After winning his fourth NBA title and winning the MVP award in the Finals, the Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry Often you use the phrase “What are they going to say now?” Regarding his professional resume. But now, the same goes for his college life.
On Wednesday, Curry was inducted into the Davidson College Hall of Fame, retired his shirt number and received his diploma at a ceremony at the Belk Arena on the school’s campus.
“This is a very amazing day and a wonderful moment for me and my family,” said Carey. “The best decision I ever made was to come to Davidson College, pursue an education, join a wonderful community, and most importantly, play for an amazing guy who built that program into the coach. [Bob] MacKillop”.
Curry finished his degree in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology but was unable to attend college graduation in the spring due to the NBA playoffs. So he got a solo start on Wednesday.
“To earn this degree you have shown determination and perseverance,” Davidson President Doug Hicks said during the ceremony. “It was very easy, and very straightforward not to complete your college degree. However, in response to that idea, I did what I did for 29 other organizations in the NBA, and I said, ‘Night, night.’”
Earning his degree fulfilled a promise Carrey made to his mother, Sonya, 13 years earlier when Carrey announced the draft. But, it was also a prerequisite for his shirt to be retired – a rule that was made at Davidson.
Sonia spoke at the party, reflecting on how she initially wanted her son to attend a more prestigious school, but her mind changed when she saw how happy Carrie was in Davidson.
Dale, Carrie’s father, touched on his son’s work ethic and noted that the next time he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame, “You know where that is going to be.”
McKillop, Curry’s former coach and Davidson Award winning coach in school history, concluded the speeches, saying, “There is hope in the world because of Stephen Curry.”
Curry attended Davidson College from 2006 to 2009, during which three years he became the school’s all-time leader in points, three-pointers, free throws, field goals and steals.
Curry also finished his college career as the Southern Conference’s all-time leading scorer, set a NCAA record with 162 triples in 2008, Southern Conference Bob Waters was Male Athlete of the Year and was the consensus all-American in 2009. He led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in 2008.
“Every president at every graduation party makes hopeful statements about the future of the alumni,” Hicks said. “In that spirit, I anticipate, with confidence, Stephen Curry, that you will enjoy great success in your life and career after college.”
After the opening speeches, Carrie’s wife Ayesha and children Riley, Ryan, and Cannon joined him on stage.
As of Wednesday, Davidson has only retired with eight jerseys, but he has never retired with a jersey number. Curry’s number 30 became the first number to retire, which means no Davidson men’s basketball player will ever wear the number 30 again.
With the audience counting down from 10, Curry and his family pulled a basketball-shaped lever to reveal his shirt hanging from the rafters and forever indoctrinated into Davidson’s history.
“I’m a graduate,” Curry said to finish. “I’m a Davidson graduate and I’m in the Hall of Fame. That’s pretty crazy.”
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