Stephen Curry has 'pseudo homecoming' against Raptors: 'Toronto's a special place ... I always love coming back'
The two-time NBA MVP remembers the "great memories" he has from spending part of his childhood in Toronto.
TORONTO — Stephen Curry had a “pseudo homecoming” as he played in Toronto on Friday night for the first time since the 2019 Finals against the Raptors.
Curry spent some of his childhood in Toronto, as his dad, Dell Curry, played for the team between 1999-2002. That meant there were “a lot of familiar faces” on Friday, from Herbie Kuhn announcing the game in Scotiabank Arena, to Dell's former teammates in Alvin "Boogie" Williams as part of the broadcast crew, and even Charles Oakley, who as a spectator was honoured by the crowd.
“I still got family, my wife's family is still up here. And it's always great to have a pseudo homecoming kind of vibe here. A lot of great years, a lot of great memories,” said Curry post-game.
“Toronto's a special place. My family, my journey. I always love coming back.”
“Toronto’s a special place. My family, my journey. I always love coming back.”
There were a lot of familiar faces for Curry in Toronto, a place where he spent some of his childhood as his dad played for the Raptors between ‘99-02. pic.twitter.com/GjgbJaoVt4— Bryan Meler (@BryanMeler) March 2, 2024
Curry's wife, Ayesha, was born in Markham, Ont., as they share ties to the province.
The two-time league MVP hadn't played in Toronto since 2019 for multiple reasons, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries. It gave extra reason for Toronto fans to attend the game, especially as they watched him warm-up.
Most wild I’ve ever seen the tunnel… all for #30 🎉🏀 pic.twitter.com/HVHxowmy6b
— chelsea leite (@chelsealeite) March 1, 2024
On Friday, Curry led all scorers with 25 points, going 7-15 from deep, to go along with a team-high six assists. It culminated in a 120-105 win for the Warriors over the Raptors.
Looking back at footage, it comes as no surprise that Curry feels comfortable shooting the rock in Toronto, something he regularly did alongside his brother Seth growing up.
It's not the first time Curry has spoken about his ties to Toronto, where he spent a year and a half on and off through Grade 6 to 8 as he attended Queensway Christian College in Toronto's Etobicoke area. In a previous interview, he noted that "every time I get to get up for a game against Toronto, it brings a little juice to my game. I just have fun knowing the history of the Curry family in Toronto."
Growing up, he remembers how cold it was after his family moved from Charlotte, and also how friendly and diverse the people were. During the 2019 playoffs, he mentioned how he always grabs a bag of Maynard candies when back in the 6ix.
