Shot ready

A future basketball Hall of Famer's rosy outlook. Curry is that rare athlete who looks like he gets joy from what he does. There's no doubt that the Golden State Warriors point guard is a competitor--he's led his team to four championships--but he plays the game with nonchalance and exuberance. That ease, he says, "only comes from discipline." He practices hard enough--he's altered the sport by mastering the three-point shot--so that he achieves a "kind of freedom." In that "flow state," he says, "I can let joy and creativity take over. I block out all distractions, even the person guarding me. He can wave his arms and call me every name in the book, but I just smile and wait as the solution to the problem--how to get the ball into the basket--presents itself." Curry shares this approach to his craft in a stylish collection that mixes life lessons with sharp photographs and archival images. His dad, Dell, played in the NBA for 16 years, and Curry learned much from his father and mother: "My parents were extremely strict about me and my little brother Seth not going to my pops's games on school nights." Curry's mother, Sonya, who founded the Montessori elementary school that Curry attended in North Carolina, emphasized the importance not just of learning but of playing. Her influence helped Curry and his wife, Ayesha, create a nonprofit foundation: Eat. Learn. Play. He writes that "making reading fun is the key to unlocking a kid's ability to be successful in their academic journeys." The book also has valuable pointers for ballers--and those hoping to hit the court. "Plant those arches--knees bent behind those 10 toes pointing at the hoop, hips squared with your shoulders--and draw your power up so you explode off the ground and rise into your shot." Sounds easy, right? "Protect your passion," writes an NBA star in this winning exploration of how we can succeed in life. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.