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Nasha Smith
- Steph and Ayesha Curry's relationship has captured the hearts of fans and media professionals alike.
- Thepair met as teenagers are their church's youth group in North Carolina.
- They reconnected as young adults over Facebook and have been together ever since.
- They have three children together — Riley, Ryan, and Canon.
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
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NBA superstar Steph Curry and entrepreneur Ayesha Curry have seen their relationship blossom from childhood sweethearts to a married couple and parents of three children. Between a high profile sports career and a burgeoning culinary empire, the two have said they have always made each other a priority.
Here's a look at their modern fairy tale.
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2002: The couple met in a church youth group.
Steph's family moved back to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2002 after his father Dell retired from the NBA. That's when Steph would meet Ayesha Alexander, a fellow member of the youth group at the Central Church of God. Ayesha wasn't allowed to date in high school but found another way to convey her interest — a mutual love of candy, specifically Maynards Fuzzy Peach. The Toronto native would share the treats from her home country with Steph.
"That's how she would flirt with him, in a way," Steph's sister, Sydel told the Mercury News. "She would find him after church, barely say two words, and like walk away. I would look at her like 'God, she's so lame.' He clearly liked it. It left an impression."
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2008: The two reconnected in Los Angeles.
Ayesha graduated from high school early and at 17-years-old moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. By then Steph had started to make a name for himself in the basketball world, having just led his Davidson Wildcats to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight. When he got an opportunity to attend a basketball camp in L.A. he decided to look up Ayesha on Facebook for a reunion.
She declined but left the door open for a meeting if he was ever in the area again. The following week, while in town again for the ESPY awards, he tried his luck. This time she agreed and the two spent their first date drinking chai tea lattes and hitting up Hollywood tourist spots like the Walk of Fame and Kodak Theatre. But the goodnight kiss was where Steph's luck ran out.
"He was in mid-conversation and came flying at my face like a thief in the night," Ayesha told Parents Magazine. "So I was like, No. Then I thought, 'Oh, I didn't know this is what was happening.'"
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2008: Ayesha moved back to Charlotte as Steph entered his junior season at Davidson.
Ayesha moved back to Charlotte and the pair officially started dating. A year later, Steph declared for the NBA draft and was selected seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors. Despite moving out to Oakland without his love, the two remained closely connected.
According to family friend Chris Strachan, "That whole year Steph walked around on FaceTime or on his computer with Ayesha. If he wasn't playing or practicing, he was talking to her."
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2010: The couple got engaged in the rain.
Two years into their relationship, Steph decided to take things to the next level. The couple stopped at his parents' house after his sister's volleyball match, supposedly to pick up a board game. Instead, he surprised Ayesha with a sweet and sentimental proposal in the driveway.
"He asked me if I knew where we were standing. It was the spot where we had our first kiss," Ayesha told the Charlotte Observer. "He pulled me close and started saying all these sweet things and then dropped down on one knee. I was in a state of shock."
As the rain came down, Steph likened it to a scene out of "The Notebook."
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2011: The pair got hitched in style.
Steph and Ayesha tied the knot on July 30, 2011, in the same church where they met nine years before. The bride wore a strapless, taffeta, Amsale gown with a custom made veil and the groom was decked out in a smoke grey tuxedo. It was a very emotional day for both. Ayesha was so overcome that she had to use her father for support.
She told Carolina Bride, "During the rehearsal, I kept telling him, 'You're not supposed to hold my hand,' but as soon as I saw Stephen I was like, 'Can I please hold your hand?!'"
Steph was struggling to hold it together as well."Our pastor told me to look at him if I started tearing up, but he was already way past my tear level," Steph recalled. "That was the best part of the ceremony, though. I still have that picture of her in my head."
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2012: Steph and Ayesha had their first child, Riley.
Just before the newlyweds celebrated their first anniversary Ayesha gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Riley, on July 19th, 2012. Ayesha described her as a "borderline honeymoon baby."
The world would get to see a bit of the tiny tot's huge personality when she joined her father for a post-game press conference at the Western Conference Finals in 2015.
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2015: The Currys welcome their second child into the world — Ryan Carson Curry.
In January, the couple announced in an Instagram post that they were expecting their second child.
Steph wrote, "Didn't think it was possible but My #WCW just got even sexier! Baby #2 on the way. Been blessed beyond belief already and I praise Him daily! God is great!"
The doting dad continued to gush when Ryan Carson Curry made her debut on July 12, 2015.
"Thanks to the doctors and staff at Alta Bates for taking care of my girls, especially Dr. Poddatori. Healthy baby and @ayeshacurry is all I prayed for. #prouddaddy"
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2016: Steph heaped praise on Ayesha.
Steph had Ayesha's back as she showed off her culinary skills at her pop-up restaurant International Smoke at Chef Michael Mina's Test Kitchen in San Francisco. Even Drake stopped by to show some love to his fellow Canadian. Ayesha continued her hot streak that year as she released her cookbook "The Seasoned Life: Food, Family, Faith, and the Joy of Eating Well" filled with recipes she often prepares for her own family.
He also paid homage to his wife as he received the first unanimous MVP award in NBA history.
"None of this is possible without you," he said. "You've given me the opportunity to go out here and work as hard as I do, spend the hours I need to do at the gym, during practice, in games, on the road – all the while holding down the house and doing the little things that keep our family going."
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2017: Steph paid tribute to Ayesha in an unconventional and adorable way.
Steph is signed with footwear and apparel company Under Armour through 2024 and on Mother's Day, he revealed a special edition of his signature Curry 3Zero's dedicated to the real "Chef Curry," Ayesha. The colorway matched her recently published cookbook.
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2018: The Currys had their first son.
The couple welcomed their third July born baby, Canon W. Jack Curry.
Ayesha captured a poignant moment between the three siblings with the caption, "My heart is FULL. God has been too good to us. Our beautiful baby boy Canon W. Jack Curry He joined us earlier than we thought and we couldn't be more excited and grateful. Family of five."
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