Stephen Curry makes most of the shots he takes on the basketball court. But the first one he took with his now-wife, Ayesha, bricked off the backboard.
In a recent interview with Parent Magazine, Stephen and Ayesha Curry shared the story of how the Golden State Warriors star’s attempt at a first kiss ended in rejection.
“Yep,” Curry told the magazine, “I struck out.”
Here’s the story: The two knew each other from school and church growing up but didn’t have their first date until much later, when Stephen was preparing to enter his junior season at Davidson and Ayesha was pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles.
Stephen had earned an ESPY nomination for his breakthrough performance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, and while he was in L.A. for the awards show, he decided to reconnect with Ayesha on Facebook. The two met up, and Steph made his move.
“He was in mid-conversation and came flying at my face like a thief in the night,” Ayesha said. “So I was like, ‘No.’ Then I thought, ‘Oh, I didn’t know this is what was happening.'”
That miscalculation didn’t sink their budding relationship, though. They continued to date, and a few years later, they were engaged.
“It was like ‘The Notebook,'” Stephen said. “The plan was to act like we were going to a family cookout. So we pulled up to the house, and I stopped in the middle of the driveway, got down on my knee, and went into my spiel. Little did I know the whole family was looking out the window, videotaping the moment.”
The two were married in 2011, and the Curry family now includes two youngsters: 3-year-old Riley, one of the breakout stars of the 2015 NBA playoffs, and 10-month-old Ryan.
Thumbnail photo via Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports Images