Stephen Curry is not only a star on the court but is becoming one off it as well. Whether he is dressing up like his “twin brother” for State Farm or spraying on deodorant for Degree, Curry is becoming a familiar face on our TVs for more than just basketball.
While it may be normal for us to see Curry act in commercials, for him it is quite frankly strange. “It is hard to find another adjective besides weird,” says Curry. “We will be watching an NBA game and then it goes to commercial where you will see me spraying Degree Dry Spray under my arms. It still hasn’t settled in.
“When you see it on TV, you are like, ‘Oh, I am really in that commercial.’ I always look around the room to see if someone will say anything and call me out.”
Curry shouldn’t be worried about what others think because people absolutely love him. He received 40,000 more votes than LeBron James for this year’s All-Star game and was the overall leading vote-getter. Curry has the second-best-selling jersey in the NBA and thanks to his stellar play, the Warriors have a league best 57-13 record. Fans are so intent on watching Curry in person that the team has a season ticket waiting list of over 10,000 people.
His popularity is a big reason why brands like Degree, Express, State Farm and Under Armour have aligned themselves with Curry. Often endorsements cause an athlete to lose their personality but this doesn’t seem to be a problem for Curry. He appears to be genuinely acting like himself.
“I just try to have fun with it and not be too serious,” says Curry. “I try to let my personality show in commercials. This is an opportunity that I thought I would never have just from playing basketball.”
His personality even shows when he is not being himself. During this year’s All-Star Saturday night, Curry dressed up as his State Farm alter-ego Sebastian Curry to arrive at the arena.
“That was more fun than anything else, “ recalls Curry. “After I left the hotel, I couldn’t respond to Stephen. I had to train myself to go by Sebastian.”
Curry admits that he doesn’t have a different voice for Sebastian but is still able to fool people saying, “A lot of people do think that I have a twin. They have to ask.”
The fact that fans feel so comfortable with Curry that they can ask him a question like that is just another amazing facet of his character. “I am pretty laid back,” he says. “When the game is about to start, I have to get into game mode, you know put on the cliche game face but I enjoy talking to fans.”
Being humble and genuine is what makes Curry relatable to so many people. He is not a muscular, high-flying athlete, in fact he looks like the complete opposite. So much so that he still gets carded when he goes to restaurants despite the fact that he is a 27-year-old man.
His off-court attitude and on-court domination has the young and old enchanted. Recently, a 75-year-old Grandmother celebrated her birthday at a recent Warriors game. She happily revealed that one of her birthday wishes was to meet Curry.
Curry’s most relatable asset may be his deadliest. His bullseye-accurate shot is becoming his signature move and something that anybody can do in their driveway. “Anybody can pick up a basketball and work on their form and shot,” says Curry. “I’m not the most athletic guy but shooting is something that people can work and get better at if they put in the time.”
Even his Under Armour commercial tries to get this message across as it features Curry doing nothing but shooting. At one point, a group of kids appear behind him, mimicking his shot. This visual is powerful not only for shoe sales but also for the fact that there are legions of youth who are now focusing on their shot thanks to Curry.
The NBA has changed more into a shooter’s league and you have to hand it to the companies that are currently endorsing Curry, they got on board early. But he is controlling his own destiny when it comes to his growing brand. While some players may fall victim of losing their creative image in ads, Curry makes a point to only only sign deals with companies that he believes in.
“You got to go with what you are interested in and be part of the actual building of your brand. It flows better that way and you able to see more of an imprint,” says Curry. “You can’t just go after deals here and there just because they are coming in.
“Obviously a lot of time on and off the court goes into it but if you are part of it, it makes it fun as you go through the process.”
Fun is the perfect descriptor for Curry’s play. It is comforting to know that while some athletes focus so hard on their personal brand, he is actually enjoying growing his.
