The Women Behind the Warriors

Last night, the Golden State Warriors won game one of the NBA finals. It’s been 40 years since they’ve won the title — I was 13 and watched every game riveted from the avocado shag rug, two feet from the Zeneth, dad on the couch with his Hamms. Under coach Al Attles’ leadership, Rick Barry, Keith Wilkes and the rest of those Warriors buried the Bullets in four (and played at the Cow Palace, no less). It was magical. Those players were so big and fast and strong and old – at least to me.

Last night, from my black and white shag rug, I watched the Warriors 40 years later. Their players are so big and fast and strong and — young. Baby-faced league MVP Stephen Curry is about to become everybody’s media star: he’s personable, humble, adorable, well spoken, and a flat-out mesmerizing player. who was named league MVP. And Al Attles of those ’75 Warriors, is still in the mix in team operations, his 51st year with the Warriors.

This time around, in the age of the internet and social media, we get a much bigger peek behind the curtain at the players’ families and lives. This means that the women behind Steph — his mother, his wife, and his daughter, are stars in their own right.

Sonya Curry, Steph’s mom, pictured at left, was a star volleyball player at Virginia Tech (which is where she met Steph’s dad Dell, who went on to play in the NBA.) She currently owns and operates a Montessori School located in Charlotte, North Carolina. She’s also a grandma – which as a drop-dead gorgeous women of 48, seems unfathomable.

His talented and equally awesome wife Ayesha has her own YouTube channel, Little Lights of Mine, where “Chef Curry” cooks and charms and sells her own olive oil. Here she is in the kitchen with the Currys. How can you not love this?

Not all of their moves take place on the court or in the kitchen. Their classiest move of all might have been when Steph and Ayesha got married. In lieu of wedding gifts, they asked guests to donate to www.ThanksUSA.org. ThanksUSA supports active duty military personnel across all branches of the military, by awarding scholarships to their children and spouses. When you google certain NBA players or other athletes, you often get taken to their wedding registration pages full of china and tchotchkes. Not so for the Currys.

And they there is daughter Riley, who has stolen the spotlight of every press conference with her wiggly warmth and games of hide and seek. Even last night, Steph was asked about Riley. She is the shit.

Yesterday, while getting my pink hair touched up in Oakland before the game, I asked Jubilee if she was following the Warriors and/or was planning to watch the finals. “No,” she said, without skipping a snip, but after squishing Sumo Wax in my hair, replied, “well, maybe I’ll turn the game on to check out the haircuts and tattoos.”

Spoken like a true stylist.

And speaking of style, there is nothing like seeing that sea of yellow in the stands, which inspired me to post some of my favorite yellow pieces for Spring.

Wear your yellow proud! Go Warriors.