A day with Stephen Curry in the offseason

NAPA, Calif. - Getting the chance to spend the day with Stephen Curry in the offseason means getting the chance to see a different side of the basketball great.  

He talked about life after the game, while acknowledging the game isn't over yet. Basketball and his family are his main focus, but he has plenty of other things to keep him busy.

On the day the athlete met with KTVU, he was headed to the Whole Foods in Napa, stopping briefly at the Archer Hotel and at 1331 Cocktails before going to a fundraising dinner for Eat. Learn. Play., the children's healthcare foundation he and his wife Ayesha co-head. 

It was a day that had little room for rest, but also a day that gave us a glimpse of why he's willing to do it all.

Taking Opportunities

He agrees life is a balance, telling KTVU it's about "getting some rest, then spending time with my family, being a human being at some point, but these opportunities are opportunities that are exciting." 

For Curry, every opportunity he pursues is one with a purpose, and much of that purpose is about supporting the work he and Ayesha have started.

A Day in the Life

A not-so-surprise visit:

The day began at a surprise pop-up at the Whole Foods in Napa. 

Like most secrets, this one got out, with a Yountville man getting to the front of the line at 6:15 a.m. 

He told KTVU he heard about the visit "through the grapevine." By the time Curry arrived, the line wrapped around the building, crossed the street and stretched farther than we could see.  

Curry came in through the back door and made a quick stop in the meat department, where the butcher had marinated beef in his bourbon for 26 days. He said he was excited to tell his wife about it. 

Ayesha Curry is well known for her cooking savvy, with her own cooking shows, cook books and restaurants.  

"I'm not going to mess it up, I'm going to let her ride," Steph Curry said.

From the meat department to the meet and greet, this was a promotion for his Gentlemen's Cut Bourbon.

For the love of liquor:

Bourbon is his liquor of choice, and so he has a hand in it all, from the distillery to the sales. 

His business partner, John Schwartz told KTVU that the athlete pitches in wherever he can.

 "He comes to the distillery, drives the forklift, drills the barrels, participates in the blending, helps with the marketing and the sales."  

He says that's why Curry shows up for these pop-ups. It's also clearly about the fans. It is something to watch the hype that surrounds him at any given time. 

One woman shared with Curry heartfelt words of appreciation as he signed her bottle of Gentlemen's Cut. 

"I want to thank you for playing, and you bring joy into our life every time you play," she told the athlete.

It's a quick visit, where bottles are signed, and few lucky kids get a jersey autographed. 

Spend any time with Curry, and you'll see the father of four has a soft spot for kids.

Ending the day:

From there it was a whirlwind of stops for promotional photos and a break at 1331 Cocktails in Napa to try his bourbon their way.  

It was a chance for some easy conversation before heading to the final stop, which was a fundraiser for his Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which serves the children of Oakland.  

The CEO of ELP Chris Helfrich said the foundation has spent almost $100 million helping create playgrounds, providing tutors and food for Oakland children since its founding six years ago.

The journey has been a ride that Curry calls surreal, but he says it's one built on relationships. 

"No accidents in life," he said. 

He met the CEO of ELP when he was in college, and he met his business partner for Gentlemen's Cut more than a decade ago. He said that, for him, these projects are about purpose and about surrounding yourself with good people.

At that fundraising dinner, you could see it all come together, the bourbon he helped create on the tables of Cole's Chophouse, while money was being raised for the foundation he and his wife champion, and doing it all surrounded by so many of his people, people who have been with him for so many years.  

It is a look at Stephen Curry off the court and in the off-season. 

It is a glimpse of who he was, the man that he is now and the future that he is creating.