An unexpected pleasure on Apple TV+, “Underrated” tracks the phenomenon and potential GOAT of the Golden State Warriors from his first buckets at age 4 to his record breaking career we all know by now.
It’s a fascinating story of an unlikely, undersized shooter, and chronicles his tenacious struggles to cope with his unique situation as an underestimated and unexpected talent.
Born on March 14, 1988, in Akron, Ohio, Wardell Stephen Curry II was destined to have a life intertwined with basketball. As the son of Dell Curry, a sharpshooting guard in the NBA, young Steph spent his childhood with a front-row seat to the world of professional basketball.
Despite his pedigree, Curry’s path to NBA superstardom was anything but assured. His small stature and lean frame didn’t impress recruiters from major college programs, leaving him to play at Davidson College, a mid-major school in North Carolina. But Steph’s Davidson years, from 2006 to 2009, became the launching pad for one of the most remarkable careers in NBA history.
In his sophomore and junior seasons, Curry exploded onto the national scene with captivating performances in the NCAA tournament. His audacious long-range shooting, deft ball-handling, and unselfish play transformed him from a lightly regarded recruit into a bona fide college basketball sensation.
The Golden State Warriors selected Curry with the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Early in his career, concerns about chronic ankle injuries cast a cloud over his future. But Curry persevered, guided by an unwavering belief in his abilities and a relentless work ethic.
In the 2012-13 season, Curry began to make his mark in the NBA, setting a new league record for three-pointers in a season. But it was in the following season that “Chef Curry” truly came into his own. With his silky shooting stroke, behind-the-back dribbles, and clutch performances, Curry led the Warriors to their best season in decades, earning his first Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the process.
The 2014-15 season was a banner year for Curry and the Warriors. Not only did Curry win his first MVP award, but he also guided the Warriors to their first NBA championship in 40 years. But Curry wasn’t done yet. In the 2015-16 season, he took his game to even greater heights, becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history and leading the Warriors to a record 73 regular-season wins.
Despite a heartbreaking loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, Curry remained at the top of the NBA hierarchy. He teamed up with superstar forward Kevin Durant to lead the Warriors to back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
The 2019-20 season saw a shift in fortune for Curry and the Warriors. With Durant departing for Brooklyn and Klay Thompson sidelined by a devastating injury, the Warriors struggled, and a hand injury limited Curry to only five games.
The 2020-21 season was a comeback year for Curry. Despite a turbulent season for the Warriors, Curry reminded the world of his preternatural abilities. He won his second NBA scoring title and broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record to become the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer, demonstrating that even in the face of adversity, Steph Curry remained a force to be reckoned with.
