Just after opening the Western Conference Finals’ first game in convincing MVP-affirming fashion with a 36 point, 6 rebound and 5 assist night, Stephen Curry headed on towards the post-game podium for his usual round of media interviews.
Only this time, he brought his 2 year-old daughter Riley along with him for the first time.
“Riley gave me the look like, ‘I’m going with you,'” says Stephen of the last minute company.
As he made his way through the routine questions, Riley got anxious, started waving to reporters, talking over Stephen, and even wandering under the podium and popping up under the tablecloth.
“Once she started laughing after the first question when she heard my voice in the microphone,” jokes Curry. “I knew it was going to be downhill from there. … My family was just watching the whole thing dying.”
Naturally, the internet started doing internet things, like capturing Vines of Riley telling pops to “Be Quiet,” or the inevitable photoshops of Drummer Riley.
While he’s just 27 years-old, Stephen has quickly established himself as MVP on the court, and commendable family man off the court. He and his wife Ayesha have been raising their young daughter sans nanny, and are expecting another child later this summer.
When his first ever signature shoe launched earlier this year with Under Armour, the brand was keenly aware of Curry’s love for his daughter, and wanted to make sure young Riley was taken care of too. So they created a modified version of Stephen’s namesake Curry One model in a toddler size.
Though Stephen and Riley were among the first to get their pairs of his debut sneaker, Ayesha was actually the first person in the household to lace up the Curry One.
“My wife is the sample size, and she got to be the first one to try them on. I was actually really jealous,” laughs Stephen. “I couldn’t put my foot in them, but she’s a size 9. That was the first time I saw them on foot, and it was really cool.”
Check out Riley’s toddler sized PE of the Curry One below, alongside her dad’s matching home Warriors colorway, and hopefully we’ll have more Riley Podium Games as the playoffs continue.
photography // Nick DePaula
