Stephen Curry’s legendary NBA career may never have happened if he had taken his wife’s early advice.

On the Wednesday, Aug. 20, episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Ayesha Curry opened up about the pivotal moment in 2009 when her then-boyfriend was deciding whether to leave Davidson College and enter the NBA Draft.

“He had a big decision to make because he still had a senior year left,” Ayesha recalled on the podcast. “It was like, do I stay? Do I go? What a lot of people don’t know is that he really thought about it. It was a torment for him.”

At the time, Stephen was just 21 years old and still weighing the risks of going pro. According to Ayesha, he turned to her in one of his most vulnerable moments.

“He called me crying behind a tree,” she said on “Call Her Daddy.” “I didn’t know what to do…so I was like, ‘Stay in school.’”

Ayesha explained that her advice came from her own background, which valued education above all else.

“I didn’t grow up surrounded by people who went to college. That for me was like, wow, what a blessing,” she shared candidly on the podcast. “You get to go to college, you get to have an education — why would you leave? And then not coming from that sports background and understanding how rare the opportunity he had was. So I told him, ‘Yeah, stay in school.’ But I’m glad he made the decision to leave, and he ended up finishing anyway. He’s gone on to do tremendous, incredible cool things that we never thought would happen.”

Stephen ultimately made the leap, entering the 2009 NBA Draft, where the Golden State Warriors selected him with the No. 7 overall pick. The decision proved to be career-defining. He moved on to become a four-time NBA champion, a two-time MVP, and the first player in league history to hit over 4,000 career three-pointers, as CNN previously reported.

While his accomplishments on the court are well-documented, the 37-year-old’s ventures off the court have also turned heads. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Stephen has built a thriving business empire through Thirty Ink, which includes Unanimous Media — his content company — and Gentleman’s Cut™ Bourbon. In 2024, Thirty Ink generated $173.5 million in revenue, with each subsidiary turning a profit.

He has also expanded into the tech sector. As AFROTECH™ reported in 2023, Stephen invested in Simplicity, an AI-powered platform that helps streamline communication between cities and residents. The app has since been adopted in multiple U.S. cities and reflects his focus on using technology to build more equitable and efficient communities.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has built an estimated $240 million fortune through his NBA earnings, investments, and business ventures. Beyond his financial success, he has committed to creating opportunities for underrepresented youth. One example is Underrated Golf, a purpose-driven business endeavor committed to providing equity, access, and opportunity to student-athletes from all communities, ensuring participation in the sport reflects the diversity of society.

The Curry family’s story extends far beyond basketball. The couple first met as teenagers in North Carolina before reconnecting years later in Los Angeles, as People previously reported. They married in 2011 and are now parents to four children.

Looking back on Ayesha’s advice for Stephen to “stay in school,” it’s clear that a single moment of advice helped set in motion a career journey that continues to evolve — on and off the court.