DAVIDSON, N.C. — Davidson Head Coach Bob McKillop first met Dell Curry on a youth baseball field years before recruiting his son, Stephen Curry, to play college basketball.
The relationship began when their sons were 10-year-old teammates on a travel baseball team, laying the foundation for trust that later defined Curry’s collegiate career.
The two fathers spent hours on baseball fields talking about various topics while intentionally avoiding the subject of basketball.
McKillop, who later coached Curry for three years at Davidson, said the mutual respect they developed as parents and professionals away from the hardwood was essential to their future relationship.
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McKillop recalled that the hours spent on those baseball fields allowed for a relationship to grow between the parents and the players. He noted that the environment provided a rare moment of peace away from the pressures of the court.
“I believe Dell and I had this great respect for each other. He for me as a coach and me for him as a pro player, and we did not have any conversation at all about geez. How is the NBA going, or how is college basketball going?” McKillop said.
When the time came to recruit Curry to Davidson, McKillop said his belief in the young player started earlier than most. He focused on the character he saw in the young athlete, which he attributed to the parenting of Dell and Sonya Curry.
“Congratulating a teammate, not saying anything to the referee, looking the coach in the eye, getting back on defense, and not having a pity party and woe is me. But I’m going to do something right now, at the present moment, I think that is a great tribute to what Dell and Sonya did as parents,” McKillop said.
The recruitment process was heavily influenced by how Curry’s skill set aligned with his personality. McKillop viewed the player’s elite shooting ability and his mental fortitude as inseparable traits.
“The shooting from a technical standpoint, the character from the mental standpoint—they were married together, and that was a significant factor in our recruitment of Stephen,” McKillop said.
During Curry’s three years at Davidson, McKillop said Curry remained supportive without interfering in coaching decisions. Despite having 16 years of experience as an NBA player, Curry chose not to impose his basketball knowledge on the program’s strategy.
“Throughout the time that Stephen was with us at Davidson, the three-year period, Dell never once intruded upon the dynamic of being a pro basketball player with incredible knowledge and insight. But he never wanted to impose that or question a coaching strategy as we coached Stephen,” McKillop said.
The partnership between the Curry family and the Davidson program was built on a mutual agreement of trust. McKillop emphasized that this bond extended to Curry and Stephen himself.
“One of the foundations of our relationship with the Curry family is a relationship built on trust. Dell and Sonya said we trust Stephen in your hands. Stephen said coach I trust my future in your hands we said to Stephen we trust you in our uniform and representing our program,” McKillop said.
VIDEO: Charlotte Hornets to retire Dell Curry’s No. 30 jersey
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