The San Jose Sharks are not really a playoff-caliber team, but they’ve had an especially tough season this year. With a 20-46-10 record, the Sharks lost their fifth match in a row with a 5-1 thrashing by the Seattle Kraken. Yet, despite another disappointing result, at least the fans got to see Steph Curry and his family at the Shark Tank cheer on Macklin Celebrini & Co.

Cameras spotted the Golden State Warriors player and his eldest daughter Riley (who was wearing a Sharks beanie), in the suite, watching the NHL rookie. Now, you may be wondering why the four-time NBA champion would root for Celebrini. Well, for starters, Curry and Celebrini know one another quite well. So much so, that the NBA player nicknamed him “Chester.”

“Cause his hands are so filthy, just like after eating a big ol’ bag of Cheetos,” Steph Curry said in 2024. However, the real reason for their connection is none other than Macklin Celebrini’s father, Rick Celebrini. Yes! You may have already guessed it right: Rick Celebrini, the Vice President of Player Health and Performance for the Golden State Warriors.

However, Dr. Celebrini’s resume goes much deeper than that. A lifelong sports lover, the former Canadian soccer player took his love for the sport to a different realm after becoming one of North America’s leading sports and orthopedic physiotherapists. With degrees from Capilano University and the University of British Columbia, Celebrini has worked with several sports.

Macklin Celebrini’s father has acted as the head of sports medicine and science for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and worked with the Dallas Mavericks, Seattle Seahawks (NFL), the NHL Players Association, and even the Canadian Alpine Ski team. There’s more, but we’ll stop now. Coming back to the Golden State Warriors, the NBA team hired Celebrini in 2018.

General Manager Bob Myers had nothing but praise for the hockey player’s father. “Rick is a world-class physiotherapist and will play a vital role in helping to sustain the performance level of our players,” said Myers. Success followed Celebrini, with The Warriors have won the NBA Championships (2018, 2022) twice since then. Yet, despite his commitments, Celebrini has also been there for his son.

Macklin Celebrini’s father got exactly what he wished for

In April 2024, ahead of the year’s NHL Draft, Rick Celebrini spoke about his family’s desire to see their son join the San Jose Sharks. “It’d be amazing,” said the Warriors’ head of Player Health and Performance. “It’s out of our hands, and you really don’t want to be disappointed either. But as a family, it would be unbelievable to have him here with us in the Bay where we can help him and support him,” added Celebrini.

Rick Celebrini also revealed their connection with the Sharks goes back years. Dr. Celberini’s eldest son Aiden, and Macklin Celebrini, played for the Jr. Sharks. Back then, Aiden was 15 and the NHL rookie was just 13. What’s more? The then-Jr. Shark had a great season with the team. He scored 49 goals and notched 45 assists in just 54 games with the U14 team.

However, little did the hockey star’s father know he would see his wish come true in spectacular fashion. Macklin must have made a memorable impression on former Jr. Shark head coach-turned Hockey Director Robert Savoie. That’s because the San Jose Sharks picked Celebrini’s son as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NHL draft.

Since then, Macklin Celebrini’s father has continued to support him. Dr. Celebrini is far from a rare sight at San Jose Sharks games. And while his team might be at the bottom of the league table, the NHL rookie hasn’t fared too badly considering the team’s form. The forward currently has 21 goals and 34 assists after his first 64 games in the league.