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Blavity News is a community and platform for Black Voices, Stories, Creators and thought.
© Blavity, Inc., 2023

'Stephen Curry: Underrated' Is Not Your Average Sports Documentary

February 03, 2023 at 4:20 am

Sports documentaries usually check off the following boxes: started-from-the-bottom-now-we’re-here story, intense ambiance, major win, major setback and a triumphant return that cements their GOAT status.

Don’t get me wrong— every athlete has a unique story— but the way in which those stories are told are often predictable, and can feel like if you’ve seen a sports documentary, you’ve seen them all.

Steph Curry: Underrated, the Peter Nicks-directed and Ryan Coogler-produced project from Apple TV+ and A24, premiered recently at the Sundance Film Festival.

The extent of my Curry knowledge begins and ends with catching the occasional headline or rap hit that references his shooting prowess. And having seen a fair amount of sports documentaries, I thought that I already knew what was to come.

I was wrong.

The magic of this film radiated throughout the theater before the documentary even began. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation of sharing air with Curry, and when he entered the space, the energy immediately shifted. His gravitational pull was felt by each and every movie-goer, myself included, and soon that buzz became an outright roar. It was undeniable— we were in the presence of a superstar. Those vibrations continued throughout the screening, lulling only in favor of a poignant moment for Nicks, who opened up about his daughter Karina’s death when introducing Underrated.

From its opening scene, Underrated drives home that #30 had the odds stacked against him. From his height and weight to his initial approach to shooting, most thought the 34-year-old didn’t have what it took to go pro.

They thought that of his collegiate team at Davidson College too. I was surprised to learn that the film focused on his team at the North Carolina institution, specifically, their run for the NCAA championship in 2008. Underrated takes a close look at how Curry became the player he is today thanks to his time at Davidson, under the tutelage of then-head coach Bob McKillop. It highlights their meteoric rise after a series of gutwrenching losses and how the Davidson community was there every step of the way. Especially after their heartbreaking loss to Kansas in 2008 after fighting for their place in the Elite 8. The moment is expertly reimagined by Nicks.

We see how, thanks to first his parents and then the community at Davidson, Curry built his career-defining resilience. According to Underrated, that, even more so than his extraordinary ability to sink buckets and lead a team on the court, is what makes him a superstar.

And we get to see how Curry uses his resilience in other areas of his life. The documentary follows his journey to getting his Bachelor’s degree, an accolade that he’s been attempting to secure for over a decade. It’s as important to him and his family (particularly his mother) as any championship ring. He fights for his BA with a similar tenacity as he does a win on the court.

The documentary also has surprising elements of humor and an overall sense of lightness.

Underrated doesn’t take itself too seriously, and embraces humor as much as it does drama. Those bright moments are mostly thanks to Cannon Curry, Curry’s 4-year-old son who already possesses a star quality reminiscent of that of his father.

Even though Underrated does check off most of the boxes for sports documentaries (Underdog story? Check. Obligatory moments of intensity? Check. Major wins and loses? Double check.), it offers something more. This isn’t a story about Steph Curry, beloved Golden State Warriors and one of the greatest basketball players of all time, it’s a story about how to forge forward in life and the power of community.

Whether you’re a big fan of Curry or an NBA newbie like me, that’s a story that hits home every time.