I am most definitely what you might call an “indoor person.” I’d take a book over a bike any day, and like I recently confessed right here on Kveller, I avoid exercise like the plague. But there is one sport I absolutely love and that is basketball. As a kid who grew up in Chicago during the ’90s when Michael Jordan and the Bulls reigned supreme, that shouldn’t be a big surprise. I seriously watch the 1992 “Be Like Mike” commercial on a somewhat regular basis whenever I need just a little pick-me-up.
But I’ve never had much of a reason to talk about my love for basketball here on Kveller, a parenting site. Until Riley Curry.
Even non-basketball fans have fallen in love with Riley Curry, the 2-year-old daughter of this year’s MVP, the Golden State Warrior’s Stephen Curry. Riley first came to attention when her dad brought her along to a post-playoff game press conference, in which the seriously adorable tot stole the show with her erratic laughter, waving, and insistence that her dad “be quiet” while answering a question.
Riley went on to steal even more press conferences as her dad’s team made its way through the playoffs. It’s gotten to the point where Riley Curry is just as much a household name as her dad’s (and his dad, who was also an NBA star).
But what’s even cuter than a 2-year-old being a silly, outspoken toddler? Her star athlete father talking about how much she’s impacted his life. In a new video for the NBA, Steph Curry–whose team is now vying for the championship in the finals–talks about how blessed he is to be Riley’s father, who he says brings “so much spunk and personality to our family.”
It’s not often you see a professional athlete show their vulnerable side, but between Kevin Durant’s MVP speech last year in which he thanked his mother in the most sincere, touching way and Stephen Curry’s outspoken love for his daughter, I’m loving the direction that basketball is going. Here’s to men being valuable players both on the court and in the home.
Watch the full video, “Proud Father: Stephen Curry,” here.
