Stephen “Steph” Curry is one of the greatest basketball players of all time – but his short stature and criticism of his slim figure made him an underdog as a child.
While Curry, 35, has won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors since 2015, his new Apple TV+ documentary, Stephen Curry: Underratedreveals that he wasn’t always considered a winner.
In fact, in the first trailer of the film, which was released on Monday, June 26it becomes clear that many people in Curry’s past didn’t believe he had a shot at making the NBA.
“He’s about 5 [foot] 6 [inches]says a sports analyst in the trailer, while another commenter notes that Curry “looks like a kid” despite being a college athlete. As footage of the point guard playing at Davidson College flashes in the background—combined with moments from his high school days—another voice points out that Curry was “150 pounds soaking wet” when he first burst onto the basketball scene.
Meanwhile, the nine-time NBA All Star reveals in the trailer that he didn’t “really understand” he was “different” until he got to college. Curry reflects on his path to success in the clip, saying, “I was the undersized, scrawny kid just trying to figure out how to make it. I was blown away by everything.”
To make his dreams come true, he had to keep his wits about him and get to work. “That sense of underestimation will always be part of the drive that keeps me going,” he teases in the doc.
Stephen Curry: Underrateddirected by Peter Nikspromises to document how Curry went from a little boy in high school to the seventh-round draft pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and became one of the winningest players in the history of the sport.
“What we found, what we tried to show in the movie, [is] that despite all those first things, like being the son of Dell Curryby [mom] Sonya [Curry] who was a very experienced athlete — both of whom went to Virginia Tech — he still wasn’t able to take that first step,” Nicks told deadline in January about the project. “Virginia Tech has not offered him a D1 grant. They offered him a walk-on slot, which meant, “We’re really not sure about you.” That’s really pretty remarkable considering he was a pretty accomplished high school basketball player.
The director explained that Steph’s “pedigree still wasn’t enough because he didn’t pass that ‘eye test’ and that’s one of the things we documented in the movie.”
Nicks added, “We’re also working on what allows a person who isn’t seen, who’s underestimated, who isn’t heard, which allows that person to reach their potential.”
Scroll down to learn more about the Stephen Curry: Underrated documentary:
What is ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ about?Apple TV+
Apple TV+ describes the movie as a “remarkable coming-of-age story of one of the most influential, dynamic, and unexpected players in basketball history,” aimed at Steph. The documentary combines “intimate cinéma vérité, archival footage, and on-camera interviews” to accurately portray “Curry’s rise from an underperforming college player at a small-town Division I college to a four-time NBA champion.”
When can fans watch ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ on Apple TV+?
Viewers can start streaming Stephen Curry: Underrated on July 21, 2023, worldwide. The film will also be shown in selected cinemas that same day.
When did ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ first premiere?
The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023.
Will Stephen Curry’s wife and children appear in the documentary?
The wife of the two-time NBA MVP, Ayesha Curryand their three children — daughters Riley and Ryan and son Canon, born in 2012, 2015, and 2018, respectively — will star in the film, according to the June 2023 teaser.
What did we learn from the ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ trailer?
Apple TV+
“It’s not about proving other people wrong,” says Steph’s mother, Sonya, in the June 2023 trailer. “It’s about proving him right.” That statement becomes even clearer when scenes from the athlete’s childhood flash in the background as a self-described “skinny” player.
The clip also features Steph’s college days, past injuries, and his rise to the top of the game as a member of the Warriors. Moments from the NBA star’s home life, his 2022 graduation and multiple NBA championship wins are also prominently featured.
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Will other NBA players make cameos in ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’?
Through footage from his time in the NBA, viewers can also get a glimpse of several Warriors players Steph played with over the years, as well as many of his opponents. NBA greats including LeBron James, Clay Thompson And Kevin Durant are just some of the big names who will have a cameo in the June 2023 trailer.
