Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
To say that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers got outplayed by the Warriors in games 1 and 2 of the 2017 NBA finals would be a serious understatement. One thing we know is certain: Golden State is tough to beat when Stephen Curry finds his groove.
From a guy who many thought was too little to play at the highest level to becoming the league’s most valuable player, Curry’s journey has been one propelled by hard work and dedication.
Some years back, Alan Stein attended the inaugural Kobe Bryant Nike Skills Academy and noticed something unusual about Curry. In a YouTube video recapping the event, Alan noted that it was Curry’s habits and work ethic that shined brighter than any other player’s talent. Before each session, Curry had already drained 100 – 150 shots and was in a full sweat by the time his peers hit the floor.
For Curry, success is not an accident, it’s a choice. But there is much more that separates the 6’3’’ all-star point guard from the rest and it’s his faith in Jesus!
Steph Curry was raised in Charlotte, N.C., by Christian parents who began every morning with a required family devotional time before school. As a result, Stephen Curry has developed into solid man of God, one who never shies away about sharing his faith.
Sometimes while on the basketball court, Curry points his index finger upward as an outward sign and reminder that God gets all the glory for his success.
But regardless of his health or how he plays on any given night, Curry remains rooted in one of his favorite Bible verses - Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
It’s not too often that we get to see athletes bring the Bible out on the court, but that’s exactly what Stephen Curry does each game through his trademark shoe with Under Armour.
In an interview with Decision, Steph acknowledged that, “Obviously, there’s a lot of hoopla and fanfare that follows you wherever you go, but I know where my talent comes from. I know why I play the game, and it’s not to score 30 points a night, but it’s to use the stage I’m on. I’ve been put here for a specific purpose: to be a witness and to share my testimony as I go through it.”
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Eastern Conference guard Kyrie Irving (2) of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up court during the 2014 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 16, 2014. (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
My oldest granddaughter is 15, and thanks to North Carolina's HB2, if a 15-year-old boy in her school identified as a girl, he would not be allowed to play on her sports team or share her locker room. I for one am glad that North Carolina, my home state since 2003, has taken a stand for common sense, for safety and for privacy, yet the NBA is punishing the state for protecting its residents, announcing that it will pull next year's All Star game from Charlotte.
What hypocrisy; what bigotry; what intolerance. The NBA is now the National Bullying Association.
Let us not forget that when the NBA decided to bring the All Star game to Charlotte, the laws were just as they are today: Men were expected to use men's bathrooms and locker rooms and women were expected to use women's bathrooms and locker rooms.
If this was so terrible, why did the NBA agree to bring their annual, week-long, festive event here? The State legislature simply reversed a radical bill passed by the Charlotte City Council earlier this year, a bill which had effectively rendered all public bathrooms and locker rooms gender neutral.
The state simply put things back to where they were before. Why then the outcry from the NBA? Why punish the state for moving things back to the way they were when everything was fine?
A few weeks ago, a man who identifies as a woman was arrested for videotaping women in the dressing room at Target, apparently a direct result of Target's much-protested policy to allow men who identify as women to use the women's dressing rooms. (And remember: Any male can walk into one of these dressing rooms and say, "I identify as a woman," and no one can stop him from entering, even if he's dressed as a man.)
According to a police affidavit, the man arrested at Target, who goes by the name Shauna Smith, "eventually admitted to me that she had made videos in the past of women undressing. The defendant told me that she makes these videos for the 'same reason men go online to look at pornography.' The defendant told me that she finds the videos sexually gratifying."
These are the very abuses that North Carolina is seeking to prevent, and while the state cannot stop a private business like Target from engaging in this dangerous social experiment, it can take a stand on a statewide, public facility level. Yet for taking this stand, the NBA has declared North Carolina unworthy of hosting the 2017 All Star game.
Shame on Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA, and shame on all those who stood with him in this disgraceful decision.
The Alliance Defending Freedom pointed out that "Nearly 1 in 8 high school girls have been sexually assaulted" and "Nearly 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted," noting that, "For many sex abuse survivors, the mere presence of a biological man in a women's restroom, locker room, or changing room is a trigger that causes severe emotional and mental harm—regardless of that man's intentions."
What does the NBA say to them?
Commissioner Silver stated, "We have been guided in these discussions [about the All Star game] by the long-standing core values of our league. These include not only diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect for others but also the willingness to listen and consider opposing points of view."
In reality, the NBA has sided against these very values, unless the words "diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect" have taken on a whole new meaning, since the NBA is showing zero tolerance for any diversity of views, absolute exclusion of all those who want to keep a biological boy out of a girl's shower room, complete unfairness towards young ladies who would now be forced to compete against young men in sports, and utter disrespect for the commonsense values of the clear majority of the residents of North Carolina.
As I asked in a previous article, would the NBA allow a star like LeBron James to play in the WNBA if he felt he was a woman trapped in a man's body? If not, why are they forcing schools to do what they would never do?
As for showing a "willingness to listen and consider opposing points of view," you don't demonstrate this by pulling a previously-scheduled, major event out of a city. This is what is called bullying, punishing and intimidating.
Ironically (and hypocritically), LGBT leaders, who frequently share poignant stories of the bullying they have experienced, are now cheering on the bullying of the NBA. The bullied have become the bullies.
But the story doesn't end here.
To underscore its hypocrisy, the NBA announced that it has relocated the 2017 All Star game to New Orleans, a city that has the same ordinances as Charlotte, allowing "for 'separate bathroom, restroom, shower or similar facilities for males and females' in its local ordinance."
In terms of bathroom access, there's no fundamental difference between Charlotte and New Orleans, yet Charlotte is being punished for refusing to bow down to the goals of radical gay activists.
Not only so, but both North Carolina and Louisiana, along with 22 other states, have filed suit against the federal government, protesting the Obama administration's gross overreach in this very area—trying to force schools to comply with radical LGBT activism—yet Louisiana is being rewarded and North Carolina is being punished.
That leaves only reasonable course of action: Stand up to the bullies and ride out the storm until common sense prevails again. The bullying must ultimately backfire.
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Stephen Curry: I Knew God Was Preparing Me for a Bigger Stage to Be a Witness for Him
Stephen Curry (Reuters)
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Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors captured their first NBA title since 1975 last night in a 105-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Curry and Andre Iguodala, the Finals' MVP who called the Warriors a "team of believers" in post-game interviews, teamed up for 50 points, while the Cavs' LeBron James added 32.
Even after the greatest achievement in basketball, Curry knows there's a much bigger prize in life, long after the buzzer sounds.
In 2013, Curry talked to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the March issue of its bi-monthly magazine, writing that his faith identifies him more than his jersey.
"Congratulations to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on an incredible season and an amazing playoff run—and to LeBron James and the Cavaliers for a stellar season as well," said FCA President and CEO Les Steckel. "We are so elated for Steph and his commitment to his team, his fans, his family and his Savior. Steph gave God all the glory last night. He is a wonderful role model to young athletes, who we hope will learn that when God is in charge of their life, they're always undefeated because God never loses."
Curry told FCA about the moment he began living for Jesus—and never looked back: "I remember it like it was yesterday, the day I gave my life to Christ. I was in fourth grade, and I recall hearing and understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ and walking down the aisle to give my life to Him. My parents continued to pour into my faith from that point on, making sure I understood the commitment I'd just made."
And of his journey to the NBA, he said, "I knew the Lord was preparing me for a bigger stage to represent and be a witness for Him on the basketball court. I remembered my mom telling me from day one at Davidson (College) that God puts His people in different areas of life so that they can reach more people for Him. I tried to use that time for His glory.
"God's given me talents to play basketball for a living, but I still have to work hard to improve every day. I know that in the grand scheme of things, this is just a game that can be taken from me at any moment. But I love that basketball gives me the opportunities to do good things for people and to point them towards the Man who died for our sins on the cross. I know I have a place in heaven waiting for me because of Him, and that's something no earthly prize or trophy could ever top.
"There's more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that's Christ living inside of me."
Steckel added that FCA's mission is to reach coaches and athletes for Christ—one heart at a time.
"Whether youth, junior school, high school, college or professional, athletes have a platform like few others to share their faith," Steckel added. "We are thrilled that Steph is using the platform he has been given not for his own glory but for the glory of God."
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