You Yokoyama, a member of SUPER EIGHT, is active in various fields such as music and acting. He is also a huge fan of Stephen Curry, who plays for the Golden State Warriors. An online interview between the two stars has now come to fruition.

Stephen Curry, a player for the Golden State Warriors (hereafter GSW) and a Global Brand Ambassador for Rakuten Group, served as a judge for “Art of the Game,” a collaborative project on sneaker design by Rakuten Group and CANVVS. This event, with a prize of $10,000, attracted many up-and-coming creators. Stephen made time for syncSPORTS by Rakuten amidst a stimulating day with young upcoming talents and various media.

You Yokoyama, a fan for 10 years stepped in as the interviewer. Ahead of the online conversation with Stephen, You, waiting in front of his screen, repeatedly practiced his self-introduction in English. The joy of being able to speak with his favorite player and the rising tension as time approached. With these two emotions intertwined, the conversation across the screen finally began.

You Yokoyama (hereafter You): “Hello!”

Stephen Curry (hereafter Stephen): “How are you doing? It’s an honor to meet you.”

You: “I’m great! I’ve been your fan for about 10 years now.”

Stephen: “Thank you! That means I’ve gotten older (laughs).”

You: “We took a photo together when we met before at the ‘NBA Japan Games 2022’.”

You shows the photo they took together on the screen.

You brought the photo specifically for this day.

Stephen: “(Looking at the photo) My hair color is different from back then.”

You: “I’m happy to meet you again like this.”

Stephen: “Me too! Thank you for always supporting me.”

——First, please tell us about the charity activities you are both involved in. Stephen, you are involved in a charity called ‘Eat. Learn. Play’ with your wife, Ayesha. Why did you start this initiative?

Stephen: “We prioritize helping the community (Oakland, California). They have supported me ever since I was drafted by the GSW in 2009. Our mission is to support the next generation of children living in this area. We are focusing on creating an environment where they can have proper meals from a young age, receive an education, and play safely. This will help unleash their hidden potential. Our main focus is creating a safe and secure environment for them to play. It helps children build confidence and explore various things while playing with their friends at school. I’m very happy that we’ve been able to continue these activities for six years.”

You: “I truly respect you for your energetic engagement in such activities.”

Stephen: “Thank you.”

——You, in the summer of 2025, you took on a 24-hour marathon as part of a TV program. That project was also a charity activity aimed at raising donations to support children’s homes and learning.

You: “While working on the 24-hour marathon, I heard many stories of difficult situations people are struggling through in Japan, and it made me realize how much I didn’t know. I realized that what I could do from my position was to be the outlet to inform more people about the situation. By speaking out loud, I was able to reach so many people. I’ve learnt that nothing starts without people knowing first.”

You: “I’d like to ask Stephen a question as well. You’ve been active in NBA for many years, so I’m sure you have many junior players. How much do you pay attention to their presence?”

Stephen: “I think the young players today are doing well despite difficult circumstances. GSW is in the spotlight, so expectations are high. It’s fun to watch them grow. What I always emphasize is ‘never forget to work hard.’ Also, I don’t want them to be afraid of failure, and I want them to ask many questions and learn a lot from that. It’s very difficult to get into the NBA, but surviving there is 10 times harder than getting in.”

You: “Among the GSW players, who asks you the most questions?”

Stephen: “Brandin Podziemski. He’s by far the one who asks the most.”

——You, what are your thoughts on mentoring junior colleagues?

You: “Until my early 30s, I strongly felt that ‘I won’t lose to my juniors!’ but now, I don’t feel that way. It’s because my juniors also have amazing talent and are reliable. I’m very happy now when they come to me and say, ‘Let’s do something together.'”

——Finally, is there anything else You would like to ask Stephen?

You: “Stephen, I believe you changed the style of basketball with your three-point shooting. What kind of trend do you think will emerge in the future?”

Stephen: “Honestly, it’s difficult to say. When I joined the league, I never imagined that we would be shooting so many three-pointers. Now, everyone shoots three-pointers, and children are extending their shooting range at an early age. My son recently started playing basketball, and watching how he learns the game, I feel that children today have a rich imagination and creativity. I think that’s very good for basketball. It’s not easy to predict what will happen next.”

You: “It was great to hear so many different stories today. Thank you very much!”

Stephen: “Arigato!”

TEXT: Akira Uchida
PHOTO: Takuma Suda
STYLING: Yoshio Hakamada (juice&juicy)
HAIR&MAKE-UP: Erena Tarumi
TRANSLATION: Kanako Kobayashi
EDIT: Seira Okimi, Tetsuya Ohashi, Yohsuke Watanabe (IN FOCUS), Shiori Saeki (IN FOCUS)