Stephen Curry once said, “One thing my pops always told me is you never count another man’s money. It’s what you’ve got and how you take care of it. And if I’m complaining about $44 million over four years, then I’ve got other issues in my life.” While basketball has always been his priority, the success Curry generated over his 15-year career has only helped to increase his value. Therefore, it was no surprise when, less than 24 hours ago, it was announced that Curry had signed a 1-year extension deal worth $62.9 million. Possibly heeding his father’s words, the NBA star chose not to complain. Instead, he aims to make lives better.

Immediately following the contract announcement, Stephen Curry’s wife, Ayesha, pledged over $25 million to the Oakland community through their ‘Eat. Learn. Play Foundation.’ The amount, to be raised in five years, will be used to bridge the literacy gap by providing 10,000 tutoring spots for elementary school students in California. Curry couldn’t contain his excitement about the initiative during an interview.

“Some of the things I look forward to every year, especially around our foundation, and the work that we are doing here in Oakland,” said Curry. “And our tournament out here, where we have an opportunity to continue to plant our flag on, you know, what’s the focus for us moving forward, and obviously our literacy goals within the Oak Community High School District, and just the big investment we’re trying to make, and getting kids at the appropriate reading levels through one-on-one tutoring, and making that accessible for, you know, kids that are in need of it.”

In the five years since the establishment of the ‘Eat. Learn. Play Foundation’, Steph and Ayesha have raised over $47 million that has gone on to provide families, especially children in need, with nutritious meals and quality reading resources. One of the foundation’s most commendable moments came during the Covid Pandemic, as contributing $10 per meal to local restaurants helped in the preparation and distribution of 2.6 million meals, within the community, back in 2020. Four years later, Ayesha has chosen to build on to the earlier success by enriching the level of education that poor children can receive.

“We’re really fortunate in that we have small children, now four of them, and so we’re able to see firsthand where a lot of the issues that we’re facing as parents come in” said the 35-year-old in a statement. “And so, then you quadruple that and then tenfold it and you realize that people don’t have access to what we have access to, that’s very clear. And so for me, I hate that feeling and I hate the thought of a parent having to feel like they can’t nurture their child.”

Ayesha’s pledge comes just one year after the foundation commissioned a literacy report to analyze the community’s needs. It concluded that the literacy gap “continues to drive disparities in literacy rates and academic achievement.” By ensuring that money is no barrier, the $25 million can provide help to thousands who can’t afford it, with the tutoring even extending to one-on-one.

Helping children get a proper education is a noble task, and the NBA power couple has been doing their part over the last five years. However, Stephen Curry has not always waited for a historical contract to come his way and then pledged the money. Before the details of the $62.9 million extension went public, he and Ayesha were down on the green to simply add $2 million more to the foundation.

Did Stephen Curry and Ayesha use a golf tournament to help raise money?

Yesterday, Steph and Ayesha were back to host the 5 edition of their Annual Workday Charity Classic Golf Tournament. The event combined two of the NBA player’s significant interests: playing golf and helping the community. After all, any proceeds that would come from the tournament would go straight to helping the 10,000 elementary school students who require an improvement in their reading skills. While $11 million had already been raised, the couple required an additional $2 million to reach their target.

“We’re parents ourselves. We have 4 little ones. No parent should have to feel like they can’t help their child with something as simple as reading,” said Ayesha. “So, for us to be able to combine all these amazing community partners and be able to help get these kids reading and excited about reading, I think it’s the best.”

The Currys had help on their side during the event, as two-time Super Bowl Champion Peyton Manning, and soccer legend Brandi Chastain, joined the NBA star in increasing celebrity power. On top of that, Workday, the sponsor of the event, took the responsibility of handling the costs, so all of the amount raised for charity would be used for that purpose.

Steph and Ayesha’s efforts to help others stand as a testament to how athletes can make a much-needed difference. The success of the literacy program could positively impact generations to come.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.