Being a veteran on a Charlotte Hornets team that sits at 17-51 and 14th in the Eastern Conference doesn’t seem like the greatest joy in the world, but, as the old adage goes, there is beauty wherever you search for it.
For 11-year journeyman Seth Curry, finding beauty in Charlotte isn’t all that difficult.
“It’s a dream come true to play for the Hornets,” Curry told me in an exclusive interview for Forbes.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Curry naturally grew up rooting for the Hornets. But he had more skin in the game than most young children, as his father, Dell Curry, spent a decade shredding the nylon with the Hornets. When Dell retired, he was the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, tallying 9,839 points in a Charlotte uniform.
Speaking of his old man, Dell is currently one-half of arguably the best local broadcast duo in the NBA. Together, he and his widely-beloved partner, Eric Collins, have been the primary voices of the Hornets for the last decade. And now, Dell gets to call every game his youngest son plays in.
More than the family ties that bind him to Charlotte, Curry has embraced his sage master role on a developing young group.
"I knew when I signed up to come back last summer that it would be a rebuilding process," Curry told me. “The motivation for me is to be a professor. To try and lead the guys and show them my work ethic and what it got me to be able to play 11, 12 years in the league. So, it’s more than about wins and losses right now. At this point, it’s about building good habits.”
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While it hasn’t shown on the win column yet, Curry’s wisdom is helping the Hornets a great deal, and he’s been around the block long enough to know that this group has some special players in their ranks.
LaMelo Ball is the headliner of the bunch. Like the rest of us, Curry is impressed with his ability to create offense for himself and his teammates. But even more than that, Curry marvels at Ball’s ability to captivate fans everywhere he goes – comparing him to his Hall of Fame bound older brother.
"The flair that Ball plays with on a nightly basis and how the young kids and the fans just gravitate to him everywhere we go, even though we aren't winning a lot of games, it's very similar to the way Stephen Curry is treated by opposing arenas. You see the pull he has on the youth around the country and how much they love to see him play, and that manifests itself in all-star votes that we saw him get earlier in the season," Curry explained.
He had equally kind things to say about second-year forward Brandon Miller – someone he views as a future multi-time All-Star.
"Talent-wise, Miller can be as good as he wants to be. With that size, at the guard position, with his ability to shoot and handle the ball, if he keeps developing at the rate he should, he will be a perennial All-Star," Curry added.
Curry is certain that the Hornets are closer to making a run than they seem. In fact, he thinks that had it not been for injuries (they are currently second in player games lost due to injury, per Spotrac), the Hornets would be in the mix for a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
After signing a one-year deal with the Hornets this past offseason, Curry is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Curry isn’t naive. He knows the NBA is a business before anything else. But if he has it his way, he’ll be around to see this rebuild all the way through.
"I feel like I have a purpose on this team," Curry told me over the phone. "So, I would love to come back. Obviously, I want the team to improve and make some good moves in the offseason. But right now, I’m enjoying my time here, and I would love to come back."
What Curry Is Doing Off The Court
Like many modern athletes, Curry makes sure to keep himself busy by working with companies that align with his interests. For Curry, cooking is a big part of his life. That’s why Bush’s Beans is the perfect brand for him to partner with.
"I have been making bean-based recipes for so long, and their beans are a special family recipe," Curry said. "So, it was a great match."
Seth Curry, Charlotte Hornets.Bush's Beans.
Curry knows a thing or two about dishing assists (in 2021-22, he was in the 70th percentile in assist rate) on the court, and now, he’s helping Bush’s launch its first-ever "Your Fam on a Can" campaign. Beginning on March 19, fans can head to YourFamOnACan.com to receive a personalized can that commemorates their favorite family bean recipes.
Curry is even kicking off the campaign by sharing his own family recipe: Curry Caviar.
"The beans involve a lot of different family recipes across the country right now, and we kind of have our own family recipe that we do in my household. It’s called the Curry Family Caviar," Curry told me. "It’s a spin on cowboy caviar with the. It’s a healthy snack that my family always makes during March Madness."
Keep an eye on his social channels and visit YourFamOnACan.com to learn more.