New Documentary Spotlights Stephen Curry and His Rise As An NBA Star

Stephen Curry, Davidson College Sophomore, is interviewed after the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament against Gonzaga University. (Photo courtesy AppleTV+)

A new feature documentary, “Stephen Curry: Underrated,” captures the coming-of-age story of NBA superstar Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

The documentary depicts Curry’s emergence as an undersized player who dominated in college and who now reigns with his teammates as one of the most successful teams in NBA history.

Curry, a four-time NBA champion who has used his platform to address race-related issues, will have his story directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Nicks.

Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee Ryan Coogler of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Creed” fame, and his wife Zinzi Coogler are among the producers.

From left: Ryan Coogler, producer, Peter Nicks, director/producer, Stephen Curry and Erick Peyton, producer, attend the world premiere of Apple Original Films and A24’s “Stephen Curry: Underrated” at the Eccles Center at Sundance Film Festival 2023. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Cook)

HOW THE CURRY STORY GOT TOLD

In a KQED interview, Nicks shares how the recordings and interviews with the NBA star happened.

“It was several months prior to last year’s season,” Nicks says. “I met with Steph and explained to him my philosophy of storytelling, which involves observation without filming: hanging out and understanding the ecosystem. If it’s an institution, I spend time with doctors, nurses, patients. In this case, it was with Steph and his family. In a way, he has become his own Bay Area institution, a superstar.

“How can we make a film about a very well-known athlete that feels unique? Immediately, the first time I met Steph, he got his phone out and started sharing photos and videos from college,” Nicks says in the interview. “He just lit up and you could sense a nostalgia for that moment in his life. You got the sense that this piece of the story hadn’t really been told.”

Stephen Curry in "Stephen Curry: Underrated," premiering July 21, 2023 on Apple TV+. (Photo courtesy Apple) — Stephen Curry in “Stephen Curry: Underrated,” premiering July 21, 2023 on Apple TV+. (Photo courtesy Apple)

A “Rolling Stone” article says that one of the film’s high points is when Curry and fellow NBA superstar and former teammate Kevin Durant joke about their first meeting as kids.

They were both about 10 years old. Durant thought Curry was white because of his skin tone. But, most of all, the young Curry’s shooting and scoring stunned Durant.

It would be the first of many meetings between the legendary pure shooter versus the legendary elite scorer.

Apple TV+ will release “Steph Curry: Underrated” on July 21. Check out the trailer below.