Stephen Curry’s story is one of the most remarkable in recent NBA history. It may not have unfolded in the way it has without the unwavering belief of one key figure: former Davidson coach Bobby McKillop.
The Warriors superstar is the subject of Stephen Curry: Underrated, a documentary by director Peter Nicks and producers Ryan Coogler and Erick Peyton, which is now available for streaming on Apple TV+. In conjunction with the release, Curry appeared on Sunday’s episode of Coogler’s In Proximity podcast with the creators of the documentary to discuss the themes of the film.
When asked by Coogler about the figure whose belief most helped him overcome self-doubt during his basketball career, Curry shared a powerful message that McKillop gave him while at Davidson.
“Even when I was making that decision to go to Davidson, there’s still a little bit of a doubt about what does it mean to, you know, play Division I basketball at whatever level?” said Curry. “And you’ve been hearing so many naysayers and critics about, you know, my size and, you know, the eye test that I didn’t pass and all that, and the way that he just explained, like, ’Not only do I think, you know, you’re capable of being, successful at this level, but I don’t need you to be anything other than yourself in that process.’
“You know, that’s such a bold, you know, powerful statement for somebody who’s still trying to figure out who they really are and what they have to offer the world.”
Curry and McKillop’s basketball legacies are forever linked. Last June, in the same press conference in which McKillop announced his retirement after 33 seasons at Davidson, the school announced plans to host a graduation ceremony, hall of fame ceremony and number retirement for Curry, all of took place that August. The two remain in close contact, Curry says.
“I get a text message from him like every other week of something, like, truly it helps continue to form our perspective on even leadership now, knowing the platform that i have, and he’s kept me grounded in all of that.”
An undersized, under-recruited high school guard, he became a national sensation during the 2008 men’s NCAA tournament, leading No. 10-seed Davidson to the Elite Eight with upsets of Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin with a barrage of three-point shooting. The following year, he fell to the Warriors with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft, a fateful moment that has resulted in four NBA titles, a pair of MVP awards, and nothing short of a revolution in terms of how basketball is played.
