All these pitches Stephen Curry heard asking him to be the focus of a documentary simply rim-rolled however by no means went in.
Then alongside got here the “Stephen Curry: Underrated” group of Oakland director/co-producer Peter Nicks and others related to Proximity Media, together with Oakland native and “Black Panther” filmmaker Ryan Coogler. Their proposal arrived on the excellent time and proved to be simply what Curry needed.
The phenomenal Golden State Warriors level guard and sensational golfer (try his hole-in-one final weekend on the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe) notably preferred the truth that Nicks sought to juxtapose his underdog 2006-2009 collegiate basketball profession at Davidson College in North Carolina with the Warriors’ comeback chew-your-nails-to-itty-bits 2021-2022 season. Factor within the expertise backing the documentary, lately launched on Apple TV+, and one of many best basketball gamers of all time was all in.
“This one made the most sense because from a top level it was closing in on 15 years of our Elite Eight (appearance at the regional final round of the NCAA Division) we had at Davidson,” Curry mentioned throughout a Zoom interview selling the documentary, which debuted at January’s Sundance Film Festival, the place Curry attended with Nicks, Coogler and others.
Other causes that contributed to clinching the deal included a collaborative need to impart constructive messages within the documentary about reaching one’s targets, and about persevering and triumphing when seemingly everybody expects you to fail.
“It was the through line of me trying to complete my Bachelor’s degree since I had left early in my third year and fulfilling that promise to Coach (Bob) McKillop and my mom,” he provides. “It was also just a moment of reflection on all the things that I learned and the underrated mindset I had developed pre-Davidson, but that exposed itself though those three years. And some of the other themes and lessons that I took away from those formative years at Davidson. All that, you know, I think took the success that I’ve had in the league and gave it a home of why it mattered, why it would be impactful.”
While the 35-year-old father of three, whose household lives in Atherton, hopes “Underrated” conjures up younger athletes, he dually hopes it appeals to “anybody from any walk of life” who has felt undervalued and is ready to “adopt that underrated mindset as a badge of honor.”
Davidson coach McKillop, now retired, was one such one that noticed one thing particular in Curry regardless that skeptics thought the participant was too quick and didn’t possess the best stuff to be a star. Curry performed for 3 seasons at Davidson from 2006-2009 earlier than leaving for the NBA in his senior 12 months.
The shifting bond between McKillop and Curry, and Davidson’s astonishing 2008 NCAA Tournament run, play commanding roles in Nicks’ function. Both on and off the courtroom, McKillop and Curry have excessive reward and respect for one another.
“Steph checked every box in the area of character, work ethic, toughness, and coachability,” McKillop mentioned in an e mail. “His shooting, ball-handling skills, and basketball IQ were easily evident. His capacity to live in the moment because of his tough-minded emotional makeup and his selfless spirit heightened his ability to transcend time. He learned and consistently demonstrated the ability to be in the present moment while seeing one step ahead into the future, and did it all at the same time.”
Curry discovered McKillop to be a perceptive coach and mentor who noticed his potential and challenged him in all the best methods.
“He did it with a perspective that I was good enough … (that) I didn’t need to change. I needed to continue to be myself. … From a leadership perspective, he’s like a master at connecting to the human being and not just the athlete.”
Curry additionally praises “Underrated” director Nicks — recognized for the acclaimed Oakland documentary trilogy “The Waiting Room,” “The Force” and “Homeroom” — and says the award-winning filmmaker did an unbelievable job, notably when tagging alongside throughout the Warriors’ loopy 2021-22 season whereas permitting everybody to “exist in these spaces and still be present and be human in the process.”
But Nicks mentioned he had doubts about making the documentary when the thought was floated his means.
“I almost didn’t do it,” he admits. His reticence was as a result of flood of celeb and music documentaries that have been popping out on the time. And not like his earlier movies, which take a cinema vérité have a look at governmental establishments, this one would deal with one one that can be partnering with him to inform the story. But as Nicks received to know Curry and his story he was gained over and needed to form it partly as a coming-of-age story “that had not been told before.”
The documentary is popping out at a time when individuals are nonetheless speaking about two current outstanding sporting feats – Curry’s win and hole-in-one within the Tahoe match and tennis participant Carlos Alcaraz’s beautiful Wimbledon title victory on the age of 20.
Since Alcaraz is so younger and Curry is so conversant in fame, does he have any knowledge to impart to the younger Spanish participant about coping with sudden fame and public consideration?
“Stay true to who you are and what got you there — first and foremost,” he mentioned, including it’s essential to strike a steadiness between residing within the public eye and residing your actual life, and being conscious of “people taking bits and pieces of you away from the main thing.”
He finds that what he has realized “going through these last 14-plus years in the league is the behemoth of the platform as it grows. It can eat away at your joy for what you do and you can tell Alcaraz plays with joy. I was out there on the golf course playing with joy. I play with joy on the basketball court. I have been trying to be intentional, intentional about maintaining that because once that flame goes down then it’s hard to light back up and reclaim.”
There is little doubt, if you play again that video of Curry’s hole-in-one, that there’s loads of pleasure occurring — together with shock. He admits he did have a “blackout moment and didn’t know what he was doing” after sinking that one in.
“Somebody asked me like, ‘What’s a better feeling, you hitting a game-winning three pointer or making a hole-in-one? I was like well the hole-in-one for sure because you don’t ever expect to make one. Let alone on TV. Let alone in a tournament like that. If I’m (taking) a game-winning three pointer, as soon as I shoot it, I’m like, that better go in.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com