CHARLOTTE — The legacy of Dell Curry’s No. 30 Charlotte Hornets jersey extends beyond Dell, and has taken on new life in this generation. Both of his sons, Steph and Seth curry have worn it proudly throughout their careers.
In a recent conversation with Steph, he told Channel 9’s DaShawn Brown he was actually mad at one point that the number wasn’t available sooner.
The moment Steph heard the news that a Hornets legend, his father, was on the verge of a lifetime honor, his smile wasn’t far behind.
“You’ve always known him as dad, what was that moment you also realized he is the Dell Curry?” Brown asked.
“It was pretty early. We were spoiled kids, but we didn’t take it for granted that we got to be in a locker room hanging out with Muggsy [Bogues], Larry Johnson, Alonso Mourning, Kendall Gill, all the great Hornets legends. But I think probably … I was at my mom‘s school up in Huntersville and it was the first time going to school after a game, and people asked, ‘Did you go to the game last night? I watched your dad on TV.’ That type of thing; you actually realized he wasn’t just the basketball player that did this for fun. This is something that means a lot to a lot of different people," Steph told Brown.
It meant a lot to his sons as well. All three are exceptional athletes, with his sons, Steph and Seth, both wearing the No. 30 jersey.
“A lot of people would shy away from wearing the jersey number that [their] father wore … Both you and Seth have had that honor. Why didn’t you shy away from that?" Brown asked.
“That’s a good question. It was never really an option for me. He was such an inspiration growing up and once I found for the love of the game for myself, I was actually mad I couldn’t do it earlier,” Steph said.
The two-time NBA MVP explained why he wasn’t initially able to wear the No. 30 jersey.
“AAU in high school, all the jerseys were sized based on the number, so 30 was way up there, they were always XL and double XL, and I was the smallest kid so I didn’t get to wear it. Up until I got to Davidson … I actually had to be patient and wait for my opportunity to wear the 30, and once I did, it was special because that’s something that when I watch basketball … that was what I got to watch. I was like where was number 30 as I was watching Pops and wherever he was on the floor," Steph said.
“Now Seth has been in the Hornets 30, your dad told us ... that you’ve already asked him if there could be an exception once it goes into the rafters. So what led to that question from you?” Brown asked.
“Always keep your options open haha. Like you said, I know what that means when you get your jersey retired, it’s immortalized, nobody should be able to touch it, but I’m sure he would be able to make a special exception if that were the case,” Steph said.
“The Hornets ownership when they announced they wanted to do this, one of the things that they mentioned was honoring his legacy. What do you think about your father’s legacy, what stands out most?” Brown asked.
“The way that he inspired and rallied around a community since that first game, the old Hornets arena live at the hive ... and how he’s carried that professionalism and just the spirit of what it means to represent such a unique place,” Steph said. “I got a taste of this growing up and even still to this day to the point of honoring his legacy, there are so many people that talk about I was in the arena when this happened I remember how much fun we had going to games and getting all dressed up and what it meant to bring that energy to Charlotte. And all through his 10 years playing for the team, I knew how much it meant to him to represent such a special place and make that home.”
(VIDEO: Hornets preserve Black history with student photo event)
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
