Former NBA All-Star Rex Chapman joined Grant Liffmann on the Runnin’ Plays podcast and discussed how proud he is of Warriors Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry for using their platforms to advocate for change.
Rex Chapman has known Steph Curry his entire life. Literally.
The Warriors superstar and two-time NBA MVP was born during Chapman's rookie year in the NBA, the first season he and Curry's father, Dell, were teammates on the Charlotte Hornets. Chapman has seen Curry go from a crying child to one of the greatest players the game has ever seen and even likened his rise to Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash. Curry turning into a star on the court really isn't much of a surprise to Chapman.
But Curry turning into a star off it, especially this year, is what Chapman is most proud of.
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"I'm so proud. Steve [Kerr], of course, I love Steve and we're good buddies. Stephen, I'm really proud of," Chapman recently said on the "Runnin' Plays" podcast. "The things that he's done and said and been able to do not being in the bubble -- maybe it didn't get as much traction as it might have, but I heard him speak a couple of times and it just brought me to tears because I've known him since he was a baby. Beyond that, I knew his grandfather, I know his dad and I know how his dad come up and where his dad came up in Grottoes, Virginia.
"The things that Stephen is saying on behalf of his family, but also on behalf of disadvantaged people and people who have been taken advantage of for years ... it makes me so proud I could cry right now."
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Curry urged people to vote in the Presidential primary elections in June, and then did so again in September when Donald Trump told Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by." He also marched in protest of George Floyd's murder after teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson organized a peaceful walk in Oakland around Lake Merritt.
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When it comes to the Presidential election, Curry hasn't stayed quiet this year. He and his wife, Ayesha, officially endorsed Democratic candidate Joe Biden in August.
Curry is a two-time MVP. He's a three-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer. We've seen his stardom on the hardwood for years. In 2020, however, Curry took his voice to the streets and Chapman couldn't be more proud of someone he watched grow up into a role model in every sense of the word.