A sports icon’s path to new heights in ‘Portrait of an Artist: Stephen Curry’
By: Joshua Kahn, Staff Writer
The documentary shows the grueling process of mastery as it peeks behind the curtain of Stephen Curry’s life leading up to a momentous achievement in his basketball career.
The Stephen Curry documentary, “Portrait of an Artist: Stephen Curry,” exceeded expectations as it was able to go inside the scenes of Curry’s daily life leading up to the day he passed 4,000 3-point shots made in his career.
The documentary shows Curry's journey involved much more than basketball. It showed him overcoming doubt, working through challenges and believing in his abilities when other people did not. The film gives viewers and fans a greater appreciation for everything he accomplished throughout his career.
Curry also talks about his idols: his father Dell Curry, a former NBA player, and two-time NBA champion Ray Allen, who inspired him to fix his shot and help Curry believe in himself.
His father played at Virginia Tech, an Atlantic Coast Conference school, which Curry was keen on attending.
Striving to be the best, Curry also revered former two-time NBA champion and all-time 3-point record holder Ray Allen, whose flawless shooting ability made Curry want to work harder on his own shot.
Unlike his father, Curry was never accepted into Virginia Tech, with the college citing doubts about Curry's ability to play at a college level due to his small size. At 6-foot-2-inches, he was considered undersized for a point guard, and people also questioned his defensive abilities. He instead enrolled at Davidson College where Curry had to rely heavily on his shooting; refining his shot into the one he is famous for today.
The scenes throughout the documentary that show Curry's determination are especially meaningful. The documentary demonstrates how difficult it can be to prove yourself when other people do not believe in you. Curry was able to show his critics that no matter how much they said about him he did not care one bit. The documentary’s message is inspiring not only for basketball fans, but also for people pursuing their own goals.
Curry’s perseverance shows that everyone needs to be patient since effort takes time to pay off. Yet, you need to try your best no matter what situation you are in.
Curry officially broke 4,000 3-pointers on March 15, 2025 against the Sacramento Kings.
Curry is in his 18th career season with the Golden State Warriors and currently has 4,248 career 3-point shots with 618 postseason 3-point shots, according to Basketball Reference.
Even while dealing with injuries over the past two years, Curry has remained determined to play, competing alongside talented teammates and pursuing his fifth NBA championship.
He also holds both current records in all time 3-point shots made and 3-point shots made in the playoffs in the NBA; both previously held by his idol Ray Allen.
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