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SAN FRANCISCO — In a career full of extraordinary accomplishments, there’s one feat Stephen Curry still can’t quite believe he’s accomplished. After spending his whole childhood watching his dad, Dell, perform in the NBA for 16 seasons, Steph, now 37 years old, can’t fathom having eclipsed the longevity of his famous father.
“When he played 16 years in the league, that sounded insane to me when I first got it to this level,” Steph said after he and his brother Seth’s Golden State Warriors beat his father’s Hornets 136-116 on Saturday night. “I know for Seth, the same. Now in my 17th year, this is Seth’s 13th, it’s just crazy that I’ve eclipsed that (and) Seth is on his way. Just understanding what it takes to not only make it to this level but establish yourself, last, create a legacy and longevity out of it.”
The Curry family’s impact on the game, started by Dell nearly 40 years ago, came back into focus earlier this week when the Hornets, his team for 10 years and the one for which he still works as a broadcaster, announced they’ll be retiring his No. 30 jersey in a March ceremony. The move was celebrated by many across the league, but it was felt more acutely in the Bay Area, where his sons play on the same NBA team for the first time in their long careers.
Dell spent some extra time in town this week catching up with his sons and their families, even catching Seth’s alma mater, Duke, play Cal Thursday in Berkeley before returning to the booth to call Saturday’s game, in which Steph helped the Warriors to their 11th win in their last 15. Both sons beamed with pride while describing what it means to them to see their father be recognized by the Hornets and remembering what it means to follow in their father’s footsteps.
“It means a lot to carry that legacy,” Seth told The Athletic prior to Saturday’s game. “Us growing up watching the way he went about things on the court, but more importantly, off the court with his foundation. Just being a good, genuine person. That goes into a lot of it. I’m sure if he didn’t have the character that he had, this wouldn’t be happening. So that shows that the stuff you do in the locker room, off the court, means just as much as what you do on the court.”
It’s an example both brothers have tried to follow. Steph has become widely regarded as the greatest shooter of all time, and sets the tone for the entire organization. Seth, who has been out over a month because of a sciatica issue, has fit in well throughout stops in multiple locker rooms across the league and carved out his own career by being a career 43.3 percent shooter from 3.
Family 🫶 pic.twitter.com/dRfOOFQsSN
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 18, 2026
Dell recently told The Athletic how much the city of Charlotte embraced him. It’s one reason why both of his sons are so proud of what the jersey retirement means for the entire family.
“Special,” Steph said after a win over the New York Knicks Thursday night. “Special, special. (The) Curry name, especially in Charlotte, we call him the originator because when the expansion draft happened in ’88 and our family moved there and set up shop and he was a part of the original Hornet team and was the last original Hornet to leave, was the all-time leading scorer in franchise history for a while until Kemba (Walker) came through.
“Bobby Phills is up in the rafters and that’s the one jersey for a great reason, but for my pops to be the first athlete that gets his jersey up there in this way is unbelievable. And the way that they did it, he’s been a part of the franchise since he’s been done (playing), as an ambassador for the team and a color commentator for over a decade.”
Steph playfully chided his dad for shedding some tears during the announcement, but both he and Seth are looking forward to being back in Charlotte for the ceremony in a couple months. They take pride in upholding their name. Seth knows that on a national level, what he and his brother have accomplished is usually the first thing people think of when their last name is mentioned, but in the city where they grew up, it’s a different story.
“Around Charlotte he’s still that guy,” Seth said of Dell. “From three generations, watched him as a player, listened to him as a broadcaster, he’s done countless things in the community to touch people. He’s one of the staples in the Charlotte community. Him and some of the NASCAR guys.”
In addition to the Curry brothers, there were other Dell Curry fans happy about the jersey retirement within the Warriors’ locker room.
“Steph is obviously Steph, but Dell is one of the pioneers,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “He has that respect amongst everyone, not just like us, or young guys, you see Dell amongst the OG’s, the respect is there and just how he went about his business … and then obviously, what he’s passed down, or given back to the game, through his offspring, makes it all the more special.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr played against Dell and has gotten to know him better through the years, coaching Steph and now Seth. Kerr has said repeatedly how much respect he has for the way Dell and Sonya Curry raised their family and appreciates that Dell is being recognized for all the different ways he’s impacted the Hornets.
“I always like seeing the teams retire the numbers of players who were hugely impactful to their franchise,” Kerr said. “Who maybe aren’t Hall of Famers, but obviously great players. The Spurs have retired Avery Johnson’s number, Bruce Bowen, this feels like that. Guys who meant so much to an organization and Dell’s one of the — I think he’s one of the original members, actually, of the Hornets. So it was pretty cool to see that.”
Green regularly mentions a quote from former Warriors’ assistant Pete Myers that centers on the idea of players leaving the game in a better place than they found it. Green believes there is no greater gift that Dell could have left than preparing his sons to follow in their father’s footsteps.
“Steph has changed the game of basketball, as a disciple of Dell Curry,” Green said. “And so just what you’ve continued to give to the game as one of the voices of our league on a nightly basis. There’s not many people that’s been around the NBA that long and continues to give to the game in different ways. And he’s been that. I’m happy that I’ve gotten the opportunity to be teammates with his sons, both of them, because it’s an honor.”
After Steph poured in 14 points in Saturday’s win, the Curry family is now responsible for 44,458 NBA points. Both Steph and Seth appreciate that Dell’s honor was earned through a combination of everything he did. They respect the man he is even more than the player he became.
“The coolest thing for me when they told me is that I would be the last person to wear number 30,” Seth said. “So that’s a dope story to tell.”
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Nick Friedell is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering the Golden State Warriors and the NBA. Nick spent 14 years at ESPN covering the NBA, most notably as a reporter as well as a TV and radio commentator. He is a graduate of The Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Follow Nick on X @NickFriedell.
