Rob Maaddi, FISM News
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Stephen Curry is taking a new shot outside the three-point arc.
The NBA’s greatest 3-pointer shooter has a new picture book illustrated by Geneva Bowers that inspires young readers to unlock their very own superpower.
“I Have a Superpower” is an empowering story that teaches kids you don’t have to be the strongest, fastest, or even tallest kid out on the court. If you have heart, any goal is achievable through hard work and determination, according to the book.
“This is our first project out and (we want) to hopefully reach the next generation of kids that are dreaming big, are going to be the next leaders and game changers,” Curry told The Associated Press. “We want them to be able to set their sights on what they want to accomplish in the world and really believe that it’s possible.”
In June, Curry led the Golden State Warriors to their fourth NBA championship in eight years and earned his first NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
The megastar is widely credited with transforming basketball from an in-the-paint, above-the-rim game to a wide-open, long-range shooting clinic. On Dec. 14, 2021, Curry became the all-time leader in total 3-pointers made during the regular season, surpassing Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen’s total of 2,973.
“I’m aware, but part of it is for me to keep doing what I’m doing in my career and hopefully stay at this level for as long as I can,” he said when asked about changing the game. “There is no sense that I’ve hit my peak. I always feel like I can get better. So, I’m motivated by how far I can stretch this. The biggest message for how I changed the game is that is possible, how I play is definitely possible… But it requires a crazy amount of work that I’ve been doing since I was 9 years old. So, I don’t want anybody to feel like they can skip steps to get there.”
Curry, a father of three children, has a love for reading and wanted to tell a story that would inspire them.
“You kind of have your kids in mind when you’re talking about a book, and then you realize that this is kind of a universal opportunity to reach the next generation,” he said.
His message in “I Have a Superpower” is a simple one.
“We’re all unique and we all have something to offer the world. And if you have a work ethic, if you have a belief and you feel like whatever that requires is already inside of you, then good things will happen,” he said.
Curry’s journey to NBA greatness wasn’t easy. Coaches and scouts often told him he was too small to make it big. But he was motivated by their doubts, maintained a positive attitude, and turned himself into an underdog success story.
“You can always go back to when I started playing basketball when I was 5 years old — I first started playing organized basketball at 9. I was undersized, scrawny, and never, ever talked about as being the greatest at anything,” he said. “And (I) had to go through those experiences of trying and failing… I think that’s something that most people will hopefully be able to learn from, connect with, and be inspired by.”
Curry and his wife, Ayesha, have built a media brand with TV shows and books.
“There are a lot of different mediums to story-tell and to inspire,” he said. “And publishing and writing this book is another example of ways to connect and kind of broaden your horizons… my wife showed me how it’s done, so now I got to follow in her footsteps a little bit.”
Curry’s debut book was released on Tuesday. The book is the first project from Unanimous Publishing, the publishing arm of Unanimous Media, a multimedia company Curry co-founded with Erick Peyton.