Steph Curry is known more for sinking threes in the NBA than sinking putts on the golf course, but that won’t stop him from helping to bring the sport of golf back to Howard University.
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On Monday, Curry was in Washington D.C., where Howard is located, to announce his commitment to financially sponsor the school’s men’s and women’s golf programs for the next six years. According to CBS Sports, Curry’s donation will be seven figures.
“Golf is a sport that has changed my life in ways that are less tangible, but just as impactful,” the Golden State Warriors’ star guard said in a press release. “It’s a discipline that challenges your mental wherewithal from patience to focus, and is impossible to truly master, so when you hear about these passionate student athletes who have the talent but don’t have a fair shot at the game, it’s tough. I feel really honored to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University.”
Curry, a two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA champion and golfing fanatic, offered to help after learning Howard has not had a golf team in more than four decades.
Curry decided to make his generous donation while visiting the Howard campus earlier this year at a viewing of “Emanuel,” a documentary movie about the June 2015 shooting of nine African-Americans at a church in Charleston, S.C. He and his Unanimous Media company were involved in the production of the film.
At the viewing, Curry met student Otis Ferguson IV, who shared with the NBA star that he gave up the sport of golf to attend Howard, an HBCU (historically black college or university). Ferguson had fought tirelessly yet unsuccessfully to start a golf team at the school. His story inspired Curry, who leveraged his influence and assets to help do what Ferguson could not do alone.
Stephen Curry addresses the audience and introduces Howard Univ. student Otis Ferguson and explains why he’s so impactful to Curry being here today.
For those details, read @WesleyLowery’s story today: pic.twitter.com/0SJ2QsZ6mP
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) August 19, 2019
Curry has a long history of compassion and generosity — from donating money to help victims of Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Harvey to finding time to teach basketball fundamentals to his fans. For Curry, it all stems from his faith in Christ.
“It’s very humbling to know I’m able to be on the stage that I am,” Curry told Sports Spectrum in 2013, “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. 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.”
Because Howard is starting its golf program from nothing, it will take a few years before the school fields a team. The target date is the 2020-2021 academic year. The golf teams will be NCAA Division I.
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