Stephen Curry was the hero in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, but it was his 2-year-old daughter Riley who got all the attention after the game.
Curry hit 34 points , keeping pace with James Harden’s amazing performance for the Houston Rockets and sinking a 3-pointer and layup to put the Warriors up 11 with just over 2 minutes remaining.
Afterward, Steph Curry invited his 2-year-old daughter Riley to sit with him in the press conference.
“It’s entertaining basketball. We’re both supposed to help our team win and do what we can to impact the game,” said Curry as Riley playfully interrupted him to inform her daddy that he was being too loud. Riley continued to be cute, at one point waving to someone in the press gallery and later yawning (as it was likely very well past her bedtime).
The Golden State Warriors even caught an adorable picture of Riley turning the podium into a fort while her dad was talking about his team’s Game 1 victory.
A picture truly is worth a thousand words pic.twitter.com/6tVYoWG85I — Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) May 20, 2015
But Curry’s decision to include his daughter in the post-game press conference actually generated a bit of controversy. As USA Today noted, some sports writers weren’t happy that Riley was in the way while they were trying to interview her father. The report noted,
“A few writers, who apparently were worried about making their deadlines (though as former friend of For The Win Adi Joseph points out it was an early game), complained that kids shouldn’t be allowed on the podium because it’s a waste of time, stops their parents from answering tough questions, is a shield, etc etc.”
But others pointed out that at least part of the complaint was baseless.
It’s worth pointing out in this stupid Riley Curry “debate” that yesterday was the earliest Warriors weekday home game of the entire season. — Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) May 20, 2015
USA Today , which called the flap the “dumbest sports controversy,” stuck up for Curry’s decision to bring Riley to the podium:
“Or maybe, after being on the road for half of the season, dads really just want to hang out with their kids. Here at For The Win, it’s something we celebrate — they’re buzzy, cute moments that remind us that sports are supposed to be fun and there’s more to athletes than just what they do on the court. In fact, it’s something that’s been going on for years — much to the delight of most of us. It’s something that even the NBA happily markets via their own social channels.”
Judging the reactions nationwide and the viral video it created, America wouldn’t seem to mind if Stephen Curry brought daughter Riley to the podium after every game.
[Image via Getty Images/Ezra Shaw]