Stephen Curry: 10 surprising facts you probably didn't know

As one of the most renowned and celebrated athletes of the 21st century, there are only a handful of things people are unfamiliar with about Stephen Curry. Widely regarded as the greatest shooter of all-time, Curry's personal and professional life is a matter of intense public scrutiny although every now and then, something or the other pops up about his life that is often overlooked by his admirers.

In this article, we will look at some of these fascinating facts.

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#10 Steph Curry and LeBron James were born in the same hospital

This one might come off as a surprise to some people. Stephen Curry was born in Akron, Ohio, the same city that LeBron James was born in. At that time his father, former NBA player Dell Curry, was playing as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coincidentally, they were also born in the same hospital, Akron General Medical Center, to be exact. However, Curry spent most of his formative years in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina while his father played for the Charlotte Hornets.

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#9 He is a self-professed popcorn addict

Steph Curry not only inherited the sharpshooting talent from his father, but he might have also taken in some love for popcorn. Like his father, the 31-year-old loves to gorge on popcorn so much that he maintains power rankings for all 30 NBA arenas.

Steph has even gone as far as rating the variety of popcorn on a scale of 0-5 with freshness, saltiness, crunchiness, butter, and presentation being the five metrics. The arena which has received the best score from Curry is the American Airlines Arena (home of Dallas Mavericks) with a cumulative score of 24 with the worst being Staples Center (home to the LA Lakers and LA Clippers) with a score of 10.

#8 He is an avid golfer

Ellie Mae Classic - Round Two

Steph Curry takes his golf seriously. The baby-faced assassin often finds time to participate in golf tournaments during the offseason. He has frequently mentioned in interviews that had he not been a basketball player he would have become a golf player. Curry has even gone on to play golf with the likes of Barack Obama, speaking of which.

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#7 He has a good relationship with Barack Obama

When you are a 3-time NBA champion, going to the White House and meeting the president of the United States becomes mundane. On the flipside, you become familiar with them and their families.

Likewise, owing to his popularity, Steph Curry maintains good camaraderie with Barack Obama. Whenever he finds the time, Curry likes to engage in some competitive golf battles and friendly banter with the former United States president.

#6 He once starred in a Burger King commercial as a child

Being the son of a prominent NBA player can be rewarding, to say the least. At an age when most kids are busy playing video games, Steph Curry sat courtside with famous NBA players and starred in commercials. Owing to his father's recognition, he starred in a Burger King commercial alongside him.

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#5 His favorite player growing up was Muggsy Bogues

Tyrone 'Muggsy' Bogues

As a willowy kid, Stephen Curry was always an underdog growing up. This did not deter him as he took inspiration from the shortest NBA player ever, Tyrone 'Muggsy' Bogues who stood at 5'3. Aside from his dad, Steph admired the former NBA point guard who was known for his ability to blow past his opponents.

#4 Nike's $14 billion mistake

Most of the fans don't know that Curry donned Nike shoes early in his career and it was only in 2013 that he switched to Under Armour. But not before Nike pitched him the infamous contract.

Not only did they misspelled his name as Stephon, but they also didn't care to customize the power point presentation for Curry that was originally meant for Kevin Durant. To makes matters worse, many of the top executives did not show up to the meeting. This was when Stephen Curry decided to leave Nike.

#3 Stephen is his middle name

Many of the fans assume that Stephen is Curry's first name. However, along with the sharpshooting ability, he also shares his name with his father. His father is named Wardell Stephen Curry I, because of which he is called Dell Curry. While his son Wardell Stephen Curry II is referred to as Stephen in the NBA.

#2 I can do all things

Stephen Curry is a devout Christian who doesn't shy away from showing his religious beliefs. For every game, he writes "I can do all things" on his Under Armour sneakers. These words come from Philippians 4:13, a verse from the Bible (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me). The former league MVP has been following this ritual ever since he was a student-athlete at Davidson.

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#1 Steph Curry's mouthguards

For diehard NBA fans, collecting memorabilia directly associated with players is worth taking the risk. After all, they rake in the moolah for them. Ask Stephen Curry. His game used mouthguards have been sold for thousands of dollars, one of which (worn in game 4 of 2018 NBA Finals) had an expected value of $25,000. That's quite an expensive affair for a used mouthpiece.