Stephen Curry has a tremendous amount of pride for North Carolina. His dad was a long time member of the Charlotte Hornets, he spent a lot of his childhood living there, and first captured the attention of the basketball world while playing at Davidson College.
North Carolina has been in the news recently for very unfortunate reasons. Governor Pat McCrory signed a bill into law that forces transgender individuals to use bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates.
The law also excludes sexual orientation and gender identity from state and local anti-discrimination protections.
It’s important to note that this law was passed as a response to Charlotte’s approval of an ordinance that protected LGBT individuals from discrimination at hotels, restaurants, and retailers.
Disapproval of the state law has made entertainers like Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam cancel concerts in the state.
The NBA has decided to move the 2017 All-Star Game out of the state, and the NCAA is in the process of relocating tournament games for next season.
The ACC has also announced that they will move their championship football game out of North Carolina.
Curry is sadden by what has transpired, and the negative light that has been put on North Carolina as events are relocated.
“I’m all for equal rights and fair treatment for everyone,” said Curry. “Until it gets addressed, until some changes are made, this could be a reoccurring theme in North Carolina. I don’t want that to happen.”
Curry is embracing the role that his expanded platform has given him, especially given his meteoric rise these past few seasons from talented player on struggling teams to back-to-back MVP and 2015 NBA champion.
“It’s kinda weird just because I’ve hit a bunch of shots, I’ve got a platform, and I’ve got to be able to use it and take it all in stride,” said Curry.
Curry also continued to voice his support for Colin Kaepernick, although he emphasized that he wouldn’t be taking a knee during the National Anthem before any NBA game.
We as a society determine who becomes famous based on traits we value. At a very fundamental level, we have strong admiration and fascination with individuals who succeed at putting a spherical orange ball into a round hoop ten feet off the ground with a diameter of eighteen inches.
Our interest in what Curry does so well gives him a great amount of influence in societal matters, and we collectively put these players on pedestals.
It’s encouraging that Curry isn’t shying away from voicing opinions on issues he feels passionately about.
A state he really has a strong connection to is being hurt indirectly through legislation, and Curry hopes the situation gets corrected for the benefit of the residents of North Carolina.