Few players have made as indelible a mark on basketball history as Stephen Curry. Born in Akron, Ohio in 1988, the legendary athlete was immersed in the game from a young age, learning its nuances from his father, 16-year NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry. After years of grit, determination, and laser-sharp focus, Steph was drafted seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2009, and quickly established himself as one of the best in the league.

Now a nine-time NBA All-Star, Curry has been named MVP twice and won four championships. Throughout his career, his exceptional shooting ability – which set records for most three-pointers made in a single season and in playoffs – has inspired others to take more shots, quite literally changing the game.

Off the court, Curry’s known for his activism and philanthropic work, including the Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation, which supports education and youth development. In 2022 he penned the picture book I Have a Superpower, an empowering story that teaches young readers to keep a positive attitude, dream big, and achieve their goals.

Curry also launched a book club with Literati, an Austin-based reading subscription service. Called Underrated, his aim was “to highlight the journeys and triumphs from storytellers who have too long been overlooked.” Including work by a diverse range of voices, his fifteen picks tell the stories of people whose perseverance – in the face of all odds – led them to greatness.

From a Girl Scout troop that started in a NY homeless shelter to a young Syrian refugee’s transformation to Olympic-level swimmer, dive into the books that inspire Steph Curry below. Complement with the reading lists of Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Steph Curry’s Reading List


The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Troop 6000: The Girl Scout Troop That Began in a Shelter and Inspired the World by Nikita Stewart

A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History by Seth Berkman

A Most Beautiful Thing by Arshay Cooper

This Bright Future: A Memoir by Bobby Hall

Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Pregnancy, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families by Nicole Lynn Lewis

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson

Live Free: Exceed Your Highest Expectations by DeVon Franklin

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall

Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian – My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph by Yusra Mardini

Greyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World by Cole Brown

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma

(via Goodreads)


Looking for an Amazon alternative? Support local, independent booksellers by shopping Stephen Curry’s reading list on Bookshop.org:

Categories: Activists Athletes