When Stephen Curry first held his newborn daughter Riley in his arms on July 19, 2012, he was 24 years old—a young man still recovering from ankle surgeries that threatened his NBA dreams. The Warriors weren’t yet the powerhouse they would become, and Steph was fighting to prove he belonged in the league. Yet in that moment, none of those pressures compared to the overwhelming responsibility of fatherhood. The man whose hands could launch a basketball from any distance with precision felt completely unprepared cradling a tiny, fragile life.
The first months were a blur. Steph and his wife, Ayesha, were exhausted and stretched thin. Between games, cross-country travel, and relentless practices, Steph was determined to be present for every milestone—no matter how little sleep he got. “There were days I arrived at practice and Coach Jackson would look at me and say, ‘Steph, you look like a zombie,’” he remembers. The pressure to succeed on the court was immense, but the pressure at home was even greater. The Warriors had bet on him despite his injury history, and now he had a daughter who depended on him for everything.
One night in late 2012, after a rough game against the Lakers, Steph came home defeated. Riley had a fever and Ayesha hadn’t slept in a day. Steph took his daughter in his arms, sent Ayesha to bed, and spent the night pacing the house, rocking Riley until the fever broke. The next morning, he showed up to practice with red eyes and a new sense of clarity. “I realized that now I was playing for something much bigger than myself.”
Most of the world first met Riley in May 2015, during the Warriors’ playoff run. Steph’s postgame press conference became an internet sensation when Riley, then almost three, charmed the world by waving at cameras, singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and hiding under the table. “Before we went in, I knelt down and told her, ‘Riley, daddy needs to talk about basketball. You need to stay quiet, okay?’ She nodded with that seriousness only kids have when they’re about to do the opposite.” Steph tried to balance professionalism with fatherhood, answering questions while managing the small hurricane beside him.
The video went viral overnight. Steph’s phone buzzed with messages from teammates, rivals, and old friends. Most found Riley’s antics adorable, but some critics called it unprofessional. “It was the first time I felt publicly judged as a father, as if trying to balance career and fatherhood was something shameful,” Steph recalls. Warriors coach Steve Kerr reassured him: “Family always comes first here.” That support meant everything.
What the cameras didn’t see were the nights Steph came home after crucial games and, no matter how tired, kept his promise to do a puzzle with Riley. Or the mornings he woke up early to take her to the park before practice, knowing he’d be away for days on end. When the Warriors won the championship that year, Riley was there on the court, wearing ear protectors and tossing confetti—an image that symbolized everything Steph wanted to be: an elite athlete, but above all, a present father.
But fame has a price. After the Warriors’ rise and Riley’s viral fame, their privacy evaporated. In 2016, the Warriors’ security team warned Steph about people posting specific details about Riley online—her school, daily routines, favorite parks. “It was terrifying,” Steph says. “Birthday parties became events with requests for selfies. We had to leave restaurants because people took photos of Riley while she ate. No one prepares you for that.”
LeBron James, a friend and fellow father, gave Steph advice: “Establish the narrative at home before the world does it for you.” So, Steph and Ayesha began having age-appropriate conversations with Riley about their unusual reality. “We told her, ‘Some people will act strangely because of daddy’s job. You don’t have to take pictures with anyone if you don’t want to. Your body, your rules.’”
One day, five-year-old Riley came home from school upset. A classmate had said she was only special because of her father. “How do you explain to a small child about fame, self-worth, and identity when the world constantly reinforces the opposite?” Steph and Ayesha set strict boundaries: no talk of game stats, contracts, or fame at home. They worked hard to ensure Riley could just be Riley—not Steph Curry’s daughter.
In 2018, after a wave of cruel online comments about Riley’s appearance, Steph and Ayesha drastically reduced her presence on social media. Steph began working with lawmakers to strengthen privacy protections for minors. He canceled media commitments when Riley needed him, even if others didn’t understand. “Her emotional health is more important than any professional obligation.”
When Riley showed interest in basketball, Steph was proud but also afraid of the pressure she might feel. She once asked, “Would you be sad if I didn’t want to play basketball?” The question broke his heart. “My job as a father is not to create a mini-Steph, but to help her become the best Riley possible, whatever path she chooses.”
Now 11, Riley is a pre-teen with her own passions—especially photography and visual art. “She sees the world through lenses and angles I’d never consider,” Steph marvels. During the NBA season, when Steph is on the road, they keep a shared journal. Steph writes to Riley at night; she replies in the morning. It’s their way of staying connected, sharing jokes and thoughts even when miles apart.
Steph admits he makes mistakes as a father. “There are games I lose, and moments with Riley I miss and can never get back. You can watch a replay of a basketball game, but there’s no replay for a first dance recital or an important conversation.” He’s learned to reject the false choice between being great at basketball or being a good father. “The secret isn’t to balance family and career as opposites, but to understand how one strengthens the other.”
Some of Steph’s biggest career decisions—including turning down a lucrative offer from another team—were made with Riley’s well-being in mind. “Mathematically it made sense, but emotionally it would have been destabilizing for her. Some decisions I made were never publicly disclosed, but deeply influenced by my role as a father.”
Steph’s proudest moments aren’t the championships or MVP trophies. It’s Riley’s hug after breaking the all-time three-point record in 2021, when she whispered, “I’m proud of you, Daddy.” Or the time she noticed he was physically present but mentally absent during a tough stretch in 2019, and asked, “Daddy, why are you here but not really here?” That question prompted Steph to develop mindfulness and presence practices, and to create non-negotiable quality time with Riley—no phones, no basketball, just father and daughter.
Looking back, Steph is grateful for the press conference that made Riley famous. “Your children show up at the most unexpected moments, mess up your perfectly organized plans, and show you what really matters.” When asked about his greatest achievement, Steph doesn’t hesitate. “It’s seeing Riley grow as a confident, compassionate, and authentic person who knows her worth isn’t tied to the Curry last name. If, when my career is over and the spotlight dims, she looks back and says, ‘My father was present when it really mattered,’ I’ll know that I won the true championship of life.”
Stephen Curry Does Special Handshake with Daughter Riley on the Sidelines After Warriors Win: Watch
Stephen Curry made time for a special moment with his daughters amid a big win for the Golden State Warriors
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Stephen Curry always makes time for a special moment with daughter Riley whenever she’s at a game.
On Sunday, the 10½-year-old daughter of the Golden State Warriors star, watched from the crowd as her dad led a win against the Sacramento Kings.
After the victory, the guard made his way over to Riley in the stands, reaching to perform a special handshake the two have come up with together, a tradition between them dating back years.
The NBA star, 35, and wife Ayesha Curry are also parents to son Canon, 4, and daughter Ryan, 7.
In February, Curry and his oldest were seen out on a father-daughter day, visiting Stanford University — where his godsister Cameron Brink plays — to watch the school’s women’s basketball team take on the University of Southern California.
Brink broke the team record for the number of blocks in a season during the game while the NBA pro and pre-teen watched on.
Fans who caught glimpses of Riley during the game marveled at how grown up the tween looked, wearing her hair in long braids and dressed in a pink tie-dye hoodie.
In December, the four-time NBA champion spoke about his children with E! News at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards.
Asked if his children are “impressed” with him “as other people are,” Curry, the honoree for the evening, said, “I would hope to say yes but probably for different reasons. I don’t think they care too much about how many times the ball goes in the basket.”
The father of three added, “They’ve been to a couple parades and all that, so they enjoy the festivities of celebrating a championship. But when you’re at home you’re just Dad and that’s the best part about it.”
