There’s fame in the NBA, and then there’s Stephen Curry. The four-time NBA Champion went from a Warriors point guard who can shoot the 3-ball like no one else to an international icon overnight. The Chef is more than just a basketball superstar. He’s transcended the sport.
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Curry’s success on the court changed the way the game is played in the NBA. He ascended to near god-tier levels by going viral nonstop for in-game moments or practice time trick shots. Winning a gold medal for Team USA in 2024 only grew his basketball career even further.
But the fact that he’s also a loving husband and a terrific father, who gives back to the community and stays out of trouble, only helps his public image. Steph currently has 58 million followers on Instagram, making him one of the most followed athletes in the world.
And with that amount of fame comes the end to your privacy. Curry was asked during an interview on Complex about the negatives of this, and how he was once compared to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“Spooky T tells me you’re like Michael Jackson. I’m sure that feels good, but some points it has to be like a logistical nightmare?” asked host Speedy Morman. “It is,” responded Curry, who broke down the lengths he has to go to just to do something simple, like go to dinner.
“And then you don’t want to overcomplicate something simple. Like, ‘Hey, we just want to go to dinner in an hour, and I got to make like 7 phone calls just to make sure I can get where I need to go.’ I do hate that part,” admitted Steph.
It’s something that people without Steph’s level of fame take for granted. Someone will claim that “it must be so cool” to be that well recognized, but forget that your entire life changes in a flash. Curry later said that he doesn’t take for granted how much he is loved, but acknowledged that his life has been entirely different ever since.
That being said, a comparison to Michael Jackson? The now deceased musician’s fame wasn’t just a cultural movement; it was a near-religious experience. MJ’s stardom could never be replicated, for better or for worse.
This also isn’t the first time The Chef has opened up about his life being forever altered because of his success. Back in 2019, he told The Athletic that the first time he was ever bombarded was one of the worst experiences of his life.
“One of the worst experiences of my life. Getting bothered left and right from the time we showed up at the airport to the time we got to the house in Charlotte. That was probably when it was like, OK, this is crazy. And, yeah, it’s got even crazier from there.”
It wasn’t just Curry saying this either. Curry’s old teammate, Shaun Livingston, was involved in the same interview and had this to say: “He’s an A-list celebrity. A-plus. Another tier. Think of the hottest movie star. It’s probably even more than that.”
“It’s uncomfortable at times, for sure. Because I’m not that important. I’m not,” added Curry, whose tone probably couldn’t have been truly known due to the interview being in print.
Steph has arguably only gotten more famous since then, too. However, with time comes experience. The future Hall of Famer may not like certain aspects of his life, but he’s gotten used to the hecticness by this point.
However, few probably handled it with the humility and cool demeanor that Steph has. He truly is one of the rare examples of someone who deserves everything he got. The NBA will be a much quieter place without the magical noise that Curry creates.
