Stephen Curry grew up in the NBA from a young age because of his father, Dell Curry. Steph unlikely looked up to 5-foot-3 Muggsy Bogues. When Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson brought Bogues onto his podcast, ‘The Mark Jackson Show’, the former teammates recalled their experiences with the league’s three-point leader, where Bogues humorously revealed Steph’s inspiration in his youth.
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“That’s what he used to say, ‘I just want to be 5’3. I just want to be like you Uncle Mug.’ I would always say to myself, if you 5’3, we’re going to question who you’re daddy is,” Bogues said.
The former Hornets’ star jokingly poked fun at Steph’s father, Dell, who is 6-foot-4. Alluding that if Steph’s height capped at 5’3, many assumptions would go around about his father.
Bogues was around Curry during his youthful years. The 5’3 guard was teammates with Dell on the Hornets and the Raptors. Although Bogues was never an All-Star in his career, he was able to string together 14 seasons in the association while being the shortest player ever.
Steph and his brother Seth were familiar faces in the practice facilities. The two demonstrated their remarkable shooting ability at a young age. Witnessing Steph’s success today, provided Bogues with a full-circle feeling.
“Watching Steph, just watching them grow. The men that they are. Now they’ve become parents, fathers raising their own kids. It’s come full circle. To be able to still witness it, I’m just really honoured.”
The former Hornets’ star reminisced about watching him and his brother grow personally and professionally. In another interview, Bogues mentioned,
“To see him being able to be in that light, I mean it is mind-boggling to me. It really is. To see how he’s handled it professionally and how he continues to keep raising the bar and Seth as well.”
Despite Bogues’ belief in little Curry, no one could have foreseen the remarkable path his career would take. Now a four-time champion, 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, and two-time MVP, the electric guard has built an impressive resume that solidifies his case as perhaps the greatest point guard in NBA history. However, it can all be traced back to a child simply wanting to be like his Uncle Mug.
