Basketball is a sport, but you know that if you’re reading this. To teach a sport, it helps to use a hands-on approach because of course, it can only be played in person. It can be played online, but we aren’t talking about 2K here.
Instead, we’re talking about Steph Curry, or what he’ll be known as to some soon, Professor Curry.
Yes that’s right, Curry is turning into a teacher according to ESPN. But Curry won’t be picking up teaching shifts at a local high school in Oakland or at Berkeley. Instead, Curry will be teaching the sport he has mastered online.
“Mr. Curry am I holding the basketball right for my shot?” – Student one
“I don’t know I can’t see you this is online.” – Steph
That is how I first imagined the classes would play out, but then I began to read into how the classes, which will be run through MasterClass, will work.
Curry’s classes will use video to teach the fundamentals and philosophies of the game that help him succeed. He’s not the first athlete either to teach their sport’s basics through MasterClass. Serena Williams is already a professor teaching tennis on the website.
“If I think about where I was when I was 13, if I had access to this type of curriculum, I would have been a much better player faster,” Curry told ESPN. “It took me a while to learn how to practice and do the drills the right way. I want people to see how I invest in my game, how I train, what I do in my workouts and what’s my mental approach. So when the opportunity with MasterClass came about to put a class together where I can show people my unique way of playing this game, it was [a] natural fit. The goal is for everybody to get better and enjoy basketball more. I want them to push and challenge themselves, and hopefully they see the game differently.”
Prospective students can sign up for the class now at www.MasterClass.com/SC and the class will begin at some point early next year. But don’t expect Curry to be holding class sessions every day or week. A lot of the progress will be up to the student, however the superstar will pop in for Q&A sessions every now and then.
“I get to assess my own game and see what I could have done better, like when I get into a pick-and-roll situation, or a situation where I have to make quick decisions, you can freeze at that moment and explain everything that can possibly happen with all the different outcomes and why I chose to do what I did, versus what I could have done better,” Curry said. “I think hearing that from my perspective should be pretty interesting to people who either watch our games or just play basketball themselves.”
“Stephen is a lifelong student of the game of basketball,” said David Rogier, CEO and co-founder of MasterClass. “After barely being recruited by college coaches, he dedicated himself to the game and became the best shooter in NBA history. The way he studies other players, deconstructs his own game and constantly innovates makes him an amazing teacher. He inspires all of us that if you focus and work hard, you can become the best at whatever you do. He’s simply world-class.”
Some of the things that students will learn for an enrollment fee of $90, and $180 for unlimited access to all classes taught on MasterClass, include ballhandling, shooting, ball screens, and others.
“For me, it’s a cool learning process because I actually get to articulate a lot of the things that are pretty natural to me, but it might not be natural to others,” Curry said. “It came together really nicely. The visuals and the production are unbelievable. It allows me to explain all the things that I do to get better.” At 6-foot-3, Curry isn’t the tallest, fastest or the most athletic, making the way he dominates the game so relatable to the common individual.
“There is no dunking chapter,” he said laughing. “So, if you’re looking for that, then this is the wrong place to go.”
The class is aimed at beginners or intermediate basketball players Curry said.
“I feel like I have a lot to offer when it comes to what I’ve learned from the game and what I’ve learned from myself and how the game has evolved,” he said. “I feel like people can learn from me and can be impacted by how I approach the game, and this is another way for that to spread to the next generation of basketball players. Everybody says ‘Like Mike,’ but you have to be able to see what that means.”
If students enjoy what they learn from Curry, here are some other classes they can take from famous teachers:
Wolfgang Puck – Cooking
Helen Mirren – Acting
Ron Howard – Directing
Reba McEntire – Country Music
Usher – Art of Performance
I’m enrolling for a major in cooking country music performances with a minor in basketball three-point shooting.
[ESPN]
