Dell Curry is the patriarch of the first family of Charlotte basketball — the second-leading scorer in history for the Charlotte Hornets, as well as the father of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry and Dallas Maverick guard Seth Curry.
The elder Curry would normally be busy this time of year serving as the Hornets’ TV analyst. Instead, like the rest of us, Dell Curry’s life has been upended by the fallout from the coronavirus.
Curry, 55, spoke with me on the phone Wednesday about his own recent health scare, how his family is coping with the quarantine on both coasts and what Steph Curry didn’t have at his house in California but really needed.
This exclusive Q and A has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
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Scott Fowler: How are you doing during this strange time?
Dell Curry: Better now. I’ve had a crazy few weeks. On March 21, I played golf and I remember telling my buddy: ‘Man, I don’t feel good. I feel tired.’
The next day was a Sunday. I woke up and was like: ‘Oh gosh, something’s wrong.’ I had no energy. Monday was worse. I thought I had the virus. I went to get tested. They sent me home instead and said my symptoms weren’t strong enough.
On March 25, I woke up with a 103-degree temperature. I had almost all the signs. It was like (broadcaster Doris) Burke (who had the coronavirus and recovered) had described it. No energy. Went back to the doctor’s office. Got the COVID-19 test, and quarantined myself at home in Charlotte. They said it would be 4-5 days until I got the results.
SF: What happened then?
DC: Before I got the results back, I actually had to go to the emergency room one night for an elevated heart rate. They gave me some antibiotics, and I started feeling better.
So I got tested on March 25. I was talking to my doctor every day. The whole time I’m thinking I’ve got the virus. And just before that, I had gone to see my mom in Virginia, and she’s 84 and lives alone. So that worried me.
And then, finally, I get the results back April 4 — about 10 days after the test. And I had walking pneumonia. I was negative for coronavirus. By the time I got the results back, I was over whatever I had.
So thank goodness I didn’t have it. I have felt like myself again for about a week now. My energy is mostly back.
SF: Thank goodness. Are Steph, Seth and Sydel (Dell and Sonya Curry’s daughter) all sheltering with their families in their own homes?
DC: Yes. Steph and Sydel (who is married to Damion Lee, Steph Curry’s teammate on the Golden State Warriors) live about 25 minutes apart in California, but it’s really not safe for them to go to each other’s houses.
I know Steph has put a basketball goal together to get some shots up in his driveway.
SF: Wait, you’re telling me the purest NBA shooter of all time didn’t have a basketball goal at his house — like in his own home gym or something?
DC: No. He’s got a gym in his house, but not a basketball goal. I guess this was something you could get at a place like Lowe’s — an outdoor goal. He said it was a little bigger project than he thought it would be, that it took about five hours to put it up.
SF: Doesn’t Steph have ‘a guy’ to do something like that?
DC: (Laughs) Well, he ended up with a guy — he called someone over there to help him. It was a two-male project. And then he said once he finally got the goal up, it started raining, and it rained for three or four days straight.
SF: So you and Sonya have been empty-nesters during the quarantine most of the time?
DC: Yes. We were thinking about going out West, but they’re in a worse situation than we are here. I FaceTime the kids and grandkids every day. Steph has his three little ones, all seven and under. Seth and his wife have one child and are in Dallas.
My wife has been in Virginia with her mother who had open-heart surgery, so she has been there with her, helping out. So I’ve been kind of quarantined here myself.
SF: Once you started feeling better, what have you been doing?
DC: I planted flowers in every pot and all over my backyard. I’ve got the cleanest garage in Charlotte. I’m a big Western guy. I think I’ve watched every Western that’s ever been made. I’ve watched a lot of Netflix, like “Narcos: Mexico” and “Ozark.” I was on Twitter and saw Miles Bridges say that “Money Heist” is great. I’m on that now.
I was feeling so bad for a long time that I couldn’t work out. So that’s my next thing — get enough energy so I can work out.
SF: Do you think the NBA can salvage the season?
DC: I have no idea, but I would love to see them come back and play, because of the sacrifices and the struggle that everyone has endured. Give people a little hope and something to watch. But I know (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver is going to be super-cautious and they aren’t going to start until everybody can be safe. I’d personally love to see the season resume and an NBA champion crowned.
SF: Seth was really having a good season in Dallas — he was second in the NBA in 3-point shooting (45.3 percent) and the Mavs should make the playoffs, if there is a playoffs.
DC: He was playing really well before he got injured with that ankle sprain (in early March). His confidence was through the roof. Of course, playing with Luka (Doncic), he’s going to get plenty of shots. He had signed a new deal, got his money, was married, had a baby — everything was in order. You need to be free and have a good spirit to play well, and I think he had it all. If they come back, his ankle is fine now.
SF: Steph, on the other hand, missed 58 straight games with a broken hand, came back for one game in early March and then got sick?
DC: Right. He played just that one game when he got back, and then he got the flu. He got tested for coronavirus as well then, and it also came back negative.
SF: You broadcast all the Hornets’ games — what’s the best thing that happened to the Hornets this year?
DC: This was just how they envisioned this year — to develop their young guys and see exactly what kind of players they had going forward. I think you saw the development of Devonte Graham, you saw the player (Terry) Rozier could be as the season went on. The chemistry was great. They obviously played better and won more games than people predicted. I think this was a very positive year for them.
SF: With all that said, the Hornets were still 23-42. What do they need the most?
DC: A couple of things. They need a rim protector — someone in the middle who could run the floor and get on the glass — and then a legitimate wing scorer coming off the bench. But they also don’t want to hinder the continued development of the young guys.
SF: You played for the Hornets for 10 seasons. What was the best team you were on?
DC: Either the 1997-98 team (which won 51 games and a playoff series) or the 1992-93 team (which had Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning and also won a playoff series). I wish we had been able to keep the ’93 team together longer. We could have legitimately had a shot for a title with that team.
SF: Speaking of basketball goals at houses, do you still have one at yours?
DC: Oh yeah.
SF: But if your wife is in Virginia taking care of family and your kids are scattered around the country, who’s rebounding for you?
DC: Like Larry Bird said, if you make them, the ball just comes back to you. You don’t need a rebounder then. And I can still make a few.
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