Photo: Getty Images
Charlotte, North Carolina will always hold a special place in Steph Curry’s heart. The NBA star grew up in the city, his dad Dell Curry played 10 years of his NBA career for the Charlotte Hornets, and Steph and his younger brother Seth spent a lot of time working on their skills at the Carole Hoefener Center.
“Charlotte means everything to me,” Curry said. “This is where I learned to play the game. So many people in the city got to watch me grow up in the game.”
With that being so, when Curry found out that the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend was going to be in his childhood hometown, he wanted to do something more than throw an All-Star party. So, Curry told his team at Under Armour to spend the entire budget on renovating his childhood recreational center. As a result, the Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation and Under Armour joined forces with Chase Bank to make a “seven-figure commitment” to the Carole Hoefener Center.
As reported by ESPN, the NBA Players Association is set make a $150,000 donation over the next three years towards the project.
Photo: Under Armour
The new and improved Carole Hoefener Center includes a “Curry Court” and a “Curry Kitchen (which was inspired by Ayesha Curry’s culinary career) where residents can learn healthy eating habits. The center was also gifted with new computers to put in its education center for STEM students.
Photo: Under Armour
“To put funds into something that you can go back to, touch, feel and see the difference that it’s making, not only in the community, but in the lives of young people and adults alike, it speaks volumes to who they are and what kind of person they are,” Dell Curry said. “Also, how much they love this community and loved growing up here and want to leave a mark after the All-Star Game leaves.”
Steph added: “I’m excited to see my hometown community engage with the space. I really believe that this is going to have an ongoing impact that’s way beyond this weekend.”
Photo: Under Armour
Curry and his family helped reopen the center on Friday during an official ceremony. Over the next 30 days, the Curry Family Foundation planned out events, classes and workshops for the Charlotte community. Curry’s set to visit the students when he comes back to town with the Warriors to play the Hornets on February 25.