Steph Curry's basketball dominance wasn't always as guaranteed as his three-point shot.
While Curry has four championship rings, two NBA MVP titles and one upcoming NBC sitcom on his resume, the Golden State Warriors star has always felt like he's had something to prove. (Just look at the hole in one he netted while winning the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament on July 17.)
And the 35-year-old's dynamic rise from undersized college player to one of the sports world's most beloved figures is the focus of Stephen Curry: Underrated, now playing in select theatres and streaming on Apple TV+.
"The underrated mindset has always been a part of who I am," Curry told E! News in an exclusive interview. "This documentary tells us why and shows how that mindset was developed."
Spoiler alert: His championship mentality was fostered by his family—including his father, former NBA player Dell Curry—at a young age, with Curry noting he was given the "the ability to have the space to commit myself to my passion."
Basically, he was taught to shoot his shot both figuratively and literally.
"One of their principles was to introduce us to everything and what we wanted to really commit ourselves to and what we found joy in and they were supportive of whatever that was," Curry said of his parents' approach to raising him and his siblings, including fellow NBA star Seth Curry and volleyball player Sydel Curry. "So, finding basketball and committing to it at 13, and going through the ranks, they supported me every step of the way."
Underrated, which features intimate interviews with those closest to Curry, gave the 9-time NBA All-Star an opportunity to reflect on every milestone of his career and realize "how important" his family has been along the way.
Finding the balance between the professional and the personal is a lesson Curry's parents instilled in him and it's one he hopes to pass on to his three children with wife of 11 years Ayesha Curry—daughters Riley, 11, and Ryan, 8, and 5-year-old son Canon.
"It gives you more inspiration to keep doing what you're doing because you want them to watch what it takes to be great at something, what it takes to deal with failure and success," Curry explained. "It's what my parents did and what I'm trying to do with our three kids.
"There's nothing ever perfect about how you balance it all," he continued. "You continue to protect the sacred time that you do have with your family, but also know that you can fully commit to your career and your passion."
So far, all three of their kids have followed in their dad's athletic footsteps: Riley is a volleyball player, Ryan is interested in dance, while Canon is "super energetic and talented," Curry noted, adding that time will tell which specific sport his son will take an interest in.
"I just love that we're trying to continue to expose them to a lot of different things," Curry said, "because you never know what they end up loving or wanting to do later in life."
Despite his packed schedule, Curry is a constant figure at his daughters' events and found he's taking after both of his parents when it comes to his sideline behavior.
"My mom was the loud one that would not stop talking to me stop talking to the refs," he shared. "My dad was the exact opposite, where he was almost silent because he was pretty nervous. I think I'm right in the middle. My instinct is to yell and all that, but I also know how I felt when my mom was doing it to me."
So, while he hopes to "protect" his children from that embarrassment, "I can't be the silent one either," Curry admitted. "I definitely have to involve myself a little bit."
Stephen Curry: Underrated is playing in select theaters and is streaming on Apple TV+.