AP News Article: Stephen Curry cherishes winning Olympic gold after tough Warriors finish

By  Janie McCauley, Associated Press

August 29, 2024

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — For Stephen Curry, winning an Olympic gold medal has certainly taken some of the sting away from such a disappointing end to his season with the Golden State Warriors when they missed the playoffs.

Back from his scoring flurry in a triumphant Paris Games for the United States and back on regular family duty before the new NBA season begins, Curry can reflect on the highs and lows of his year — with one notable joy being the addition of his fourth child with wife Ayesha, baby boy Caius Chai born May 11.

He has a new contract in hand, too, after receiving a $62.6 million, one-year extension on his current deal that now keeps him with Golden State through the 2026-27 season.

“Everything happens for a reason and the journey gives you all type of different experiences along the way,” the 36-year-old Curry said Wednesday before hosting a charity golf tournament benefiting the couple’s Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation devoted to Oakland schools. “But this summer’s been amazing, just coming off a tough NBA year to experience what we did and get a win in the Olympics and some of the things I look forward to every year especially around our foundation and the work that we’re doing here in Oakland. It puts everything into perspective of what basketball has done for me and the doors that it’s opened and trying to take full advantage of it.”

Stephen and Ayesha Curry along with Tim Sommer from Eat. Learn. Play. host students from Burckhalter Elementary at Stanford Golf Course.

Now, Curry can catch his breath and clear his mind from basketball at least for a little while — before the Warriors hold training camp in Hawaii beginning in early October.

A kids’ size golf club in hand, Curry lined up to hit his shot on an upward slope toward the green while reminding elementary-school students LeAni Wade and Terrell Covington about the importance of keeping their eyes on the plastic neon yellow ball to make solid contact. And, the superstar instructed, no reason to be concerned about taking a chunk out of the grass in the process.

Add youth golf coach to Curry’s remarkable resume.

Those children from Burckhalter Elementary School in Oakland were thrilled to have such a special field trip to Stanford Golf Course. These students have been part of a pilot tutoring program through the Currys’ foundation that is again expanding its reach in Oakland Unified School District after efforts last year included the revitalization of six schoolyards.

“It’s the same way I appreciate all the things I get to do on and off the court where it’s all connected,” Curry said. “Me having fun going and winning a gold medal raised the platform to then be able to talk about stuff that matters even more. Being able to share those experiences with my family, the (foundation) team, they know especially while they were working tirelessly every day to make sure a day like today is executed and make sure our plan is locked in, I’m representing everybody out there on the court doing what I do.”

Five years into their foundation work, the Currys announced Thursday a commitment to raise and invest $25 million over the next five years devoted to literacy programs that will provide one-on-one tutoring for children who are at least two grade levels behind in reading.

“What’s interesting is it’s never been a one and done and we’ve always slow rolled things out because we love to build a model that kind of proves itself and can stand on its own,” Ayesha Curry said, acknowledging she observes her own children’s learning styles and how much she wants to support those without the same resources.

Wade, an 8-year-old in third grade, said she would remember this day golfing with Curry “for 15 years,” and that her favorite part of the visit was “everything.”

This isn’t Curry’s only project at the moment, either.

He is in the process of trademarking the use of “nuit, nuit” for entertainment purposes — the French words for his signature “night, night” catchphrase that goes along with him putting two hands together along his cheek in an act of saying goodnight when a victory is sealed.

It took off when Curry’s 3-pointers sealed the gold medal against France and the two-time MVP sported a hoodie with “Nuit, Nuit” on it shortly afterward.

“Working on it,” Curry said with a smile regarding the trademark before heading off to his golf cart.