NBA star Steph Curry is best known for his career with the Golden State Warriors, but what many people don't realize about the MVP point guard is that he credits his mother, Sonya Curry, not his NBA-playing father, with giving him his toughness and grit.
His father, Dell Curry, 60, played in the NBA for nearly two decades.
While Dell was often on the road during his NBA career, Sonya handled most of the day-to-day parenting of Steph and his two siblings.
Since she shaped one of the NBA's greatest stars, let's take a closer look at her life. Here's everything to know about Seth's mother, Sonya.
The start of Seth Curry's family
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Sonya first met Seth's father, Dell, while attending Virginia Tech, where she played volleyball and he played basketball.
The NBA star's mom once told the "San Francisco Chronicle" that she spotted her future husband while he was practicing with the basketball team. After Dell was drafted in the NBA, she moved with him to Utah to support his professional career with the Utah Jazz. The rest is history.
The pair married in 1988 and welcomed their first child together, Steph, in 1988. They had their second son, Seth, in 1990, and a daughter, Sydel, in 1994.
Unfortunately, the college sweethearts' relationship didn't last.
Seth's parents announced in 2021 that they were divorcing after 33 years of marriage.
She's an educator
Sonya, 58, has spent much of her life working with kids.
In a 2021 interview with "People"," Seth raved about her career, saying, "My mom is an educator so [giving back] was a part of her job."
He continued, "It was staying late after school, mentoring kids, talking to parents, giving them encouragement... She had to be selfless and sacrifice a lot of time."
His father also showed him the importance of giving back when he was a child.
"My dad, every chance he got, he was doing things in the community... He always showed up in a meaningful way," he told the outlet.
Steph Curry says his mother helped shape his game
While there's no question that Steph takes after his NBA veteran father, he has credited his mother with giving him some of the highly impactful traits that have made him successful on the basketball court.
"A lot of people say whatever defensive abilities I have, I get from her," Steph told "SF Gate" in 2013. "She's a strong woman."
He continued, "Growing up in an NBA household, with my dad being on the road a lot, she did a great job with me and my siblings. She deserves a lot of credit for how we turned out."
The NBA star recalled struggling with running in middle school until his mom, Sonya, put him through a two-week boot camp in the backyard. The workout included plyometrics and working on a farm.
"I hated it," he recalled. "But it taught me work ethic."
He also recalls Sonya instilling responsibility in him at a young age.
"Plenty of times I was disciplined for not taking care of things in the classroom or around the house, and the punishment was that I couldn't practice or play," he told the outlet.
During one of his middle school basketball games, he didn't do the dishes as expected and wasn't allowed to play in the next day's game.
"We knew there were values other than my dad's fame or what sports could bring because it wasn't a guarantee that me and my brother would take up the family business," Seth said.
Sonya Curry was always an encouraging mother
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Sonya wasn't afraid to discipline her children when they were growing up; however, she was also one of their biggest encouragers when they needed it.
In 2013, Seth recalled having a bad game during a travel tournament in Las Vegas attended by several college coaches, including those from North Carolina and Duke.
"She told me to keep my head up and keep working, that I might not see it now but that someone is watching how I handle the situation," he said. "She said to be patient and keep my eyes open and it will be clear as day where I'm supposed to be. Those were the best words I could hear at the time."
Sonya Curry is best friends with WNBA star Cameron Brink's mother
The NBA player's mother is best friends with WNBA star Cameron Brink's mother, Michelle Bain-Brink.
The two superstar-raising moms' recently dished on their college years, and how they maintained their friendship for 40 years, on the April 7 episode of Cameron's podcast, "Straight To Cam."
The women first met as roommates while attending Virginia Tech.
Their dads also played basketball together at Tech, which has resulted in the two families having a decades-long relationship.
Over the years, the Brink and Curry families vacationed together in the summer when their kids were young.