Steph Curry is a superstar. He might be the most recognizable player in the NBA. Maybe even in all of sports.
But that wasn't the case not too long ago. Before the two MVP awards and three NBA Finals titles, the Warriors guard could actually enjoy some peace and quiet with his family.
But Curry first found out about the troubles of stardom with fans while traveling home to Charlotte, N.C. in 2013.
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“Back when I was taking commercial flights,” Curry said in a lengthy interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I never flew private.”
It was after his fourth season in the NBA. Curry was coming off a career-high 22.9 points per game at the time, and he led the Warriors to playoffs where they upset the Nuggets in the first round and battled the Spurs in a second-round loss.
Curry, along with his wife Ayesha and a newly born baby daughter Riley, were recognized relentlessly in the airport. From the security line to trying to get to the gates, the Currys were constantly surrounded.
“One of the worst experiences of my life,” Curry said. “Getting bothered left and right from the time we showed up at the airport to the time we got to the house in Charlotte. That was probably when it was like, OK, this is crazy. And, yeah, it’s got even crazier from there.”
Golden State Warriors
Two years later, Riley became a sensation by joining Steph at the postgame podium in the playoffs. As he looks back it now, it's one of the only things Steph regrets.
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"I didn’t know how much that would blow up and how much of a splash she [would make] on the scene," Curry said. "If I could take that one back, I probably would, just because my goal is just to give my kids the best chance at success and at seeing the world in the proper way."
This weekend, Curry and his family are back in Charlotte for NBA All-Star Weekend. He'll face his brother Seth in the 3-Point Contest, and it's safe to say all these years later, he'll know how to deal with the masses following his every move.