A little over a month after he conquered the NBA with another title, Stephen Curry visited Korea for the first time to host a youth basketball clinic in Seoul.
“Annyeonghaseyo (Hello). ... You guys have been a great host so far. Looking forward to continuing that today. Have some fun playing basketball!” Curry greeted the 2,000 eager fans gathered at Jangchung Stadium in Seoul.
Stephen Curry teaches ball-handling to a youth basketball clinic participant at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)
The Golden State Warriors star, along with his brother and Dallas Mavericks point guard Seth Curry, landed in Korea the previous day before to a rock star’s welcome at Incheon Airport.
Curry is in Korea as part of an Asia tour hosted by Under Armour, with which the point guard inked a sponsorship deal in 2013.
The event opened with messages from fans who greeted the two-time MVP with sporadic chants of “MVP!”
“The energy here is crazy!” said Curry.
The Curry brothers split the youth basketball players at the clinic into two groups to give short lessons on ball-handling and shooting, followed by a skills challenge. Winners were presented with autographed basketball souvenirs.
Stephen Curry high-fives his brother Seth, a point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, during a youth basketball clinic at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)
Stephen Curry shoots a three-point shot during a youth basketball clinic at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)
“There were little things that we can show them like ball-handling and how to compete when practicing. I hope they can take something away from today,” he said. “Have confidence in yourself.”
In a charity event that followed, the brothers each drained 12 shots from downtown and Seth made a half-court shot, combining for a 20 million won ($18,000) donation.
While silky-smooth crossover and razor-sharp three-pointers were expected from the “Baby-faced Assassin,” an unexpected highlight came from an enthusiastic youth clad in Curry’s Warriors jersey.
In the half-court shot challenge, the fan banked home the shot and sprinted around the arena in an apparent fit of excitement. He was greeted by Stephen Curry upon his return with a body bump.
Stephen Curry body-bumps a fan during a youth basketball clinic at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)
During Curry’s time in Seoul, he will unveil an additional exclusive colorway of the Curry 3ZER0 basketball shoes, participate in a consumer activation event and host a private meet-and-greet event with fans at the Under Armour Gangnam Brand House in Seoul.
He will also appear on popular TV show “Infinity Challenge” on MBC.
Curry, known for his on-court dominance and three-point shooting, led his Warriors to a championship last season in arguably one of the most dominant playoff runs ever.
The star-studded roster consisting of Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green combined for a 16-1 record in the postseason, missing the playoff sweep in dropping one game to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Stephen and Seth Curry are the sons of former NBA player Dell Curry, another sharpshooter who played mostly for Charlotte Hornets.
