NBA Superstar Stephen Curry Opens Up About His Life As A Dad

    Riley's dad — and, oh yeah, NBA champion and league MVP — dishes on his dadding life.

    Mike Spohr
    by Mike Spohr

    BuzzFeed Staff

    2015 has been quite the year for Stephen Curry.

    Michael Buckner / Getty Images

    On the court, he led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA championship in 40 years and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

    Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

    Off the court, he became nearly as well known as the dad of 3-year-old Riley Curry, who took the internet by storm with her off-the-charts adorableness.

    And to top it all off, he had the joy of welcoming a new daughter, Ryan Carson, to the world.

    Stephen Curry / Via instagram.com

    BuzzFeed Life recently visited Stephen on the set of a commercial for his new signature shoe, the Curry 2, to find out more about his life as a dad.

    First, can you tell me a little about the release of the Curry 2? It’s available in kid sizes, too, right?

    underarmour.com

    "Yeah, it’s the first time we’ve done my Curry signature shoe in youth sizes. They’ve been in high demand so we’re finally bringing them to all the kids out there. They’re based on the shoes that I wear on the court, so when kids watch me on TV they can know they’re wearing the same shoes I’m wearing."

    During the playoffs you brought Riley into the press room with you after a few games, and she really stole the show. Most people thought it was great, but some were critical of you. What did you think about that?

    TNT

    "I was kind of caught off guard when I heard some people thought it interfered with media getting their job done or just didn’t like me involving my daughter in the spotlight. But I wanted to bring my daughter with me and have that bonding time with her. Obviously, she took over with her personality, which is exactly how she is 24/7, but I’m never going to apologize for that."

    Did you expect her to steal the show?

    "No! I just thought she'd hug on me and listen to me talk, but as soon I started going she took over. My whole family and I enjoyed every minute of it because that's exactly how she is at home, and it was cool to see her in front of that many people feeling comfortable."

    Your other daughter, Ryan, is just 3½ months old. What’s it like having a new baby at the start of the season?

    Ayesha Curry / Via instagram.com

    "For our schedule it was the best timing possible. The championship ended in June, Ryan was born in July, and then we had a couple months to kind of get the bearings of what it’s like to have two kids at home and how we’re going to navigate that. It’s been a good learning experience; we’ve had so much fun. It’s obviously been hard work and little sleep, but it’s been awesome."

    What’s the hardest part about being a dad now that the season has started?

    The travel part of what I do is the hardest part. I have to be away from my family for stretches of time and I miss a lot. They're growing so fast and something changes every single day. I want to be as involved as I can, but sometimes I have to be away.

    Have you developed any tricks for staying close when you’re away?

    Ayesha Curry / Via instagram.com

    "We FaceTime all the time. That’s the biggest thing. I want to make sure my daughter sees my face every day. I ask as many questions as I can to try to engage her. She’ll ask me where I am and what I’m doing and things like that. I don’t know how much she understands as a 3-year-old, but it’s cool to have that conversation and hopefully she feels like I’m close even though I’m not."

    Every parent has a blowout diaper or throw-up story. What's yours?

    Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

    "Last fall I was at a shoot just like this when Riley and my wife came to visit. We were on a break so they came to see me in the trailer, and like 30 seconds after they got there I was holding Riley, talking to her and giving her hugs and stuff, when she suddenly projectiled all over me and the outfit I had to wear for the shoot. It was probably the most throw-up I’ve ever seen. It was all in my face and down my shirt, so we just froze there for a good minute as everyone tried to help me clean up."

    What would you cook for Riley if you were alone with her and she was hungry?

    ESPN

    "Some very bland noodles that hopefully she’d like. That’s about as deep as I can get into the culinary world. My wife is teaching me along the way so that if the situation pops up I’ll be prepared, but I do have chicken, noodles, and broccoli I can hook up for her."

    What’s your biggest worry as the father of daughters?

    Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

    "Just that they might grow up too fast. You want them to have a childhood, and hopefully the things we teach them take hold over outside influences. There’s so much opportunity for that negative stuff to creep into the household, but you hope that they have role models they can look up to and don't get the wrong information too soon."

    What is the thing Ayesha does best as a mom?

    Ayesha Curry / Via instagram.com

    "She probably doesn’t think she does it well, but multitask. There’s so much going on, especially with my work schedule. She has her blog and her cooking show, too, and she manages both of our professional worlds along with the most important thing in our lives, which is obviously our daughters. She does a great job of supporting the entire family, which I appreciate because I wouldn’t be able to have a tight-knit family without her, and she does it with such grace."

    Which kids show annoys you the most?

    Nickelodeon

    "There’s nothing wrong with it, but Bubble Guppies because my daughter sings the song from it 25,000 times a day. We actually brought one of the Bubble Guppies characters to her 3rd birthday party, and after that it just drilled that song home even more. She sang it for three straight months. It was one of those never-ending nightmares."

    Is Riley into princesses?

    "She is. She was in on the whole Frozen kick."

    How up on it are you? Have you been paying attention with all the princess stuff?

    "Oh, yeah."

    OK, let's have a little princess test then. Who's the princess in Beauty and the Beast?

    Disney

    "Belle."

    Princess and the Frog?

    Disney

    "Oh, man, I don’t remember that one."

    The Little Mermaid?

    Disney

    "That one's Ariel."

    And then how about the sisters in Frozen?

    Disney

    "Anna and Elsa. I’m killing the game right now."

    What is the hardest part of being a parent?

    "Patience is huge. But also keeping your marriage a priority."

    Have you found tricks for doing that?

    Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images

    "We’ve tried to find time for date nights. That’s the biggest thing people have told us, to make sure you have a set date night every week so that you can get away — even if it’s just for an hour or two — to talk about what’s going on in life. You kind of lose touch with that when you’re so hands-on with your kids. That’s probably the hardest part, especially for us as young parents with so much going on."

    What has it been like being a younger parent? Has it been difficult?

    Ayesha Curry / Via instagram.com

    "I think the biggest thing is that your scheduling is totally different from that of your friends’ your age who don’t have kids. Our nights are pretty standard with Bubble Guppies, chicken, rice, and broccoli, and bedtime, so it’s kind of interesting when people ask me what I’m going to do on a Friday night. Well, pretty much hang at the house and spend time with my kids. That’s the biggest disconnect, but when you’ve got the right friends they understand and it’s cool."

    What are you most proud of about Riley?

    Ayesha Curry / Via instagram.com

    "Her independence and her personality. She’s a special one. Obviously everyone saw that on TV, but literally that’s how she is every single day. She always makes us laugh and keeps the mood light at the house, and we’re always trying to keep up with her. Also, I would’ve been afraid of horses when I was 2 or 3 years old, but she gets on them and rides like she’s a grown-up, which is pretty cool to watch. As a dad I get scared every time, though."

    If your friends asked you for one reason why they should have kids, what would you tell them?

    "Kids put life into perspective. I never have a bad day. Life happens and you get bad news sometime, or things don't go your way at work — for me that might mean I lose a game or not play well — but that doesn't affect my mood from day to day. I love going home and seeing the smiles on my daughters' faces being happy to see me, and that makes everything all right."

    What’s one lesson you learned from your parents that has made you a better parent?

    ESPN

    "Seeing them as a unit has helped me for sure. From the earliest time I can remember my dad was around and engaged with us, and so was my mom. They had a great balance to it. And we did stuff together as a family, which, I think, makes for invaluable experiences even at 2 or 3. Kids remember that stuff. So that’s the biggest thing for me at this stage. I’ll be able to answer that question a lot better in a couple years when the real parenting decisions come in!"

    The Dub Nation–inspired Curry 2 is exclusively available at Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker in men’s, boys' grade school, and boys' preschool sizes.