It takes a village to raise a child. While this proverb means it in the best possible way, there will always be a few who think they know better than the child’s parents. Imagine what this would mean when you are the parents of an exceptionally talented child. This was one of the many dilemmas Sonya and Dell Curry faced when deciding the best course of action for a young Stephen Curry.

While it is true that parents can’t be the experts in everything, the one thing they have and can say with complete confidence is that they know their child the best. Or, in Sonya’s words, “that child is you, because that child has your DNA. So you have an advantage over a lot of people.”

Did this “advantage” really help Sonya and Dell Curry make a decision that adhered to Steph’s wishes?

In the case of Stephen Curry, he had athletically inclined parents with a Dad who was in the professional basketball league. So he didn’t have to turn anywhere else for advice or training. The couple already had an AAU training center, and the kids trained there. However, by the time he and his brother, Seth, were in their teens, Dell felt that it was time for a new voice. But a few practices in and Steph had reached a decision – no more AAU.

That’s where the mother and son disagreed.

As Sonya Curry narrated in an episode of Raising Fame, “We were at a tournament and [Steph did not want to] stay around. We were like, ‘Go on, go hang around your teammates.’ But he’s like, ‘No, I wanna stay here.’” She wanted Steph to interact, connect, and be like the other kids. A naturally shy, introvert Curry found it too tall a task. And then there was also the experts talking.

 

Playing AAU was the only way to ensure a successful future in professional basketball. Needless to say, it irked Sonya that her son wouldn’t listen to reason. “We knew some of the decisions those guys were making and stuff like that, but he just wasn’t vibing with it. And he got ridiculed a little bit for that, of being a goody-two-shoes and those kinds of things.” Much like Kobe Bryant’s feelings towards AAU, Steph believed he needed to “work on the fundamentals.”

Back in 2015, Kobe told ESPN, “[AAU is] doesn’t teach our kids how to play the game at all. So, you wind up having players that are big and they bring it up and they do all this fancy cr*p and they don’t know how to post. They don’t know the fundamentals of the game.” Even though Steph didn’t want to engage too much with his AAU teammates, Sonya revealed, “I was like, ‘No, go be with your teammates, building community, you need to be around them.’ And a little bit of me going, ‘Stephen, they already think you are different because you are our child.’”

Understandably feeling guilty about pushing her son to try and fit in, Sonya admitted, “That negativity came from me.” Now this wasn’t just Sonya’s thoughts that came to the forefront. There was something of an influence from “experts” of the game and process.

“He will not make it without AAU”: Sonya Curry recounts a scary statement by a coach

Remember when the Currys’ decision to pull their boys from AAU garnered heavy ridicule? Right now, this might sound like a good joke, but at the time, it was terrifying. Nobody saw much potential for Dell Curry’s son purely because no one looked past the short, slim frame. And now, his parents wanted to pull him out of the one chance that may open the doors for an NBA career. Madness, right?

“He will not make it without AAU,” Sonya remembers one of the coaches telling her. There was no doubt in his eyes or voice. It was a sure thing. Naturally, it was enough to shake any mother to her core. Sonya knew her son wanted to play basketball. She was fully aware of the struggles Stephen Curry faced. But that’s where her husband came into play.

“At that point, I trusted him enough and in his instincts to know that, ‘alright, if he doesn’t wanna do something, we’re gonna agree with it.’,” Dell stated. “And that was the point of balance between us,” Sonya quickly added.