CHARLOTTE – His family. His college coach. Teammates from the past and present. A North Carolina crowd he once inspired.
Standing as the center of attention during halftime of Tuesday night’s Davidson men’s basketball game at John M. Belk Arena, Steph Curry soaked it all in as the university he once called home renamed part of the highway — Exit 30 off I-77 — after him.
First, he reflected. Then he appreciated.
The moment, the journey, and the people, present and elsewhere, who made it all possible.
“The way I’m looking at it, anyone who has passed that interchange or passes that sign who has been a part of my journey, helped me get there, hopefully they feel a little bit of pride in that,” Curry said after the Warriors beat the Hornets on Wednesday. “I don’t have that honor or acknowledgement without a lot of different people.”
That journey began at the small, private college located 20 minutes north of downtown Charlotte.
He earned All-Southern Conference honors as a freshman. As a 20-year-old sophomore, the slight, babyfaced sniper with limitless range helped the Wildcats earn the historic SoCon’s lone bid to the 2008 tournament.
Curry, under the watchful eye of longtime coach Bob McKillop, led the Wildcats to an improbable Elite 8 run. The next year, Curry led the nation in scoring, earned All-American honors, and set himself up to be drafted by the Warriors.
“His fingerprints are all over Davidson College, not just Davidson basketball,” McKillop told the Bay Area News Group this summer. “He is the most storied graduate of a school that’s been around for 150 years, and we’ve had some illustrious graduates. He is, by far, the one who has had the most impact on the school.”
17 years after last attending Davidson, Curry has remained involved in promoting and assisting the school.
He became the assistant general manager of Davidson’s men’s and women’s basketball programs earlier this year, a move that did not surprise McKillop, who retired in 2022 after 33 years in charge.
“He has never, ever forgotten where he came from, or the need to show gratitude,” said McKillop, a candidate for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “He will never be a proud peacock, because he realizes he could be a feather duster tomorrow.”
Davidson has also showered him with glories in the past. Curry had his jersey retired by the Wildcats shortly after he led the Warriors to title No. 4 in 2022.
He returned alongside a number of decorated companions for his next honor.
They watched as the aptly numbered Exit 30 became the Stephen Curry Interchange at halftime of Davidson’s 89-83 loss to Duquesne, and as the superstar was given the highest praise by Davidson president Douglas Hicks.
“Everybody knows that the entrance to Davidson is Exit 30, and we hope that your heart will always lead you back to (the town) Davidson and Davidson College,” Hicks told the crowd during the ceremony.
Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were among those in attendance, with the latter marveling at the honor bestowed upon his teammate.
“People get, like interstates and exchanges and exits and highways and all that stuff named after them when they die, not when you’re living,” Green said. “That’s living legend status.”
The tone Curry struck as he thought about his journey was one of humility, not brashness. However, he was still able to sneak in a little bit of humor after scoring 26 points.
“Don’t call me, though, if you get a speeding ticket,” Curry said.
