Calling Oakland His ‘Adopted Home,’ Steph Curry Talks About the Importance of Giving Back to the Community

Before moving to San Francisco in 2019, Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors were rocking Oracle Arena across the Bay in Oakland. It was there that Curry became the Chef, which also made it a home for him. Now, he’s looking to give back to the community, not just by delivering NBA championships to the Bay Area, but also by making the Oakland community a better place.

Along with his wife Ayesha, Curry launched the Eat. Learn. Play. foundation to help kids get good meals, better schools, and safe places to grow. It has since given $90 million back to the Bay Area. The Currys also push literacy, fighting hunger, civic issues, and building spaces for kids to play.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports, Curry was asked why he’s dedicated so much time to helping Oakland get better. The answer was simple. He’s spent nearly two decades in the area, which has shaped him into one of the greatest athletes of all time.

“Man I been out here now for over 17 years. It’s our adoptive home,” stated Steph. “A community that supported me, my wife, my family this entire time. Now that we have an opportunity to understand what basketball is open in terms of resources, network, and the ability to impact, and plant our flag into Oakland.”

“There’s so much talent, so much energy in that city,” he added. “We want to make sure that access to opportunity and the right resources are there.”

Curry sees the bigger picture in life. The way he speaks in interviews conveys that despite all the fame and fortune, at the end of the day he’s just a guy that is grateful for the path that was given to him.

It’s also apparent that Curry is trying to make sure the world is in a prime spot for his and Ayesha’s four kids: Riley, Ryan, Canon, and Caius. He didn’t want to be one of those guys who couldn’t answer his kids when they ask him why he didn’t try to make a difference.

As for basketball? Curry is coming off a hamstring injury that forced him to miss crucial games in the Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors were not able to get the job done without him. Fortunately, The Chef will be back next year and is already suggesting to the organization to make moves so the Dubs can go further in 2026. A championship win once again would also be a huge gift to the Bay Area.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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