NBA
superstar Steph Curry says it is important for influential athletes to stand up
for their beliefs and is grateful that social media gives them the platform to
do so.
Curry has
won three NBA Championships with the Golden State Warriors and has twice been
named Most Valuable Player.
The American
has also spoken openly on social and culture issues.
Here, Curry
talks to Dan Roan of BBC about his views on US President Donald
Trump, tennis legend Serena Williams and NFL activist Colin Kaepernick, plus
how it feels to be at the peak of his powers and his views on the future of the
British game.
'We have a
platform to speak for those that can't'
Curry has
used his platform as one of the world's greatest athletes to make a stand for
the things he believes in.
Last year,
the American declined an invite to the White House, following a traditional
invitation to celebrate his side's NBA title success. Curry said the team could
"inspire some change" by refusing to visit the home of the president.
Curry says
athlete activism and taking a stand "comes with the territory, because the
world is small now".
"If I
say something I can tweet it out right now and the whole world can read it, and
you can own that," he said. "More so than generations that have
passed, where it has maybe had to go through a couple of different channels.
"There
are more eyeballs and ears around what we want to say.
"We
have a platform to speak for those that can't speak for themselves, and things
that are important to us we want to talk about and there is definitely a wave
of athletes and influencers that are not afraid of the potential consequences of
being disagreed with."
On
expressing his views on the political landscape, the 30-year-old added:
"You can do it with respect and you can do it with class, and understand
that you're not disrespecting anybody by having an opinion.
"Obviously
for me, with visiting the White House, I said how I felt and tried to provide
reasons why I felt that way and let it be, and I'm not going to waver off of
that.
"For
me, I know you are not going to please everybody in this world, but the whole
thing is about spreading love and respect on either side of the
conversation."
'Kaepernick
has done so much good'
Curry and
the Golden State Warriors' fallout with Trump followed a protest by NFL
quarterback Kaepernick that divided the country.
Kaepernick
refused to stand for the anthem in protest at racial injustice and police
brutality.
The
American, recently unveiled as one of the faces of a major advertising campaign
by Nike, is suing the NFL, arguing team owners have since deliberately froze him
out because of his activism.
"It is
all about empowering people's voices, making sure what people are speaking on
behalf is not taking away from them because of a misunderstanding on how the
whole thing started, in terms of not disrespecting the flag by taking a
knee," said Curry.
"We
wanted to shine a light on police brutality, on racial inequality and things
like that. That's what the NFL players have stood for and I definitely respect
that.
"I've
talked to Colin plenty of times and have supported a couple of causes he has
been a part of, and he understands the risk he took when he made that stand.
"At the
end of the day, he has done so much good in terms of helping communities that
need help, raising awareness for people that need help, I think that's all
right."
'I don't
want my daughters to find barriers'
Curry
recently talked in a column for The Players' Tribune about his two daughters,
and how he wants them to "strive for careers where they'll be treated
fairly... and paid equally".
The
father-of-three says there is still a lot of work to be done in closing the
gender pay gap.
"I have
two daughters and I have learned so much in the six years of being a parent on
the opportunity to shift their perspectives and what's possible for them in
their lives, whether they pick an industry that's male dominated or what have
you, that they have the opportunities to succeed and excel and rise to the top
and that there aren't any barriers that should be in their way," said
Curry.
"That's
the message you want to send home. When it comes to the pay gap there is a lot
of work to be done and it's not just one essay that is going to change that,
it's about how we in our industries, jobs, communities can empower those that
need to be empowered."
Curry also
says he stands by 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams after her
outburst in the US Open final, where the American was docked a game and
afterwards said her treatment was "sexist".
"On the
court we all have reactions to things that happen," said Curry.
"I have
thrown mouthpieces before, had outbursts you might want to take back, but the
way she handled it post-match with how eloquently she put her sentiments around
gender equality in her sport and created the conversation we can all assess for
ourselves.
"Whether
you agree with her or not, there were issues that Serena wants to deal with and
those conversations will keep going because she took a stand.
"I
encourage women to take stances as they see fit and we need to understand what
that means."
'British
basketball could be huge'
A three-time
NBA champion and twice named the league's Most Valuable Player, Curry was also
the first player to sign a contract worth more than $200m.
But the
30-year-old says he is at the peak of his powers, and feels there is more to
come.
"I'm
hopefully going to stay there for a very long time," he said. "I feel
there's more in the tank. I have a huge opportunity to win another championship
and stay at the top for as long as I can.
"I know
how short a career is. You only get so many years to play this game at the
level that I do. I keep that same passion and I don't mind putting the work
in."
However, the
American would like to see more funding in the British game.
"Culturally
speaking, basketball is a trend-setting sport in terms of how universal it is.
It brings a lot of people together. I know football does that as well, but it's
a sport that can open up different skill sets," he said.
"It
could be huge."
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