My dad has kind of been the standard for me, he played 16 years

"My dad has kind of been the standard for me, he played 16 years in the league, and since I've been in the league, every year that I go through and deal with the scratches, the bumps and bruises, just the grind that it is to go through one NBA season." — Stephen Curry

In these humble and heartfelt words, Stephen Curry, one of the greatest basketball players of his generation, reveals the quiet force that has shaped his journey: the enduring example of his father, Dell Curry. His statement is not a boast of skill, nor a reflection on fame, but a reverent acknowledgment of legacy. When he says, “My dad has kind of been the standard for me,” he speaks as all sons and daughters who look to their parents as the first heroes of their lives. The quote becomes more than about basketball—it becomes a meditation on discipline, endurance, and the sacred passing of strength from one generation to the next.

The origin of these words lies in the long shadow of Dell Curry’s career, a man who played sixteen seasons in the NBA—a span not only marked by talent, but by perseverance. For sixteen years, he endured the endless travel, the physical strain, and the constant test of will that defines a