How would you define the ways to attain success? Several people would just go towards the cliches, like “Work hard”, “Manage your time well”, “Stay Positive”, “Never Give Up”, etc. Others might drop to more specifics. As it turns out, none of them came close to impressing Steve Kerr as much as Roger Federer’s response once did.
The Golden State Warriors’ head coach was recently interviewed on the ‘Glue Guys’ podcast. The discussion shifted to Scottie Scheffler, and the “long, really honest” view of what it means when you win things. The golf star had gone viral for discussing his career and saying that “This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.” Kerr revealed loving it. Not only because of the irony that Scheffler went on to win the 2025 Open Championship later on, but also because it reminded him of something similar that Roger Federer once said on the Warriors’ trip to China in 2018.
Kerr revealed that, “Draymond asked him in front of the whole group. He said How do you sustain excellence? You know, you’ve been doing this for 20 years, and at that time, you know, he’s still winning majors, right? And I think everybody was expecting an answer like ‘well, you know I work so hard, and I do this, and I do that, and’…. but his answer was very Scottie Scheffler-like.” So what did Roger say?
“He said, ‘You know I love my life’. He goes, ‘I wake up every morning. I cook breakfast for my kids. Uh, then I take them to school, and then I drop them off, and then I go practice tennis for like two hours. And I’ve got a great routine now that I’ve figured out where I can get all my work in a really joyful way without killing my body, but you know, keeps me in great shape, ready for the next tournament. Then I go home, and I love to cook, so I cook my kids a dinner. And then, you know, we hang around a little bit and everybody goes to bed and I put my head on the pillow and I go, ‘That was a great day.’ He goes, ‘So, I’ve been doing that for 20 years, and that works for me.” Steve Kerr added.
What Kerr heard touched him. It got him to the point that he exclaimed that “‘Yes, yes, that’s…. that’s it right there.’ Like, he’s figured it out. And I think a lot of people who have amazing success never actually have that realization because they’re continuing to push forward, and grind, and uh, so it’s that work-life balance, and recognizing what’s really important and finding joy and ease in your life with your family. That’s what it’s all about”. And apparently, Stephen Curry took Federer’s word to heart.
Mar 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after his dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
During an interview with ‘Fatherly’ back in 2022, Curry was asked about managing work-life balance when on the road. The 4x NBA champion responded by saying that “We’re fortunate to have FaceTime when I’m on the road. My dad traveled a lot during his 16 years in the NBA, and I don’t know how my parents did it back in the day without technology. During the off-season, I have much more time with my kids, so I’m trying to do as many fun things as possible and do little things like showing up to their practices. Carpooling is an amazing time [chuckles]. The beauty of it is that you come to appreciate all the little things that seem kind of mundane or routine”. Yep, sounds like a paragraph from Federer’s book.
Just like Federer, Curry realized the importance of certain priorities. And his biggest priority? His wife, Ayesha Curry.
Ayesha Claims Her Relationship with Stephen Curry ‘Always’ Comes Before Parents’ Role
Back in February, Ayesha Curry gave an interview to ‘People’ magazine. While discussing their children’s impact on the couple’s life, Ayesha clearly said that “I think for us, our relationship always comes first. Then we’re parents. And that works for us because then you have two happy people raising the kids in the house. So the family sector in our lives always comes first.”
Ayesha and Steph have known each other since their childhood days, and have been married for the last 14 years. After such a long period, and amidst the hectic schedules that both Steph and Ayesha deal with, it’s easy to lose that spark. Fortunately, the couple works on their relationship. From vacations and birthday outings to attending the BottleRock Napa Valley Musical Festival, they take the time out to focus on themselves.
They also support each other professionally, as seen when Steph showed up to promote the Coffee Fix Peptide Eye Cream from Ayesha’s ‘Sweet July’ brand. He was middle of preparing for the All-Star Weekend, but still took the time out.
Roger Federer and Stephen Curry stand out as inspirations not only due to their sports prowess. But also for finding that balance between professional and personal lives. And that’s what makes them great.
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