Video summary
The video explores the true origins of Steph Curry's legendary shooting ability, arguing that while genetics and his father Dell Curry's NBA background provided a foundation, they were not the sole reasons for his greatness. The core argument presented is that Dell Curry planted a crucial seed in young Steph by demonstrating that repetition is not punishment but the essential path to mastery. By bringing Steph and his brother Seth into the gym at an early age to watch him shoot hundreds of times, Dell modeled a mindset where consistent practice during the "unseen hours"—the time when no cameras, fans, or referees are watching—is what separates excellence from mediocrity. This dedication to unseen work allowed Steph to develop the skills that would eventually revolutionize the NBA, shifting the game's focus away from mid-range shots and toward high-volume three-point shooting and attacking the rim.
Beyond the specific mechanics of basketball, the discussion extends to a broader philosophy about life and authenticity that applies to anyone striving for success. The concept of the "unseen hours" is defined as everything one does when no one else is observing, such as working out alone or practicing skills in private. The speaker admits to having previously fallen into the trap of performing these actions for social media validation rather than genuine self-improvement, a mistake he now regrets with compassion and self-forgiveness. He emphasizes that true respect and admiration are earned by doing things one is proud of when no one is watching, noting that many high-performing individuals he knows prioritize this authentic dedication over public display. This shift in perspective highlights the importance of being fully present and invested in one's actions rather than seeking external validation through posts or photos.
Ultimately, the video concludes with a powerful message for parents and future leaders: you can give your children the greatest gift by teaching them the value of consistent effort during the unseen hours, regardless of whether they become professional athletes. While not every parent will be able to teach their child how to shoot a basketball perfectly or guide them to the NBA, showing them that hard work in private leads to excellence in any area of life is a transformative lesson. The speaker shares his own journey of learning this lesson the hard way and now strives to balance sharing insights with others while maintaining privacy for his personal growth. By emulating this approach, individuals can build a life defined by authenticity and resilience, proving that what happens behind the scenes is often more significant than the spotlighted moments.
Read the full video transcript
So, at at the earliest of ages, Dell
would bring Steph and his brother Seth
into the gym, and they would just watch
their dad shoot and get repetition after
repetition. And he basically modeled for
them that repetition is not punishment.
That repetition is how you get good at
anything, especially the skill of
shooting.
>> I want to talk about Steph Curry because
I know that, like so many guys my age,
I'm just fascinated with him. And he's I
don't
root for the Warriors, root for him, but
I love watching him. And
you've mentioned something about his
mindset that I just
I'm so focused on. Um it's about just
focusing on the next play. Can you tell
me a little bit about that?
>> And And one of the cool things about
Steph, I mean, he's one of
a handful of athletes in any sport
that has literally changed the way the
game has been played. I mean, his
his ability to shoot the ball,
especially from long range, has changed
the way the NBA has approached playing
and approached winning. You know, when I
was growing up, the teams of the '80s
and '90s, the the Celtics and the
Lakers, and then of course Michael
Jordan and the Bulls, you know,
barely relied on a three-point shot. It
was more of an afterthought. It was
attack the basket or have some type of
mid-range game. And occasionally, if
someone was open, shoot a three, and it
would just be a bonus. And the game has
changed tremendously because of of Steph
Curry. I mean, you know, his ability to
shoot the long-range ball, if you look
at shot maps now with teams, there's
almost nothing going on in the mid-range
for the most part. Everything is either
at the basket or it's a kick-out for a
three or for an open three. So, he's so
remarkable, he's changed the game. And
And one other thing, before we dive into
next play, and this this will tie a nice
red thread to some of the other things
we've been talking about.
Most people know that Steph's dad, Dell
Curry, played in the NBA. Played for a
dozen years and was a great long-range
shooter. One of the statistically, one
of the better three-point shooters the
game has ever seen. And what I I want
folks to know is the fact that his dad
was a great long-range shooter in the
NBA is not the reason Steph is also a
great long-range shooter. It's because
his dad planted very important seeds in
Steph when he was young. And the seed
that he planted is, if you want to be
good at shooting, then you have to go
into the gym and practice shooting. You
have to get in reps. So what at the
earliest of ages, Dell would bring Steph
and his brother Seth into the gym and
they would just watch their dad shoot
and get repetition after repetition. And
he basically modeled for them that
repetition is not punishment. That
repetition is how you get good at
anything, especially the skill of
shooting. So yes, did did he pass on
some favorable genetics of of elite
hand-eye coordination and balance and
depth perception? Sure. Yeah, you know,
was it an advantage that that Steph and
Seth were around NBA locker rooms and
and got to hold a ball when they were
really little and their dad got to teach
them certain skills? Absolutely. Those
things were certainly helpful, but the
most important thing that Dell modeled
for his kids was, if you want to be good
at anything, you have to get in
repetition consistently during the
unseen hours. And Steph and Seth both
thought saw that modeled for them and
then basically lived that out. And
that's the reason they were so good. So
the reason I share that is every single
parent watching or listening to this
right now or future parents, know that
you can give that same gift to your
child. Now, that doesn't mean that
you're going to be able to to show them
how to shoot a basketball or that your
kid will grow up to be in the NBA, but
it means you can give your child the
gift of showing them that consistent
work and consistent repetitions during
the unseen hours is the key to
excellence in any area of life. And
that's a a gift that I've I've tried to
model and teach for my own children and
that I would recommend any and every
parent or future parent right now
watching or listening to this gives to
their child as well.
>> That's amazing. Yeah, I love the idea of
the unseen hours because right now feels
like
my friends and I were joking when we
were in London we were going on trips
like people would only book trips so
that they could take the pictures and
show other people that they were there,
right? And it's like what are you doing?
We have a life to live and we are living
such performative lives that often times
we neglect the unseen hours and what the
unseen hours look like is something that
you would not want to show to the world.
And the people that I respect the most
I've
this young age I've had the great
opportunity to meet so many people I
look up to.
>> Yeah.
>> And one of the traits that I've seen the
most is they do things they're proud of
in the unseen hours. And one of the
things that I've learned to do in my
life is I live a life that I'm proud of
in the unseen hours. And what that means
is
do it is working out, staying
consistent, being authentic and if I
didn't wake up and work out this morning
which I did not, then like not trying to
pose as if I did, right? And all of that
authenticity with the unseen hours,
what does it what do the unseen hours
mean to you?
>> So this was a term I heard from my good
friend and long time colleague Drew
Hanlen who started up Pure Sweat
Basketball and and Drew's arguably the
best strategic skills coach on the
planet. He works with guys like Joel
Embiid and Jayson Tatum and I mean just
a a long roster of really good players
and Drew's the one that actually came up
with the concept that he turned unseen
hours and it's basically in basketball
terminology it's everything you do when
the lights aren't on. You know, there
are no referees there, there are no
cheerleaders there, there's no cameras
there, there's no fans in the stands.
It's what are you doing when no one else
is watching and and he correctly found
out that what you do when no one's
watching directly impacts what you're
capable of doing when the whole world is
watching and for me it's the same thing.
I have a tremendous amount of pride in
what I do during the unseen hours. But
at the same time, and I can say this
with humility and compassion,
uh there was a time 10 12 years ago
where I kind of fell victim to what you
just mentioned. I was so concerned with
showing the world what I was doing
during the unseen hours and and I would
be either with my kids or at an event
and I spent more time trying to document
that I was there or what I was doing
instead of actually being present and
focused on the people that I was with.
And and and and and I can say that with
a huge smile and a ton of
self-forgiveness in my heart. I just
didn't have the emotional maturity or
bandwidth at that time to realize what I
was doing. I wanted the whole world to
to see what a great father I was being
when in fact in that moment I wasn't
being a great father cuz I was spending
all of my time on my phone instead of
connecting with my children. Now, like
many things, I've learned that lesson
the hard way and I do a much better job
of that today than I did previously. So,
I don't really concern myself now with
posting a ton about what I do during my
unseen hours cuz I want them to remain
unseen. Now, occasionally I do because
I'm also in the business of trying to
help people up-level their lives and
show people how they can make
improvements. So, a good portion of how
they can do that is done during the
unseen hours. So, I want to find an
appropriate balance where I can show
folks or tell folks or describe to them
some of the things that that I and other
high performers do during the unseen
hours so that they can try to emulate
and implement some of those things in
their own lives, but I don't spend my
entire time at the gym taking selfies of
me being at the gym. And and and and
it's good to laugh and it's good that we
can wink at that. And anyone that is
currently doing that, I don't say that
to disparage them. I say that with
nothing but compassion because I was
that guy 10 to 12 years ago. But now for
me, I try to be fully present and fully
invested in everything that I'm doing
and then occasionally make a post or or
record a a
just to share a little bit about about
what happens during those unseen hours.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Okay.