A few days ago I read an interview that Stephen Curry did with Stephen Copeland from Sports Spectrum magazine before the 2012/2013 season. One of the interesting things about this article is that it was written before Curry’s stardom  in which his team, the Golden State Warriors, won the NBA Championship in the 2014/2015 season. Curry was also named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2014/2015.

Overcoming A Career-Threatening Injury

But in 2012/2013, Curry was coming off a one and half-year struggle with a major ankle injury. His team struggled to a 23-43 record in the strike-shortened season of 2011/12. Some people thought that Curry was never going to fully recover from the ankle injury. He had 2 ankle surgeries trying to take care of the problem.

Instead of feeling sorry for himself and getting hardened against God, Curry worked hard at his rehab and drew into God in a deeper way. His wife Ayesha is quoted in the article as saying that Stephen never complains and the reason he doesn’t is that he realizes how blessed he is to be a NBA player and a child of God.

A Passion To Honor Christ

Curry is a devoted follower of Jesus. In the Sports Spectrum article, he is quoted as saying: “It’s very humbling to know I’m able to be on the stage that I am, 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.” This testimony was given as he was going through some major tribulations regarding his health which threatened his NBA career.

It seems like both Curry and his wife matured through this difficult chapter in their lives. Curry sounds much older than his young years would suggest when he says, “You are tested when things are going south for you, but you want to be steadfast in what you believe in.” I think that as Stephen and Ayesha learned to trust the Lord in the storms of life that God, they were better prepared to handle the blessings that have followed.

Curry continues to have his feet firmly planted on the ground and his heart rooted in the Lord. Sports Spectrum writer Stephen Copeland wrote in the 2012/13 article: “……… when God is the one writing your story, Stephen and Ayesha will tell you that He often leads you to places you can’t fathom, places that force you to grow and rely on Him.” You can say that this was a prophetic statement. Some people believe that Stephen has become the best shooter in the history of the NBA.

Stephen and Ayesha are relying on the Lord in their mountaintop experiences just as they did in their valley experiences. May the Lord continue to work in them and through them for the glory of the Lord and the sake of the Gospel.

QOTD: Is it in the forefront of your heart to use the gifts God has blessed you with to uplift His name?