Stephen Curry has been dominant during the regular season, averaging 36.4 points per game on 44% shooting from 3-point range and an astounding 45% from beyond the arc. However, he is nowhere near his full potential due to a number of injuries in recent months which have limited him to just 11 games this year.
Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Tour Powered by Rakuten will end its third season on April 1-3 at Oakland’s Soldiertown indoor basketball arena. The three-day, invite-only event is the culmination of a nationwide search for underrepresented and overlooked high school basketball talent, bringing together tour finalists for tournament-style games in which one boy and one girl will be named the country’s most UNDERRATED athlete representing their region. During the UNDERRATED Tour Championship Stop, student-athletes play in tournament-style games and get customized training, tailored experiences, and best-in-class resources such as workouts, off-court education, personal skills development, expert panels, and more.
“I established the UNDERRATED brand to encourage anybody who feels underappreciated in their industry to keep trying,” Stephen Curry told The SOURCE exclusively. “I am dedicated to creating possibilities for athletes who are in the same situation as I was a few years ago.” Many in the business referred to me as a 3-star athlete before to my collegiate and NBA careers. The UNDERRATED Championships Tournament is for all athletes who have experienced being confined to a box and forced to play in the shadows on the court. For me, it’s thrilling to see young guys compete in Oakland and have the chance to challenge misconceptions about the sport, just like I did when I was their age.”
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The UNDERRATED Tour provides a large platform for young athletes to be seen by college recruiters, sports agents, and other key industry professionals. Three-star high school players who are often neglected have a greater chance of developing into college-level scholarship athletes and embodying the UNDERRATED attitude as a result of this exposure.
In the summer of 2021, the UNDERRATED Tour visited four cities (Washington, D.C., Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles), where 75 boys and girls were given the opportunity to study and break through the noise. The top 64 participants (16 from each region) were flown to the Bay Area for the Championship.
Jacobi Sebock, an Oklahoma native who has overcome severe health concerns that have kept him off the basketball floor, is one of those young players. Jacobi was born without sweat glands and suffered from severe asthma, Crohn’s disease, and a grade one heart blockage. Jacobi overcame these challenges, earning playing time on his AAU team and demonstrating his abilities. His coach deserves credit for deciding that Jacobi’s challenges should not limit what he can do on the floor. Jacobi will now represent the United States in the UNDERRATED Championship.
Tiana, for example, overcame verbally abusive coaches and staff at her high school, who often belittled her on-court performance. Despite dominating in every statistical area, Tiana decided to move to Victory Christian Academy as a result of the criticism. Tiana demonstrated selflessness by passing up recruitment possibilities. Tiana was ineligible to play her senior year, so she served as a scout and helped her teammates prepare for the next season.
This year, Rakuten added two $20,000 scholarships to the program for Championship-bound players, which may be used in any college, university, or trade school. Players may submit essays to a committee of sports and industry professionals describing their overlooked story and its influence on their life. Two fortunate applicants, one boy and one girl, will receive scholarships, which will be revealed during the UNDERRATED Tour Championship Stop in Oakland.
“We are tremendously thrilled to collaborate with Stephen Curry on this initiative, and we are impressed by the positivity and passion of The UNDERRATED Tour athletes,” said Amit Patel, CEO of Rakuten Americas and Rakuten Rewards. “It is an honor for us to sponsor a program that works to empower underserved and marginalized groups.” “Congratulations to all of the competitors that competed in the Championship Stop this year.”
Stephen’s remarkable rise to the top culminates in the UNDERRATED Tour. He challenges the odds and shatters basketball clichés by reminding people that being the greatest means believing in yourself, committing to your craft, and being unafraid. The goal of assisting undervalued and underrepresented individuals all around the globe has not changed.
Visit www.stayunderrated.com for more information and the latest updates on The UNDERRATED Tour Powered by Rakuten.
