In the midst of his 34-point performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and helping the Warriors even the series with 23 points in their Game 2 win, Steph Curry released episode five of his Facebook series, called “Stephen vs. The Game” on Thursday.
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The episode, titled “Faith,” explains the role Curry’s faith in Christ plays in his life and how it’s helped him overcome injuries in his career.
Episode 5 …Stephen Curry takes a day off to enjoy a round of golf with Professor Varun Soni, Dean of Religious Life at USC, and the two discuss Stephen's unique take on faith. Stephen shares his early struggles in the league and how his faith helped him overcome injury and doubt — a quality the Warriors will rely on with the hotly-contested playoffs just around the corner.
Posted by Stephen Curry on Friday, May 31, 2019
“My faith is tested on the court as much as it is in life,” Curry said on the show. “It’s the part that always keeps me focused on what I need to do when it comes to my family, when it comes to my job, when it comes to how I treat other people, my appreciation for life and all the good things that happen and how to deal with the bad things that happen.”
Curry shared about his youth and attending Central Church of God in Charlotte, N.C., as a middle schooler.
“[Christianity] was more something that was important to my parents but I never really understood it,” he said of his childhood mindset. “It was a decision I needed to make for myself. I was kinda just going with the flow.”
Curry dedicated his life to Christ in the eighth grade at a youth service led by “Pastor Jason,” who made it clear that kids can’t live off their parents’ faith.
“It has to be something that you experience for yourself and a decision that you make for yourself,” Curry said. “So I felt the calling, went down to the altar, and gave my life to Christ. And that became the beginning of my own personal journey.”
He also talked about how he began writing “I can do all things…” on his shoes before every game and why he chose Philippians 4:13 as the verse to write on them.
“My mom challenged me to find a verse that I could rely on to give me strength, give me a sense of purpose and to remember who I was playing for every time I lace up my sneakers,” he said.
Curry and the Warriors head home to Oracle Arena for Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.
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