper.
Anybody else have families that are as Curry crazy as mine?
– Paul Gullixson
