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The shooting form that has inspired and will continue to inspire future generations was developed by Steph Curry on a basketball court near Charlotte, North Carolina. This form was honed during the summer of 2004, a period known as the summer of tears for the Curry family. At that time, Steph was just a rising high school junior with dreams of playing college basketball. His father, Dell, who was a skilled NBA player, knew what it would take for Steph to achieve his goals. While Steph had natural touch and understood the importance of a proper follow-through, his shooting mechanics needed improvement. He shot the ball from his hip, lacking the necessary leverage and trajectory for higher competition. This forced him to rebuild his mechanics, spending three months shooting around the rim to develop a new form. During this time, Dell prohibited Steph from shooting outside of the paint, ensuring he focused on building the muscle memory and proper release. It was a frustrating period for Steph, who admitted to hating basketball for the first and only time in his life. However, this period of dedicated training laid the foundation for Steph’s revolutionary shooting abilities. The documentary “Stephen Curry: Underrated,” which premiered on Apple TV+, explores this formative period in Steph’s life and his transformative time at Davidson College. It shares insight into his incredible marksmanship and the impact he has had on the NBA. Unlike other sports documentaries that aim to solidify a legacy, “Underrated” embraces the fact that Steph’s career is still unfolding. It delves into his college years and the iconic Cinderella run of his Davidson team in the 2008 NCAA tournament, highlighting his unforeseen rise before revolutionizing the NBA. The documentary reminds viewers of Steph’s status as the greatest shooter ever, but also acknowledges that his impact goes beyond his shooting abilities. It recognizes that his legacy is still being written and that he doesn’t need to rely on past success to prop up his current achievements. The film’s self-awareness and inclusion of humorous moments, such as Steph’s appearance in corny Subway ads that mock the sports documentary genre, grounds it in reality. Overall, “Underrated” serves as an oral history of Steph’s time at Davidson College and a reminder of his ongoing greatness in the NBA.
