Basketball

Brothers Steph and Seth Curry set for showdown in NBA Western Conference Finals

By Kevin Mercer May 14, 2019
Stephen Curry (left) and Seth Curry (right) in a December 2018 NBA game. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

It’ll be a family reunion of sorts when the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors match up in the Western Conference finals this year.

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The Warriors’ star point guard, Steph Curry, will in all likelihood find himself guarding his brother, Seth Curry, a reserve point guard for the Trail Blazers, at times throughout the series. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, via ESPN, it’ll be the first time in NBA playoff history that two brothers will play against each other in a conference finals or NBA Finals.

Although the phenomenon may be new to the league, it’s hardly novel for the Curry family.

“(Steph and Seth) guarded each other constantly at home and in the driveway,” said Dell Curry, the brothers’ father and an NBA shooting guard himself from 1986 to 2002, in an ESPN video. “… Good battles on and off the floor, but always loved each other in the end.”

Steph said he believes the benefits from all those competitive backyard games and combative practices are still being felt.

“Honestly, that’s kind of what helped us become the players we were at that early age,” Steph said in the ESPN video.

Steph, 31, was picked seventh overall by the Warriors in 2009 after he dazzled at Davidson. Since that time, he has won two MVPs (2015, 2016) and three NBA titles, and has become the foundation for perhaps the most dominant NBA dynasty of this millennium. After being held scoreless in the first half, he poured in 33 points in the second half of Game 6 against the Rockets to close out the series last week.

Seth, 28, went undrafted out of Duke in 2013, but has hit his stride in the past few seasons. He’s averaged 9.3 points per game during his career, 7.9 this season. This 2019 playoff run with the Trail Blazers is his first taste of the NBA postseason.

But basketball isn’t the only thing that binds the Curry family together. Dell and his wife, Sonya, ensured both of their sons were as familiar with church as they were with the hardwood when they were little. Steph and Seth now both profess faith in Christ as adults.

“It’s very humbling to know I’m able to be on the stage that I am, and I think God has put me in this situation to change this perspective on what it is to be a man of God and a player in the NBA,” Steph said back in 2014. “I want to use the gifts God gave me on the basketball court to uplift His name. That’s at the forefront of why I play the game.”

Steph’s faith has been well documented ever since fans noticed he points to Heaven after each made 3-pointer, but less known is the fact that Seth says he is a strong believer as well.

“Jesus Christ is definitely No. 1 in my life,” Seth said in a Christian Broadcasting Network video. “I mean, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and He’s done a lot for all of us by dying on the cross. So no matter what you do in life, do it to the best of your ability and know you’re blessed.”

Steph and Seth have been doing a lot of sharing recently, not that they mind. They share earthly parents, they share a faith in Christ, and for a couple weeks they will share the court as they each seek a trip to the NBA Finals.

“It’s a dream come true for us two, obviously,” Seth said in the ESPN video, “but our family is going to have a lot of fun with it as well.”

Sonya has already decided to flip a coin each game to determine which parent will wear Blazers colors and which will represent the Warriors. Meanwhile, Dell pointed out the significantly lighter travel demands for the Curry parents. Sonya repeatedly recognized just how blessed her family is to have both of her sons in this position.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, man,” Seth said. “It’s hard to believe right now.”

Game 1 tips off Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET at Golden State.

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