The late great Whitney Houston once said “I Believe The Children Are The Future, Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead The Way.” Well, Steph Curry and Snoop are definitely leading the way through their countless community initiatives.
sports
Steph Curry and Snoop Dogg Talk Opening a New Basketball Court for the Kids
Speaking with the two legends about the importance of the community
Courtesy of Under Armour
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Yesterday was all about celebrating the past, present, and future as the two visited Snoop’s hometown of Long Beach, CA, to celebrate the opening of an indoor basketball court they refurbished at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park with the help of talented artist Damion Scott.
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And that wasn’t all. The 70 plus children from the local Boys & Girls Club were invited to see the finished court, play basketball, and received the surprise of their lives when Steph and Snoop showed up.
While the court had spent years in need of repair, it shined during yesterday's unveiling as kids took to the hardwood for the first time in more than a month to engage in hands-on skills programming through the support of Curry Brand, powered by Under Armour, on its mission to impact 100,000 youth and renovate 20 safe places to play by 2025.
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Since the launch of Curry Brand in 2020, Stephen and Snoop have been ideating ways they could collaborate and combine their shared passion for providing access to youth sports. Over the past two years, they remained close as they brought their vision to life, utilizing their collective platforms to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.
And they certainly did that with this event, doing basketball drills with the kiddos, offering up some inspiring advice, and more in what was a day to remember. We caught up with them both afterwards to learn more about how they are inspiring change.
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ONE37pm: Both of you guys have been so dedicated to the kids and the community. You’ve changed a lot of lives today. And I know that’s what you guys aim for.
Steph: It’s special! You saw the energy in here. I know when kids feel like they’re seen, cared for, and loved, and they respond. There was a lot of energy from the youngest to the oldest. Like Snoop said earlier, he’s a big kid, and what I love about this opportunity is to show the kids how to have fun. That’s the biggest thing. When you get out here you get to rub shoulders with the kids. I was playing defense on a bunch of them and so was Snoop! I was doing chest passes, dancing with the music, showing them how to have a good time, and they feed off of that. We do too! It’s inspiring all the way around.
Snoop: To be loved by the kids and able to stand by them is the best feeling in the world. When they tell you how much they love you, need you, and appreciate you, because we used to be those same kids. We remember that part, so it’s a beautiful feeling to be able to give back.
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ONE37pm: Snoop this is especially special for you. I know. Blast from the past and a glimpse into the future. What does this mean specifically for you?
Snoop: Coming back is always emotional for me because this is the place where I learned how to play basketball. I also learned how to play football here, as well as being community active. I learned how to hang out with the homies to build relationships. I learned how to rap, how to talk and be me in this park right here. To come back and see the kids doing different things and trying to be better than we were, that’s what it’s all about. And to give them more opportunities than what we had is what it’s really about.
ONE37pm: Steph, I wanted to ask you a little bit about your Underrated program. We know you recently launched the golf program. You got the basketball that’s been in action. How’s the summer going?
Steph: It’s going great! We’re going on our fourth season for the basketball tournament, but we had a little pause because of the pandemic like most things. Our reach is growing and scaling. We’re going to different regions around the country, providing equity on the boys and girls side, and overall trying to give them a first class experience. The golf team is in Tampa right now, and then at the end of this month they’ll be out in the Bay Area for the championship stop.
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To know we are reaching the underrated and underrepresented in both basketball and golf, two sports that are very near and dear to me, and giving them opportunities and scholarships is exciting. We’re very excited about where we’re heading and the Underrated brand overall.
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ONE37pm: There were a lot of motivational messages delivered here today. For the kids that weren’t here today, but are going to be reading this. What is your message to them?
Snoop: Wake up next time and be on time! No, I’m pretty sure the friends that were here today are going to tell their friends how great of an experience it was, and it’s inspiring!
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Sometimes you don’t have to be here to feel the feeling, because they are going to put the feeling in the community. I think that’s inspiring for those that were here to go back and tell those that weren’t that they had a great experience, a lot to live for, and a lot to look forward to.
ONE37pm: Steph final question. Why’d you have to do my Cleveland Cavaliers like that?
Steph: Nah, no comment!!
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