It’s a frigid 11 degrees in New York, but that didn’t stop the barrage of media from packing the Sheraton Hotel in Times Square for the NBA All-Star media availability Friday morning.
Starting with the participants from All-Star Saturday night, the ballroom of the hotel was shoulder to shoulder with media spanning all the way from Israel to Germany. The NBA is a global entity, and with whispers of the league wanting a franchise (eventually) overseas at some point, the appeal of basketball couldn’t have been clearer.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have made themselves known for their play on the court, but until they lace them up for the three-point contest on Saturday and the main event on Sunday, their presence is needed for numerous corporate events, NBA proceedings and fan experiences.
WarriorsWorld was present for those events on Thursday, starting with the official release event for the #CurryOne. The shoes debuted in the Bay Area last month and were scheduled to release this weekend. Under Armour’s beginnings, growth and technology innovations were highlighted by CEO Kevin Plank.
Plank was joined by Jamie Foxx, who told the story of when Plank was able to market Under Armour for Foxx’s movie Any Given Sunday. The jerseys and other various items – including the jockstraps – were used in the film and as a result, a friendship was born between the two.
After the history lesson and some jokes of the usual Foxx variety – including a Bill Cosby impersonation, which was met with collective laughs — Curry eventually made his way to the stage. The two-time All-Star starter and leading contender for MVP displayed nothing but gratitude and excitement for not only his shoes, but the company’s future.
The event ended with the debut of the #CurryOne commercial, which shows Curry with Foxx, hitting shots and making use of Shakespeare as career highlights are being shown. With his new SportsCenter, State Farm, Degree and now Under Armour commercials, Curry is beginning what he hopes is a long and prosperous career on and off the court.
Just hours after the #CurryOne event, the very same venue – Marquee – was transformed and set to host the official Under Armour All-Star party to kick off the weekend’s festivities. Also hosted by Jamie Foxx and joined by DJ Questlove, Curry was seen rapping on stage with Lecrae but most importantly, soaking in and enjoying the moment that he’s worked so hard to fight for up to this point.
It may seem insignificant for most, even archetypal for some, but enjoying your moment, the christening of the talent and success achieved through events like the #CurryOne debut and party is a moment to remember and cherish forever. Of course, this wasn’t and won’t be Curry’s only party, but being in New York for the debut of his first signature shoe, this weekend was different.
So, as hundreds of media filed into the Sheraton Hotel in Times Square Friday morning, Curry was seen and treated as one of the premier stars in the league. Before the shoes, events and parties, there was talent, and Curry has grown from an oft-injured, skinny combo guard to a two-time All-Star and MVP candidate.
The Western Conference players and coaches followed the All-Star Saturday participants in the ballroom, with Curry at the largest table in the room. With his Splash Brother at the table next to him, Curry stayed the humble and thankful person he’s been his entire life.
With that said, he made his intentions known.
“”That’s kind of the mentality you have,” Curry said. “You don’t have to go out and talk about it for it to be what drives you. Go out every night and let your play kind of speak for itself. I don’t have to pitch night and day, day in day out and talk about it: ‘I want to be MVP, I want to be MVP.’ The way you play should be able to show that.”
Media availability on Friday morning is similar to Super Bowl Media Day not in scale, but in style. With media spanning from all over the globe in the same room aching for any type of content, there’s no shortage of the weird and unusual when it comes to questions.
One particular outlet from Japan asked Thompson if he had a special message for his fans in Japan, in which Thompson replied with a simple greeting and “Thanks for all the support.” It was met with laughs, not because of the questions but because of Thompson’s leisurely way of speaking.
The Splash Brothers were in the same corner of the room, with Curry holding the largest crowd his team had. There’s a reason he’s sharing All-Star advertisements with LeBron James. Curry has been a known commodity within the league, but this weekend confirms his status as a global sports entity.
It’s just the beginning.