Nicole Curran, the wife of the Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, can often be spotted on the courtside, witnessing Stephen Curry & Co. in action, especially during the postseason. Therefore, it’s understandable that fans saw her frequently between 2014 and 2022, as the team made six Finals appearances and won four championships. While she may be unpopular to new NBA fans, she once came under the spotlight after an infamous incident with Beyonce.

Before we address the incident, let’s get to know Nicole better. More about the 52-year-old before she married Joe Lacob and how she reached California from a humble beginning in Washington, D.C.

 Who is Joe Lacob’s wife, Nicole? How did they meet? 

Let’s deal with this in a non-linear approach like in the movies. Before we learn about Nicole’s journey as a teacher, working 80 hours a week, we jump straight to the good part. Don’t worry, we won’t disappoint you by not telling the entire story. Anyway, it was 2006, the year in which Nicole met Joe Lacob for the first time. Four years before, he bought the Dubs. Nicole Curran worked in the wine industry, serving the luxury goods company, LVMH.

The couple met each other at a golf tournament in Pebble Beach. Lacob, describing Curran, said she was “very direct” with “No hidden agendas.” However, he had to opt for an indirect approach to get in touch with his now-wife. Nicole narrates her husband’s “strange” pickup line, saying, “Oh, you’re in the wine business? I have this favorite wine, but I can’t remember what it is. Can you give me your email because I want to hear what you have to say about it when I figure it out?”

However, Curran didn’t wait longer before responding to him and the couple even turned the wine into their symbol of love. “He really did just like the 1982 Latour because he thought it tasted good,” said Nicole, speaking of her husband’s favorite wine. But being a professional, she convinced him that 1982 Lafite was the better wine. Moreover, she added she brought a new bottle of Bordeaux wine from 1982 during their dates. Now that we know how Nicole met Joe Lacob, let’s explore at how she started her career in the wine business.

Where is Nicole Curran from? 

Unlike most of us, our protagonist endured a tough childhood witnessing her parents’ divorce at the very tender age of 4. Following that, Nicole had a bumpy ride in Washington DC. changing apartment after apartment. Her mother, Barbara Levac, worked as a legal assistant at various firms and accompanied her tirelessly juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet.

During these troubling times, the small Barbara family had a setback when one house Leva moved into didn’t allow kids. So, at the age of 13, Leva sent her kid to a boarding school for orphans called the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania. Speaking of that period of her life, Nicole said, “Could you imagine being a 13-year-old girl and being dropped off?”

The boarding school helped to shape her life, as she began working at a very young age. She worked in a dairy farm near Hershey’s chocolate factory, milking cows twice a day. She said the smell of chocolates often brought her back to those times. Most importantly, she routinely visited the church while studying at the boarding school.

Nicole returned to D.C. after her mom found a stable job two years later. Even then, she didn’t go out like other teenagers, as she worked in ice cream parlors and salons and also did some modeling during the weekends. Following her high school education, Curran decided to wait a year to save money to attend college at George Washington University.

Fortunately, she received a scholarship from an anonymous donor. Speaking of this wholesome event, she said, “I always wonder if there was someone I may have known in my life who may have funded that scholarship.” Now that we know how she struggled her way through getting into college. Let’s find out what Nicole did with her career after that. 

 What does Nicole Curran do for a living? What’s her role with the Warriors?

Before joining the wine business, she had a whole other career in the educational sector. After she graduated from the University, she picked up a job as a teacher in a public school, working 80 hours a week while making $23,500 annually. Following that, she moved to Arizona after marrying a doctor and remained in the educational sector.

After moving to Arizona, Nicole took a huge career call, ending her stint in the educational sector, and jumped into the wine business. Initially, she worked for La Jota in sales and marketing and slowly moved to LVMH. This is where Nicole’s life changed forever, as she met Joe Lacob during this job. It’s also noted Curran divorced her husband before meeting Lacob.

Following that, she found herself on the Warriors Community Foundation board. Initially, Nicole didn’t necessarily welcome her husband’s decision. Speaking of it, she said, “I was upset that he didn’t discuss the position with me… But the truth is, it was meant to be.” The Dubs’ Community Foundation focussed more on children’s education, elementary literacy, middle schools, STEM, and college access. Moreover, a report revealed the Foundation made $24 million in impact since she took over. 

Speaking of her work, Nicole Curran said, “Last year we gave away a million dollars in grants and I personally went to twenty-five of the applicants, interacted with the kids, looked at their programs, and evaluated them. Right there with winning, I think it’s one of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had and I really enjoy doing it.” Joe Lacob couldn’t have found a better person to do this job. 

Importantly, Nicole’s philanthropic interests matched with Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play Foundation where the couple helps the kids from Oakland for education and various other childhood development programs.

Does Joe Lacob have kids? 

The Warriors owner has four kids with his ex-wife Laurie. Two sons and two daughters, Kirk, Kelly, Kent, and Kayci. We don’t have any information regarding his kids with Nicole Curran. Nevertheless, let’s get back to the infamous incident that put Curran in the spotlight. I know it’s a bit delayed, but trust me, it’s worth it.

During Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the Dubs owner hosted Jay Z and Beyonce in the courtside seats. At that time, a video went viral where Curran leaned toward Beyonce to strike up a conversation with the rapper while the singer had a straight face. Fans certainly didn’t receive the moment well, as they went on to throw shade at Curran for merely talking to Jay Z.  

It went so out of hand that Curran had to drop a statement to stop the cyberbullying. She said, “Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who are perfectly lovely people, were our guests at a game, and a short clip was shown on TV… I leaned over and asked Jay-Z if he wanted a lime in his drink, and that’s when the bullying started.” It is certainly a tough situation to handle.

Anyway, what do you make of Nicole’s journey from a humble household to becoming the owner of one of the most successful NBA teams? Let us know in the comments.