Stephen Curry‘s tryst with the NBA started when he was just a baby as he grew up, allowing him to be around NBA players from a very young age. His father, Dell Curry, played in the league for sixteen years and often brought a young Steph along for the ride. And so, when Dell played for the Charlotte Hornets, he would often take his son along for rides with his teammates Rex Chapman and Mugsy Bogues. Chapman recently spoke about this time spent with baby Steph on the ‘VLADTV’ podcast and detailed how he played a part in raising the now NBA superstar.
Advertisement
Rex Chapman is promoting his recent book – ‘It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir‘ and appeared on the podcast to talk about the stories that outline the contents of the autobiography. One fascinating story, spoke about his time spent with Stephen Curry and how he would babysit the player with Charlotte Hornets teammate Mugsy Bogues. Here is what he said when asked about babysitting the greatest shooter of all time:
“Stephen would ride beside me in the back. Dell and Mugsy upfront. I am sure we were not talking about how great we were, but we were probably listening to sports radio. Mugsy was a lottery pick, I was a lottery pick, Dell was a first-round pick. The idea that the baby sitting next to us would be the best player maybe in the world ever, or the greatest shooter ever or even an NBA player at all, it was not even something that you would think about now.”
The former NBA player also thanked Dell Curry and Mugsy Bogues for raising him along with a baby Steph as he was the youngest player in the team at that time. He said:
“I was also the youngest player in the NBA, by a lot. I didn’t know how to wash clothes, do laundry or cook food. So, they took care of me. They really did. They raised me as much as they were raising their own children.”
Chapman went on to talk about how great of a kid Stephen Curry was and if anyone deserves all the success in the world, it’s him. The n0w-Golden State Warriors superstar is probably the most loved NBA personality in the world and a lot of that has to do with his upbringing. Dell and Sonya Curry must be proud parents with both their sons not only in the NBA but also known to be absolute gems as human beings. Perhaps, to a certain extent, Rex Chapman feels that way too.
Chapman compares Steph Curry’s mentality with Jordan
Rex Chapman has seen and played with some of the best players in the NBA. Not only is Michael Jordan one of them, but he also happens to share a close relationship with him. Having played with Jordan and watched Stephen Curry, Chapman talked about their similarities during the ‘Stephen A. Smith’ podcast [per Marca]. Here is what he said:
“Mentality… you might think I’m crazy but Stephen Curry has that mentality. He’s a killer. Stephen lives for that late-game sh*t. He wants every last shot, he’s just not as physically imposing.”
Michael Jordan was a cold-blooded killer on the basketball court. Not only did he look the part, his personality, and game reflected nothing but the same. Curry, on the other hand, lacks the physical authority that Jordan once possessed. However, as stories of his smack-talk and his affinity for showboating in late-game situations have shown, he is very much the same kind of killer Michael Jordan once was as soon as he stepped on the court. So, while Rex Chapman’s statement may sound a bit shocking at first, it absolutely checks out.
