Warriors star Steph Curry wins NBA citizenship award
Steph Curry earned another line for his already packed résumé.
Stephen Curry’s off-court work promoting youth literacy and fighting for gender equity in sports has been well-known for years. But now he’s receiving an honor recognizing his work in the community.
The Professional Basketball Writers Association on Thursday named Curry as the recipient of this year’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He is the first Warriors player to win the award, which was established in 1974.
The annual award is said to be presented to “a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.” The PBWA viewed Curry as deserving for this year’s honor, which is the first in two years because of the pandemic.
“Few athletes have as great a reach or as powerful a platform as Steph Curry, and he has used it to the fullest to benefit others,” PBWA President Howard Beck said in a statement. “The members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association salute him and the other nominees for their exemplary work.”
Curry was selected from a group of finalists that included Lakers center Wenyen Gabriel, Clippers forward Paul George and Celtics forward Grant Williams.
While Curry is a four-time champion and has been widely credited as the greatest shooter of all-time, his impact goes far beyond the hardwood.
He and his wife, Ayesha, were named to President Joe Biden’s fitness and nutrition council earlier this year. The couple founded Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation in 2019, which fights to end childhood hunger and encourage childhood literacy throughout the Bay Area. They hosted 1,000 children at an Oakland A’s game last year and in December, welcomed more than 500 Oakland families to their 10th annual Christmas with the Currys event.
During a January visit to the White House to celebrate the Warriors’ 2022 championship, Curry took the podium in the press briefing room and spoke about the importance of equality in sports, an issue he’s been advocating for years. Curry, an avid golfer, continues to put in the work to make golf more inclusive with his Underrated Golf Tour for junior players. He also notably made a seven-figure donation to fund the Howard University men’s and women’s golf programs in 2019.
Curry also makes time to work with and visit several local community groups in the Bay and welcome them to games.
The winner was determined by a vote of the entire PBWA, which is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA regularly for newspapers, magazines and online news outlets.
The last two winners of the award were Malcolm Brogdon in 2020 and Damian Lillard in 2019.
Staff reporter Madeline Kenney is an active member of the PBWA and voted on their annual awards.