With no “Stephen Curry Effect” on the latest mini-road trip to San Antonio, then Dallas, it’s Ayesha Curry who has been hitting national headlines as she does her press tour for the movie Irish Wish, starring her good friend Lindsay Lohan.
Aside from Ayesha’s birthday Instagram story inside the Curry household on Steph’s birthday, where he was apparently “just trying to eat my tomatoes”, it’s been Ayesha who’s been in front of cameras the most, with interview after interview, even one with Awkwafina! Scroll down to the bottom of this article for all the YouTube links. Inside this behind-the-scenes video is a Netflix promo clip, as well as some other more Warriors-related stuff:
0:00 Irish Wish world premiere
2:24 Wiggins shows his daughter a rainbow
2:33 Mistah FAB x Steph for Dope Era Academy
3:11 Annual Warriors charity poker tournament
3:33 from 2023 when Draymond was Last Warrior Standing
4:20 Phil Hellmuth shows us 2024 tourney: GP2, Saric, Klay, Podziemski
6:01 Phil gives us a tour of Bridge Club
7:32 courtside with Roger Federer
8:01 Lester Quinones x DJ Umami (filling in for DJ D-Sharp)
8:15 Gui Santos crashes postgame interview with Yuri Collins after Santa Cruz played at Chase Center
8:29 Ayesha films Steph on his birthday
8:44 compilation of old and funny Curry clips
9:39 view from team hotel in Beverly Hills before Lakers game
9:48 Lester gets a new tattoo of the MTV astronaut on his shoulder
10:22 Draymond (not shown) attends Bad Bunny concert at Crypto.com Arena, two nights before Lakers game
11:16 GP2 at a dinner
11:38 Warriors practice at Mo Ostin Center on UCLA campus
12:10 GP2 crosses the street after practice
12:14 Lakers drill close-outs ahead of Warriors game
12:31 Anthony Davis and LeBron shoot free throws
Of course, Steph’s been sidelined with the tweaked ankle. But finally he got in front of reporters yesterday. Granted, there was the segment with CBS Good Morning. Here’s the full six-minute segment, which was to promote his latest children’s book:
Was he put on the spot when asked about his politics?
That was a fresh question that was asked and the answer was honest. Like, I haven’t thought about it at all other than, if the opportunity presented itself, I don’t know what the track/pipeline is to even be in that position. But my answer was maybe because I have the interest of leveraging my platform in the greatest way I know how, to continue to do things that create opportunity, create meaningful change for the people that need it. And whether that’s in politics or out of politics, whatever the right moves are when basketball is done, I’m going to do it. But I love that that got some play.
Full transcript below (and list of Ayesha’s appearances below that)
FROM PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE GSW-LAL
0:00 How has Klay Thompson been playing for you?
STEVE KERR AFTER PRACTICE, DAY BEFORE GSW-LAL: “He’s been phenomenal. Since the break, he’s coming in with great energy. He’s encouraging the young guys. He just seems much more at peace with himself and it’s really fun to watch.”
0:12 Obviously, we won’t know until tomorrow if Steph’s going to play, but how much of a boost… mentally, morale (will there be to have him back)?
“Yeah, Steph is Steph, so we need him. This is a big game tomorrow, obviously. They’re all big, but particularly the ones against the teams ahead of us, teams that we are on the heels of. So, I’m thrilled to get Steph back and we’ve got a whole team tomorrow. Hopefully we can stay whole now for the remainder of the season. I told the guys today, there’s still almost a quarter of the season left. So a lot can happen and now is our time to really make some headway.”
0:58 Would the plan be the starting lineup that played so well the past few weeks?
“Perhaps, perhaps.”
1:05 Back to Steph Curry’s ankle. When somebody rolls an ankle, we’re always worried about what degree it is. How did he look in practice today?
“He looked great. Yeah, he’s feeling fine.”
1:12 With Klay, just to return to that, was removing him from the starting lineup a game before the all star break, was that a conscious decision instead of doing it afterwards?
“Yeah, I just felt like it would be good just to give him the break to feel it and reflect on it. And then, gotta figure out that role and he had 35 that night. He was incredible and his energy was amazing. But like I said, the break itself was really important for him. He got away. He got a chance to breathe a little bit and he’s been fantastic ever since.”
1:51 Steph, how would you describe your level of optimism that you’ll be able to suit up tomorrow?
STEPHEN CURRY: “That’s the plan. Everything goes well with practice today and we have tonight and all that, but working hard all week to try to get back as soon as possible. So it’s nice to be back with the team, good energy going on.”
2:16 How’s your ankle feeling?
“Still attached to my body, so it feels good.”
2:20 What was the process like, just the last 8-9 days getting it right?
“Something I’m used to, obviously, with the amount of sprains I’ve had over the last 15 years. But you make sure you get the swelling out and everything checks out, so that you can build up the reps on the court. So, it’s off the court for 3 or 4 days, and then 4 days of good build to get your body back in shape to pick up right where you left off.”
2:51 Steph, you’ve long been one of the faces of the league. With the new guys coming up, what would be your biggest advice in terms of how to handle that role?
“Well, just live authentically and do what you feel like is in the best interest of yourself, your family, the team, the game. We’re super-visible athletes and there’s a lot that comes with it. But then they can’t force that presence on anybody. Nobody’s given the crown of whatever the face of the league is. Everybody’s a face that is in the spirit of growing the game. And represent yourself the best you know how and doing it authentically. And it’s all about playing good basketball, trying to sustain a level of play for as long as you can. The rest will take care of itself.”
3:51 How do you think Kuminga has managed – not necessarily the ups and downs – but the fluid nature of his opportunities this season?
“He’s continuing to get better, continue to find a way to assert himself and play winning basketball, elevate what he does out there on the floor, understanding how to be consistent. He’s been arguably the most consistent guy of the last couple of months and continuing to, agai,n show the world who he is, what he’s capable of, and there’s still levels to get to. So, he sees the floor a lot better on both ends of the floor. He’s a lot more decisive on what he’s trying to do. And we’ve catered some things to feature him and his athleticism and his scoring ability. And then taking the challenges defensively because that’s where the biggest learning curve usually is. It’s the assignments that you’re given on a nightly basis.”
4:49 What do you think are the next steps for him to build off of those things you just mentioned?
“Just keep doing it. Hopefully we can have some playoff experience and chase a deep playoff run. And that’s where your confidence really goes through the roof, when you can do it at that level and on that stage, and hopefully we have that opportunity.”
5:09 Steph, obviously you’re such a competitor. How do you balance your desire to get back out there on the floor with the importance of the game and everything, but also not rushing back?
“There are certain injuries that tell you. You can’t fast forward or cheat the healing process. There are some that are kind of on the fence of whether you can kind of push through and not make it worse, but just deal with pain. Been through all types of injuries. So this one was one, it was a certain time frame to let my ankle heal and then have a little bit of work on the court to build back up. So it’s tough to miss games, but you obviously understand you can’t make things worse, knowing this, what time of the year we’re in right now.”
6:00 Has being one of the faces of the league something that you actively wanted, or was that just something that fell into being you and playing the way you do and having your personality?
“Like I said, just living, doing things that I enjoyed doing. Obviously, guys play at a high level, but I just live and do things that are fun and being around great teammates and that stuff is just natural and wherever I show up, it’s because I want to be there. Whatever I’m doing is because I want to do it. And like I said, the rest of it is – whatever the narrative is – or that title, it’s nothing you can chase after. It’s just enjoying your career and great things happening.”
6:49 What did it mean to add MiLaysia (Fulwiley) to the Curry Brand?
“MiLaysia is an unbelievable talent. Obviously she’s talented, most outstanding player in the SEC tournament, first freshman to do it in however many years. So, she’s been a Curry Camp alum. And obviously South Carolina is an Under Armour school. And just to have that connection, through and through and bring her into the Curry Brand family is exciting. She’s got a big, hopefully, journey ahead with the tournament coming up. So I’m happy. She’s one-of-a-kind and her story is just getting started.”
7:29 You made some big headlines this week in your TV interview when you said you wouldn’t rule out maybe running for office one day. Is that something that you seriously thought about or is that something where you were kind of put on the spot?
“That was a fresh question that was asked and the answer was honest. Like, I haven’t thought about it at all other than, if the opportunity presented itself, I don’t know what the track/pipeline is to even be in that position. But my answer was maybe because I have the interest of leveraging my platform in the greatest way I know how, to continue to do things that create opportunity, create meaningful change for the people that need it. And whether that’s in politics or out of politics, whatever the right moves are when basketball is done, I’m going to do it. But I love that that got some play.”
RAYMOND RIDDER, joking about the NBA’s credentialing system not being compatible with the White House’s: “Tier 1 access does not get the Oval Office.”
LIST OF AYESHA CURRY INTERVIEWS
Ayesha with Awkwafina on promo tour:
Lindsay Lohan for Netflix:
Chicago Today:
Blativity:
The Hollywood Reporter:
The Advocate Channel x Pride.com:
👍👍💛💙