Stephen Curry Speaks Out on Significance of Philippians 4:13 for Him: “My Source of Strength and Determination”

Stephen Curry never shies away from talking about the importance of faith in his life. His mother, Sonya Curry, taught him at a young age to use the Holy Bible as a source of inspiration during tough times. He continues to do that to this day, even writing the Philippians 4:13 verse on his signature shoe and adding it to his Instagram bio, which Stephen Colbert was curious about.

On The Late Show, the host asked about his bio, which reads, “Believer. Father. Husband. Founder. Philanthropist. And… Olympic Gold Medalist. Philippians 4:13.” The four-time NBA champion responded that the New Testament verse, which says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me,” was a guiding light for him. Curry explained,

“I mean, that’s my source of strength and determination and my purpose, really,because, you know, like, anything that you do in life is going to require that undying faith in yourself and the belief that you can conquer anything. For me, through Christ, I get my strength and I can do all the things.“

The 36-year-old then spoke about his mother’s role in engraving multiple Bible verses in his mind when he was playing for Davidson. The guard revealed that her favorite verse is Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.“

Bible helps NBA’s Stephen Curry stay ‘focused, locked-in.’ He’s been writing Philippians 4:13 on his basketball shoes since his first college practice…. pic.twitter.com/yTolce8KDF

— uninewswatch (@uninewswatch) June 3, 2018

Curry revealed that his mother would often text the verse to motivate him. However, he gravitated towards Philippians 4:13 and began inscribing it on his shoes during college, a pregame ritual that hasn’t changed since,

“When I was a freshman in college at Davidson College, North Carolina,) my mom texted me before my first practice and she gave me a bunch of words of encouragement…  So she’s like, you need to pick a verse that, you know, you can go to when, you know, your time’s in need and give you that inspiration. So Philippians 4:13 was from me and I still write it on my shoes to this day.” 

He explained that the verse also serves as a reminder to him to fulfill his purpose. It helps him stay grounded despite all his success and pushes him to continue working hard to extend his career and chase more accolades.