7 Things We Can Learn from Stephen Curry's Rise to the Top

by Under Armour

Two weeks from today marks the 7th anniversary of the 2009 NBA Draft, where Stephen Curry was drafted 7th overall. In celebration of his second straight finals appearance and the release of our latest shoe, the Steph Curry 2.5, we put together a list of lessons we can learn from his rise from overlooked prospect to NBA Finals MVP.  

  1. Your Past Does Not Dictate Your Future: Steph was a 3 star recruit coming out of high school who wasn't offered a spot at his father's alma mater, Virginia Tech. After college, he was drafted with the 7th overall pick despite leading the NCAA in scoring his junior year. Steph is now in position to win his second straight title, while the 6 players chosen before him have one combined finals appearance. 
  2. Never Stop Perfecting: When people think of Steph, we associate him with his ability to shoot the three better than anyone else, which is the result of years of practice, adjustments, failure, and overcoming adversity. After 10th grade, despite being one of the leading shooters in the state of North Carolina, Steph completely changed his shot because his current release wouldn't allow him to shoot with the same accuracy at the next level. At Under Armor, we've put the same amount of focus and dedication into innovation, resulting in the final result, the Steph Curry 2.5, a masterpiece of new technology, performance, and comfort. 
  3. Improve Your Weaknesses: Coming out of college, Steph was lauded as a one dimensional player who lacked the defense and handles to succeed in the league. Today you can find just as many highlights of him putting opponents on skates or starting a fast break with a steal as those of him shooting threes. We similarly recognized that while our shoe was of the highest quality, it didn't cater to each of our individual customer's needs. Our Ortholine technology allows the sole and liner of our shoe to cater to your unique foot. 
  4. Physical Dominance Doesn't Always Lead to Physical Success: Steph stands at 6'3" 190 pounds compared to the NBA average of 6’7” and 225 pounds, and if you didn't know him, you might not be able to pick him out of a crowd as a professional athlete. Instead of physically dominating the game he uses his craftiness, vision, mentality, and innovativeness to better those who are more physically gifted than he is. 
  5. Be A Team Player: Even though Steph could pull up from 30 feet every time he got the ball, the Warriors would not be the team they are today without unselfish play, communication on defense, and always looking for the open shot. Sometimes individual play is naturally heightened by the success of a team, as the success of the Warriors and Steph has shown. 
  6. Love Those Around You: It's rare to see Steph without his wife Ayesha, his son Ryan, his daughter Riley, or his parents whether he is at home or traveling around the country during a grueling NBA schedule. Riley can frequently be found crashing press conferences and Steph often pops up in Ayesha's YouTube videos. Steph has repeatedly emphasized how much his parents helped him when he was barely being recruited during high school and while he was battling ankle injuries early in his NBA career. Those closest to you help to provide a great support network in times of adversity and people to celebrate with during times of joy. 
  7. Surround Yourself With People Who Have the Same Goals: The Under Armour team and Steph have one goal that binds us together: the pursuit of excellence, and nothing less. After years of partnership, we believe we have created a shoe that lives up to both of our standards, the Steph Curry 2.5. We have utilized our new ETC anti-friction cloth to reduce heat and keep your foot cooler, a new design to enhance stability and eliminate sliding, and our Ortholine technology to ensure that the shoe specifically matches your foot. 

We are delighted to announce the new Steph Curry 2.5 is now available for sale at www.underarmour.com on June 11th. Based around Steph's game and our Charged Cushioning technology, the Steph Curry line is currently one of the most popular shoes in the US and you can find Steph wearing the Steph 2's during the on-going Finals.