Steph and Ayesha Curry Are Champions of Love

They’re young, beautiful, extremely in love and at the top of their respective games. One is a big deal in the sports world, while the other is a big deal in the food world. Together, they created an adorable family and show no signs of slowing down. They are Steph and Ayesha Curry.

Steph, of course, is the leader of one of the greatest basketball teams of all time, the Golden State Warriors, winners of three of the past five NBA championships. And Ayesha is the one-woman force behind her culinary empire that includes multiple restaurants and cookbooks, a meal-kit service, a TV show and YouTube channel, and tons of late-night dinners for her superstar athlete husband.

So how did these lovebirds meet, and what makes their relationship so special?

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR 2K – Current NBA MVP Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha pose on the red-carpet at the NBA 2K16 Uncensored Premiere Event at Marquee on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/Invision for 2K/AP Images) Stuart Ramson / Invision

They Met When They Were Teenagers

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Steph was 15 and Ayesha was 14 when they first met at a church youth group in North Carolina in 2003, but they didn’t start dating until years later when they were both adults.

Ayesha’s reasoning for their delay in dating is because the devout couple was each so focused on God — and that her parents forbid dating in high school. Steph, however, claims he always had his eye on her.

A Friend Request

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Steph’s claim just might be true. Apparently, the next time the two saw each other in 2008, it was Steph who initially reached out.

He was a junior at Davidson College in North Carolina, and Ayesha had moved out to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Steph came out west for the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) awards show and decided to reach out to Ayesha in true millennial fashion — via Facebook.

First ‘Date’

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Ayesha accepted Steph’s friend request, and the two ended up spending a day together in L.A. doing “cheesy” touristy things like taking pictures with Marilyn Monroe impersonators on Hollywood Boulevard.

But, apparently, they had different ideas about what was happening, since Ayesha fully rejected Steph’s attempt at a kiss, later saying she was totally taken aback by the gesture.

No Athletes Policy

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Steph should actually consider himself lucky to be with Ayesha because, before him, she had a strict policy against dating athletes because she found them to be arrogant, she told People magazine.

But Steph changed her mind with his “funny and silly” attitude, “the absolute opposite of what I thought he was going to be.”

I Love You Maybe

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Ayesha also told People magazine that their paths to love were way off. A month after completely warming up to him, Ayesha told Steph she loved him.

His response: “I feel like I love you, too, but I don’t want to say it unless I’m sure because I just want to be sure that, when I say it, I really mean it,” Ayesha said.

I Love You Really

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Ayesha said she drove home in tears, but she stayed with Steph. Months later during the holiday season, both of their families were hanging out and watching a movie when Steph whispered into Ayesha’s ear that he loved her.

Both of their parents and siblings were there, and Ayesha said she started to freak out because she knew he really meant it.

Not-So-Private Proposal

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Eventually, Steph would get his wish, and their first kiss was back in North Carolina in the driveway of Steph’s parents’ home.

That’s also the site of Steph’s marriage proposal, where he got down on one knee to pop the question in 2010. Later, he would find out that his family was watching and recording the entire thing from the kitchen window.

Saying Yes to Forever

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The Currys wed in 2011 in North Carolina. He was 23, and she was 22. If this video is any indication, it was a modest but beautiful affair. The newlyweds looked ultra happy and had some sweet things to say about each other.

Despite their youth, Steph believed he had found the right woman and that he wanted to start a life with her.

Training Wheels Come Off Quickly

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Seemingly before the wedding bells stopped ringing, Ayesha found out she was pregnant with daughter Riley (yes, this Riley), who was born in 2012. Ayesha also told Us Weekly that Riley “was a borderline honeymoon baby. So, that became my next move.”

The pregnancy meant Ayesha had to put the brakes on her acting career and focus on the new family, which she admitted wasn’t very easy at a young age.

Careers Begin to Take Off

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It took Steph and the Golden State Warriors a few years to coalesce into the team that won three NBA titles in five years, but he showed his basketball brilliance from Day 1 in 2009, and it was only a matter of time before the rest fell into place.

For Ayesha, after having Riley, she discovered her own calling: food. By 2013, she had launched a cooking blog and YouTube channel to share her love of the culinary arts. That would soon morph into a whole empire.

Growing Family, Historic Victory

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In June 2015, the Curry family was on Cloud Nine celebrating Steph’s historic achievement with the Warriors, leading the team to its first NBA championship in 40 years. Off the court, something even more magical was about to happen. In July, the Currys welcomed baby daughter No. 2 when Ryan was born.

“The gift of life is truly an indescribable thing,” Ayesha wrote on her blog at the time. “We were fortunate enough to experience it all over again Friday night! Our beautiful little Ryan Carson Curry arrived perfectly healthy and happy!”

Taking a Break

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After Ryan’s birth, Steph said he and Ayesha would hit the pause button on additional kids for at least a year. However, Ayesha admitted that Steph would take three more kids without hesitation.

Their break wouldn’t last very long.

July Babies

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The summer of 2018 was another big one for the Currys. Steph’s Warriors won their second-straight NBA championship in June, and in July, he and Ayesha welcomed their third child, this time a boy named Canon W. Jack Curry.

And in what can only be described as incredible planning, each of the Currys’ three kids were born in July — which if you’re an NBA player who goes to the finals for five straight years marks the end of your long season.

Key to His Heart

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Steph definitely benefits from his wife’s serious cooking skills, even if his favorite thing isn’t some extraordinarily exotic or difficult-to-make dish. No, it’s chicken parmesan.

“That’s the comfort food I make for him,” Ayesha said. “I was getting really upset with him. ‘Why are you telling people that’s what I make?’ It’s such an easy dish. But he pulled at my heartstrings. He was like, ‘I had a really bad game one day and I came home and you made chicken parm, and it made me happy.’”

Effusive Praise

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When you hear the things Steph and Ayesha say about each other, it’s easy to see why they’re so in love.

Ayesha on Steph as a dad: “Steph is the most hands-on father. He manages his life and his day with so much humility. I’m just lucky to have him as my husband.”

Steph on Ayesha’s commitment to the family: “I am blessed with a wife that’s willing to travel with me. I don’t know what I’d do if she wasn’t able to be there with me to go to different events.”

Woke Daddy

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Several weeks after Canon’s birth, Steph penned an essay for The Players’ Tribune on Women’s Equality Day in which he described in great detail how he plans to raise his kids.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the idea of women’s equality has become a little more personal for me lately, and a little more real,” he wrote. “I want our girls to grow up knowing that there are no boundaries that can be placed on their futures, period. I want them to grow up in a world where their gender does not feel like a rulebook for what they should think or be or do. And I want them to grow up believing that they can dream big and strive for careers where they’ll be treated fairly. And, of course, get paid equally.”

Lifelong Education in Equality

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In the same essay for The Players’ Tribune, Steph talked about being surrounded by strong women his entire life and the impact that’s had on his mindset.

“Growing up, I was lucky to be raised by my mom, Sonya — an incredible and fiercely principled woman who had the courage and vision to open her own school, the Christian Montessori School of Lake Norman. And for the last seven years, I’ve been lucky to be married to another incredible and fiercely principled woman, in Ayesha — who is both a successful business owner and the most amazing mother to our three kids. So, for my whole life, really, I feel like I’ve been receiving this education on what it means to be a woman in America.”

Opportunities for All

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Steph doesn’t just talk a good game when it comes to equality, he actually shows up and makes things happen. First of all, he hosts a summer basketball camp exclusively for girls.

And when a young girl wrote him a letter earlier this year asking why his Under Armour shoe line was only for boys, he quickly remedied the situation by working with the girl to design a basketball shoe for girls.

Pouring Her Heart Out

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Ayesha confessed in May 2019 that she has major insecurities when it comes to her husband and the attention he receives from other women. Although she knows Steph is faithful, “there are all these women, like, throwing themselves [at him], but me, like, the past 10 years, I don’t have any of that. I have zero — this sounds weird — but, like, male attention, and so then I begin to internalize it, and I’m like, ‘Is something wrong with me?’”

You’d think such candid and heartfelt sentiment would be met with praise, but, alas, this is the age of internet trolling, and unfortunately, Ayesha was subjected to plenty of it.

Coming to Her Defense

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Like a good man, however, Steph would have nothing of the criticisms toward Ayesha.

He posted a photo of the happy couple with the caption: “proud of you for being authentic and putting yourself out there — not being afraid of the potential bull s#*# and nonsense that could and did come at you. Way more positive than negative with all of this. Keep being you. I love you.”

Recipe for Success

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There’s no doubt that Steph and Ayesha are big-time celebrities, but they remain firmly grounded in reality — especially when it comes to each other.

Ayesha shared with Hello Giggles that one of the main reasons the couple has managed to stay happy is “that we put each other first, even before the kids, as tough as that sounds.”

Strong Foundation

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Ayesha also shared that having time for date nights and putting each other first is important in building a strong family unit.

“When you become a parent, you want to put your kids first, and we do, but we do it second to our relationship. Because ultimately, when our relationship is good, the kids are happy and they’re thriving, and our family life is good. We have to put that into perspective and realize that it’s not us being selfish, it’s making sure we set a strong foundation.”