Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is the inaugural winner of the Magic Johnson Western Conference finals MVP award. Curry was acknowledged for his stellar series efforts after the Warriors eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 on Thursday night.
“The new trophy is pretty cool,” said Curry to ESPN. “Especially with who it’s named after, the standard that Magic set in terms of being a champion and playing the point guard position, whatever other position he played. Just the excellence that he demonstrated throughout his entire career.”
In game 5, Curry finished with 15 points and nine assists, providing plenty of support to Klay Thompson, who exploded to seal the series for the Warriors. In the WCF, Curry averaged 23.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds.
“Everything revolves around him,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “We got a lot of great players around him and guys who fit well together. It all starts with Steph. He just creates so much havoc for the defense, that even on a night like tonight where he doesn’t shoot the ball that well, he forces rotations and frees up other players.”
The Warriors now await the winner of the Boston Celtics and Miami HEAT.
Season three of Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Tour Powered by Rakuten makes its final stop at Oakland’s Soldiertown indoor basketball court on April 1-3. The three-day, invite-only event is the culmination of a nationwide search for underrepresented and overlooked high school basketball talent, bringing together tour finalists to compete in tournament-style games where one boy and one girl will be crowned the country’s most UNDERRATED athlete representing their region. Student-athletes participate in tournament-style games and receive specialized training, bespoke experiences, and best-in-class resources such as exercises, off-court education, personal skills development, expert panels, and more during the UNDERRATED Tour Championship Stop.
“I created the UNDERRATED brand to inspire anyone who feels overlooked in their craft, to keep pushing,” said Stephen Curry to exclusively to The SOURCE. “I am committed to providing opportunities for players who find themselves in the very same position I was a few years ago. Before my college and NBA days, I was labeled by many in the industry as a 3-star athlete. The UNDERRATED Championships Tournament is for all the athletes out there who can relate to being put in a box and playing in the shadows on the court. For me, it is inspiring to watch these players who love to hoop, just like I did at their age, compete in Oakland and have the opportunity to break the stereotypes of the sport.”
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The UNDERRATED Tour gives young athletes a significant platform to be seen by college recruiters, sports agents, and other critical industry experts. This exposure allows three-star high school players who are generally overlooked a better chance to develop into college-level scholarship athletes and embody the UNDERRATED mindset.
The UNDERRATED Tour visited four cities in the summer of 2021 (Washington, D.C., Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles), where 75 boys and girls were allowed to study and break through the noise. For the Championship, the top 64 competitors (16 from each location) were flown to the Bay Area.
Of those young athletes is Jacobi Sebock, a resident of Oklahoma who has overcome numerous health issues that displaced him from the basketball court. Jacobi was born without sweat glands and had severe asthma, a grade one heart blockage, and Crohn’s disease. Jacobi overcame those hurdles, securing playing time on his AAU team and exhibiting his skills. Kudos to his coach, who decided Jacobi’s issues should not hinder what he can do on the court. Jacobi will now compete at the UNDERRATED Championship.
An additional story includes Tiana, who moved past verbally abusive coaches and staff at her high school that often belittled her on-court performance. The criticism led Tiana to transfer to Victory Christian Academy, despite leading every statistical category. Tiana exhibited selflessness as she missed out on recruiting opportunities. Ineligible to play her senior year, Tiana played as a scout player and kept her teammates ready for the forthcoming season.
Rakuten introduced two $20,000 scholarships to the program this year for Championship-bound athletes, which can be put toward any college, institution, or trade school. Players can submit essays outlining their underappreciated narrative and its impact on their lives, which will be judged by a jury of sports and industry experts. Scholarships will be awarded to two lucky candidates, one boy, and one girl, who will be announced at the UNDERRATED Tour Championship Stop in Oakland.
“We are inspired by the optimism and spirit of The UNDERRATED Tour athletes, and we are incredibly proud to partner with Stephen Curry on this program,” said Amit Patel, CEO of Rakuten Americas and Rakuten Rewards. “We are honored to support a program that aims to empower underrated and underrepresented communities. Congratulations to all the athletes competing at this year’s Championship Stop.”
The UNDERRATED Tour is the culmination of Stephen’s inspirational journey to the top. He defies the odds and shatters basketball stereotypes by reminding people that being the best is about being grounded in your potential, committed to your trade, and, ultimately, undeterred. The objective of helping undervalued and underrepresented people around the world remains unwavering.
For more information and the latest updates on The UNDERRATED Tour Powered by Rakuten, please visit www.stayunderrated.com.
The Documentary short ‘The Queen of Basketball’ has just gotten some big-name support behind it as Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has signed on to join retired NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal, as executive producer of the 22-minute documentary. which is already nominated for Best Documentary Short at this year’s Oscars, and winner of the best documentary short Critics Choice Award at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. The short tells the story of a trailblazer in women’s basketball and pioneer Lusia “Lucy” Harris who died this January. And currently streaming on The New York Times and the NYTimes YouTube channel. I’m thrilled to have him (Curry) join the team to help immortalize Lusia Harris, aka ‘The Queen of Basketball.’” Says O’Neal in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lusia “Lucy” Harris was the only Black basketball player on a college team in the 70’s . The first woman to score a basket at the Olympics. She was also the first (and only) woman officially drafted by the National Basketball Association. Through the efforts dedication and support of both Shaq and Curry, her name and legacy will live on. “The family of Lusia Harris-Stewart would like to thank Steph Curry for joining The Queen of Basketball as an executive producer. We know our mom would have been overjoyed with his addition as she loved to watch Steph ‘shoot the lights out of that ball.’ We are grateful to Steph for believing in the project and helping to ensure her story is never forgotten. Long live the Queen.” in a statement from the family
Because of the short, her legacy will continue to live on and impact audiences all over the world.
