Everyone’s lives were upended by the 2020 COVID pandemic, and that included NBA players. The league went on hiatus on March 11, 2020, bringing its season to a screeching halt alongside most of the rest of the world. Other leagues did too, with the NCAA Tournament being canceled for the first time ever just days later.
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Unlike its collegiate counterpart, pro basketball did eventually return to complete its season in what became known as the NBA bubble. That wasn’t until late July, though; in the meantime, NBA players needed to find new ways to pass the time.
Steph Curry became a de facto teacher’s assistant in his daughter Riley’s 2nd grade class. As was the case around the country, Riley’s class shifted to virtual learning, and so, since he couldn’t rain 3-pointers in front of packed arenas, Steph volunteered to help out.
“After the class is over, I’m the one that’s gotta sit there and dish out the paper and all the materials,” Steph told his former teammate Javale McGee in an April 2020 interview.
As the daughter of an NBA superstar, Riley has certainly benefited from her dad’s popularity. She famously stole the show as a two-year-old at Steph’s postgame press conference during the 2015 playoffs, and we’re guessing that she doesn’t want for much, since her dad has a net worth well into nine figures.
Curry’s status as an icon didn’t help him in that press conference 10 years ago. As she sat on his lap, Riley hilariously told Steph to “be quiet” because his answers to reporters were “too loud.” And it didn’t help him when it came time for her to grade his performance as a teacher’s aid either.
As Steph told McGee, “[Riley] told my ma today, she said I’m a three-star teacher. I said, ‘Dang, that’s cold-blooded. That’s so cold-blooded right there. I am invested into your future, young lady, and this is how you repay me?’ It’s crazy.”
Steph tried to be a good dad during the pandemic, but as any parent can tell you, our kids don’t always appreciate what we do for them. This man became the first NBA player to win a unanimous MVP; you’d think his approval rating from his own daughter would be a little better than three stars.
Riley recently turned 13, an age which undoubtedly comes with its own issues in terms of parent-child relations, but judging by a celebratory Instagram birthday post from her mom (and Steph’s wife) Ayesha, all seems to be well in the Curry house. Hopefully there are no lingering hard feelings from Steph’s short-lived educational gig.
