The best sports documentaries bring context to their subjects’ stories. They offer insight into the how and why, something that the typical sports narrative rarely reveals. Watching stars on our televisions, in short social media videos or even in real life does little to tell us who they are behind their astounding athletic ability. It’s why even passing moments of humanity like Michael Jordan’s “And I Took That Personally” meme from The Last Dance become popular. We want to understand what motivates these competitors to dedicate their entire lives to one goal and what adversity they overcome to achieve it.
Filmmaker Peter Nicks attempts to find this in his film Stephen Curry: Underrated. It opens in December 2021, when Curry surpasses Ray Allen’s career record for successful three-pointers in the NBA. Nicks then follows him through some relatively tough times in his professional career, including injury setbacks and questions about whether he could still be a big-game player for his team, the Golden State Warriors, after a dismal run in the league. He also shows Curry in 2022 when he is working on a senior thesis to finish his degree at Davidson College while simultaneously raising a family with his wife, Ayesha.
But the more compelling storyline tracks his beginnings as a kid who wanted to play basketball like his father and the dedication he demonstrated to do so. While he was in high school, Curry was thought of as too small and skinny to make it in the sport, weighing just “150 pounds soaking wet.” Even though Nicks does point to his parents, Dell and Sonya, for helping him correct his shooting technique, he mainly credits Curry’s own mindset for his accomplishments. In brief interview clips of people in Curry’s life, the film notes his confidence and perseverance, with one observer citing that whenever he made a bad play, he would immediately brush himself off and make a better in-game decision the next time.
Stephen Curry: Underrated’s entertainment comes with reliving the drama of Curry playing at Davidson College under coach Bob McKillop, especially the team’s journey through the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The film combines footage of the games and interviews with teammates and coaches with glimpses of a more easygoing Curry appearing in college comedy sketch shows. But despite the enjoyable nature of these segments, this is where the documentary begins to fall apart. There is a real lack of investigation here, opting more for simple statements on Curry’s character that could be applied to any star athlete. He worked hard, but what set him apart from his peers? Nicks also exasperatingly leaves much of the analysis of his game to the ending credits, where NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller explains how Curry made professional basketball all about long-distance shooters and changed the way teams defended. Similarly, the film doesn’t explore how Curry overcame the difficulty of being a small player. Did he make an adjustment to better cope with the physicality of the NBA, or was his shooting ability so exceptional that it papered over any deficiencies? Nicks is only interested in displaying Curry’s drive and reminiscing on the player’s college days.
The documentary is also let down by its disorganization. Its switches between present-day and college are occasionally jarring, losing the momentum and energy of the previous scene. However, the match cuts between the 3-pointers made nearly 15 years apart work well as a bit of symmetry. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is how the film fast-tracks through the 2021-22 NBA season with minor significance. It attempts to manufacture drama with Curry’s recurring foot injuries, but it comes across as a mere afterthought. Nicks perhaps struggles to find conflict in Curry’s past two decades because the player has accomplished so much. Curry has had a tremendous career, but Stephen Curry: Underrated doesn’t justify its existence and has little to say beyond what we already know.
Photo courtesy of A24/Apple TV+
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