It isn’t easy to become a professional NBA basketball player. Almost 450 million people play basketball in the world. Of those 450 million hoopers, only 540 players played during the 2022-23 NBA season.

That means only .00012% of basketball players get the privilege to play in the NBA. It’s safe to suggest that the odds are stacked against young aspiring hoopers.

While natural talent is a prerequisite for becoming a professional athlete, mentality also plays an important role in determining their success in this cut-throat industry. NBA icon and cornerstone of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, Stephen Curry, exemplifies the remarkable results that an elite mindset can yield.

Stephen Curry has dealt with being unfancied almost his entire life before he became a living legend of the Bay Area. However, it was his mentality that enabled him to defy expectations and silence his critics.

via Getty

During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Curry revealed that he only had one college scholarship offer. He said, “I didn’t get many college recruiting letters or scholarship offers from many of the big schools in Division One college basketball, and I was really a late bloomer. It got to the point where I did get one offer from Davidson College, which is a small liberal arts school in North Carolina which had about 1900 students at the time.”

Curry further stated in the interview that he just needed a coach who believed in him and his abilities to blossom into a star. He said, “All I needed was a little opportunity and a coach that believed in me. The rest is history from there on. Walking in my purpose as a basketball player, developing a great work ethic that I still rely on to this day.” Steph had to deal with being labeled as underrated his entire life, but Curry has decided to embrace this tag by launching a new brand.

Curry embracing the “Underrated” tag

In 2023, Stephen Curry announced the launch of his new brand, Underrated Golf. The brand emphasizes providing equal opportunities and access to young golfers who may otherwise lack the opportunity to play golf due to the high cost of entry into the sport.

The brand pays for all expenses, which includes entry fees and national travel, to attract more young golfers from less financially privileged backgrounds.

The Underrated Golf Tour consists of four regional stops at some of the most prestigious golf courses in the US. The 2024 season of the tour begins at the Walton Heath Golf Course in Tadworth, England.