College Basketball And The BibleSample

“Iconic New Testament Verse Fuels Stephen Curry’s Improbable Run”

2008 NCAA Tournament: Davidson 73, Wisconsin 56 (March 28, 2008)

It was one of the most improbable NCAA Tournament runs in recent history. Davidson, a school that not many outside of North Carolina had heard about prior to the 2007-08 season, shocked the basketball world and made it all the way to the Elite Eight with a dominating 73-56 victory over Wisconsin from the Big 10.

Much of the team’s success was credited to an emerging star named Stephen Curry. Prior to his sophomore season, he was mostly known as the son of former NBA star Dell Curry. But that all changed on March 28, 2008, when he averaged 34.3 points over three games en route to that Elite Eight appearance where Davidson dropped a heartbreaking 59-57 decision to the Kansas Jayhawks who would go on to win the national championship.

Throughout the tournament, reporters noticed something else besides Curry’s silky smooth three-point shot. On his shoes were the words, “I can do all things” and “Phil 4:13” in reference to one of the New Testament’s most oft-recited passages.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

“It's always been one of my favorite Bible verses,” Curry told the media during an NCAA Tournament practice day. “I realize that what I do on the floor isn't a measure of my own strength. Having that there keeps me focused on the game, a constant reminder of who I'm playing for."

After his junior season at Davidson, Curry elected to leave school a year early to enter the 2009 NBA Draft where the Golden State Warriors selected him with the ninth overall pick. The rest has been history, as he has become known as much more than just Dell Curry’s son but rather one of the NBA’s greatest shooters ever. He was named league MVP in 2015 and 2016 and led the Warriors to a championship in 2015. Curry also set a new NBA record for most three-point shots made in a season with 402.

And as his fame has increased, Curry continues to sport Philippians 4:13 on his shoes—now thanks to a special design on his signature Under Armour brand kicks—and grows increasingly vocal about his faith.

“I know why I play the game, and it’s not to score 30 points a night, but it’s to use the stage I’m on,” Curry told Decision. “I’ve been put here for a specific purpose: to be a witness and to share my testimony as I go through it.”