Warriors' Stephen Curry Named 2022 Sportsperson Of The Year By Sports Illustrated

Ernesto Cova
stephen curry playing basketball
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Not so long ago, Stephen Curry wasn't a superstar. He was a bit of an afterthought, an overlooked prospect known more for being Dell Curry's son than for actually being a star-caliber recruit.

He didn't have any flashy lights and constantly fought through doubts and adversity to become the player he is today.

Even after posting a historical season, NBA scouts continued to doubt him. Doubts that, to some, remained until this very season.

Curry Named SI's Sportsperson Of The Year

Curry turned on a majestic performance to lead the Golden State Warriors to a comeback win in the NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics, crowning himself in the TD Garden, of all places.

That, plus many other accomplishments, granted him the honor of being Sports Illustrated's 2022 Sportsperson of the Year:

"He calls it his 'greatest moment,' and even this modest brag is so unlike Curry that his wife, Ayesha, says, 'Really—he said that?' At the Warriors’ afterparty, in a club underneath TD Garden, Ayesha said, 'I’m so proud of you! You did it!' Steph corrected her: “We did it,'" reads the report.

He Silenced His Critics

Stephen Curry
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It clearly meant more this time around. The Warriors had been out of the playoff picture in consecutive seasons, and some doubters were still questioning his legacy, even after three NBA championships and countless individual accolades.

He put the cherry on top by winning the only award that was missing from his trophy cabinet: The Finals MVP.

“What are they gonna say now?" Curry questioned.

It's Bigger Than Basketball

As remarkable as his stats and performances on the hardwood were this season, Curry's impact off the court was even more impressive:

"He graduated from Davidson, 13 years after he left for the NBA following his junior season," reported Sports Illustrated. "He expanded his charitable reach: Since 2019, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation he and Ayesha founded has served more than 25 million meals to food-insecure children, spent $2.5 million on literacy-focused grants and distributed 500,000 books, according to Curry’s representatives. He has also provided seed funding for men’s and women’s golf teams at Howard University, a historically Black school, and started the Underrated Golf Tour, a junior circuit designed to make the game more inclusive. He is co-chair of Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote initiative."

A Champion Of The People

Curry once again proved to be the same humble, easy-going, and down-to-earth young man he was when he first entered the league.

He had just silenced his doubters once and for all, cementing himself as one of the greatest players to ever do it. Still, that's not all that matters for the Akron, Ohio native:

“Winning is fun,” Curry says. “We all know that. But to do it in a way that people speak on our culture, speak on my leadership, you have the respect of people around you—like, all that stuff matters in the big picture. And it’s hard to do.”

You may or may not be a fan of three-point happy offenses, but no one can deny that Steph Curry has changed the game of basketball forever. Now, he's looking to make that same impact off the court and help the world become a better place, which, to me, is worth more than any trophy he can win in the NBA.