Playing for More Than a Trophy: Stephen Curry’s Faith on the Court

By The Redeemer Sports

Some athletes talk about faith after they retire. Stephen Curry has talked about it at every stage – as a Davidson underdog, as a two-time MVP, and now, in his 18th NBA season with the Golden State Warriors. He opened the 2026-27 season on October 21 with a team-high 23 points against the Lakers, and he remains one of the most openly Christian athletes in professional sports. This spotlight stays with what Curry has said himself, in his own documented words.

Key takeaways

• He is active right now: Curry is on the Warriors’ 2026-27 roster and led the team with 23 points in the October 21, 2026 season opener.
• His verse: Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – written on his sneakers before every game since his Davidson days.
• His own words: “There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that’s Christ living inside of me” (FCA Magazine, 2013).
• His formula: gratitude for talent plus relentless work – “God’s given me talents to play basketball for a living, but I still have to work hard to improve every day.”

Faith came first

Curry’s faith story starts long before the NBA, and he tells it himself. Writing for FCA Magazine in 2013, he described growing up in a family where faith was daily life: his mother started a Christian Montessori school he attended, and the family was “at church every Wednesday for youth Bible studies and every Sunday for services.”

He dates his own commitment precisely: “I remember it like it was yesterday, the day I gave my life to Christ. I was in fourth grade.” He went on to Charlotte Christian School, then to Davidson – a choice he framed as patience and seeking God’s will after bigger programs passed on him. “I trusted He knew what was best for me,” he wrote. The overlooked recruit became the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

The verse on his shoes

Look closely at Curry’s game shoes and you will see it: “I can do all things,” written in Sharpie before every game – a habit since college, drawn from Philippians 4:13. He explained what it means to him (via ESPN’s Nick DePaula):

“It’s a mantra that I live by and something that drives me every single day. It’ll hopefully inspire people to find something that drives them, whether that’s a verse or some other motivating force that keeps you hungry and keeps you driven. That’s mine.”

Note the generosity in that answer: he shares his source of strength and invites every player to find theirs.

Faith at the highest level

Accepting his second consecutive MVP award in May 2016 – the first unanimous MVP in NBA history – Curry opened his thank-yous this way: “I want to thank God, obviously for the health, for the talent he’s given me, for my family who supports me, for the things that basketball’s taught me on and off the court.”

Three years earlier, writing in FCA Magazine, he described the Warriors’ locker room culture at the time: about ten teammates attending pregame chapels and praying together before games, and a head coach – Mark Jackson – who was also a pastor. “My faith continues to be my driving force,” he wrote. And on what the game means in the bigger picture: “I know that in the grand scheme of things, this is just a game that can be taken from me at any moment.”

Work as worship

Curry never frames faith as a substitute for effort. In the same 2013 piece he wrote, “God’s given me talents to play basketball for a living, but I still have to work hard to improve every day.” At the 2016 MVP press conference he repeated it: “There is a God-given ability and talents… but you’ve got to be able to put the time in and work. That’s how I got here and that’s how I continue to get better every single day.”

His advice to young people who want to follow him is the same blend of purpose and effort: “Find what you’re passionate about in this life… and just work at it.” And on being a teammate: “You’ve got to be unselfish, know that the team is bigger than individual success.”

What young players can take from his example

Curry’s documented example offers a simple pattern any player can copy: let your faith or your deepest motivation be the foundation, say so honestly, and then outwork everyone. Humility about the gift, seriousness about the work, and gratitude in both victory and loss – that is what playing for more than a trophy looks like over an 18-season career.

Editor’s note: Every faith statement in this article comes from Stephen Curry’s own documented public words, in the sources linked below. A player profile is not an endorsement by the athlete of this publication, and this article is for general education and inspiration.

Related reading from The Redeemer Sports: The Complete Player: Skill Wins Games, Character Wins Everything Else and The Student Athlete’s Edge: How to Raise Your Grades and Your Game at the Same Time.

Frequently asked questions

Is Stephen Curry still playing in the NBA?

Yes. Curry is on the Golden State Warriors’ official 2026-27 roster, playing his 18th NBA season, and he led the team with 23 points in the October 21, 2026 season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

What Bible verse does Stephen Curry write on his shoes?

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – written as “I can do all things” on his sneakers before every game since his college days at Davidson. He has called it “a mantra that I live by and something that drives me every single day.”

What has Stephen Curry said about his faith?

In his own 2013 FCA Magazine piece: “My faith continues to be my driving force” and “There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that’s Christ living inside of me.” Accepting the 2016 MVP award, he said, “I want to thank God, obviously for the health, for the talent he’s given me, for my family who supports me.”

What does Curry say about faith and hard work?

That they go together: “God’s given me talents to play basketball for a living, but I still have to work hard to improve every day” (2013), and in 2016, “you’ve got to be able to put the time in and work. That’s how I got here and that’s how I continue to get better every single day.”

Featured photo: "Stephen Curry shooting" by Keith Allison, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; resized for web display.

Sources

• Stephen Curry (byline), “More Than This Jersey,” FCA Magazine, March/April 2013 (childhood faith, fourth-grade commitment, “driving force,” work ethic, “more than this jersey” quotes): https://www.fca.org/magazine-story/2013/02/28/stephen-curry-golden-state-warriors
• NBC Sports Bay Area, Stephen Curry’s full NBA MVP transcript, May 2016 (thank God quote; work ethic; advice to young people; teamwork): https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/stephen-currys-full-nba-mvp-transcript/1364580/
• Warriors Wire (USA Today), Steph Curry explains why he writes Philippians 4:13 on his sneakers, March 2018 (verse habit since Davidson; “mantra that I live by” quote via ESPN’s Nick DePaula): https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/warriors/2018/03/21/stephen-curry-phillippians-under-armour/76278201007/
• NBA.com, Golden State Warriors roster (Curry active, 2026-27): https://www.nba.com/warriors/roster
• NBA.com, Warriors Drop Season Opener to Lakers, October 21, 2026 (Curry’s 23 points; 18th season): https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/gameday-recap-20261021

Source pages retrieved November 1, 2026.