There were a lot of moving parts at the NBA trade deadline, with a great number of players finding new homes and new teams this past week. One player who was moved with little to no fanfare was Seth Curry, who was a piece of the Mavericks trade for P.J. Washington.
Curry was mostly a throw-in for salary reasons, as he was mostly out of the Mavs rotation. Not much was made of Curry landing in Charlotte, and in fact, there were even rumors of a potential buyout for Seth. But this speculation glossed over several factors that deserve some merit and attention.
Curry was born in Charlotte and grew up in the city while his father, Dell played for the Hornets. Seth and his brother Stephen were regulars at Hornets games, and would often be seen warming up with the team on the floor.
The Dell Curry connection
Dell Curry, of course, played for the Hornets from 1988-1998. He won Sixth Man of the Year for the team in 1994 and retired as the team’s all-time leader in points and 3-pointers made. After retiring, Dell was briefly hired as an assistant coach of the franchise (the Charlotte Bobcats, at the time), and in 2009 he became a color-commentator for the team, a position he holds to this day.
So things have come full circle, as now Seth is back home in Charlotte, playing for his dad’s team, even wearing his dad’s old number, 30, while his dad sits courtside and calls games. It’s an all-around feel-good story, for a team and fanbase that hasn’t had much to feel good about.
The fact that the Hornets have been winning since the trade, and Curry has been a big part, providing scoring and shooting off the bench, makes the story even cooler. It’s fair to wonder if Seth would want to finish his career on a contender (he’ll be 34 when next season begins).
Here to stay?
But the vibes in Charlotte are immaculate right now and he has one more year left on his contract for $4 million. Hopefully, Seth is happy to play for his hometown team, in front of his father, as a veteran leader, and a guy who can help usher in the next era of Hornets basketball.
This also begs the question, at what point will his superstar brother, Stephen get FOMO and decide he is ready to go join in the family fun in Charlotte? A little recruiting from Dad and his little brother could go a long way. I’m just saying.