Curry was fortunate to be the son of NBA player Dell Curry. His parents, having grown up in rural Virginia, had experienced racism but were able to shield Stephen and his brother and sister while at the same time educating them on the matter. Curry, who was raised Charlotte, N.C., had a different experience. “I was surrounded by (racism) but I didn’t experience it as much because my dad was playing in the NBA and there was a certain benefit that came with that in terms of how people interacted with us,” Curry said. “Sports took us to a place where they could put it aside for a second and treat my dad and my family with a level of respect you could feel, but you never knew what was going to happen as soon as your back was turned.”