April 4, 2016

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will have its share of major sports stories. But none may be bigger than the eagerly anticipated performance by American Simone Biles in the women’s gymnastic competition from August 6 to August 21.

Simone Biles of the United States performs the floor exercise portion of the women’s all-around final at the world gymnastics championships in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oct. 29, 2015. Biles became the first woman to win three consecutive world all-around titles. Credit: © Kyodo/AP Photo

Biles, who stands only 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall, is the undisputed queen of international women’s gymnastics. She gracefully executes moves with the highest degree of difficulty, dazzling spectators, judges, and her fellow competitors with her daring, creativity, and athletic skills.

Biles began piling up the national and international honors in 2013. In just two years, she had become one of the most celebrated and dominant gymnasts in history, placed in the rarefied company of such former gymnastics champions as Olga Korbut, from what is now Belarus, and Nadia Comaneci of Romania.

In 2015, Biles won the 2015 world championship in the all-around event, repeating her victories in the event in 2013 and 2014. Biles thus became the first woman to win three straight world championships in the event. She also became the first African American to hold the women’s all-around world championship title.

Biles won the United States national all-around championship in 2013, 2014, and 2015. She won the world floor exercise title in the same years and the balance beam title in 2014 and 2015. She was also a member of the American team that won gold medals in the 2014 and 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Biles is warming up for the 2016 Olympics by competing on the American team in the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships from April 8 to April 10 in Everett, Washington.

Simone Arianne Biles was born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. She grew up in Texas, raised by her grandparents. Biles was introduced to gymnastics at the age of six on a day-care field trip to a gym in Spring, Texas. She soon enrolled in recreational classes at the gym under instructor Aimee Boorman, who became her coach. Biles was home schooled during her high school years in order to devote more time to gymnastics. She won her first gold medals in 2013.

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March 28, 2016

Today is the 30^th birthday of the American pop singer, songwriter, and musician Lady Gaga. The megastar first became enormously popular eight years ago and continues to reinvent herself creatively today. Lady Gaga is known for her unusual costumes and live performances, and for speaking out on political and social issues.

Lady Gaga is an American pop singer, songwriter, and musician. Credit: © Everett Collection/Shutterstock

Last month, Lady Gaga won acclaim for her patriotic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XLIX; for her flamboyant tribute at the Grammy Awards to British rock star David Bowie, who died earlier in the year; and for her performance at the Academy Awards of a medley of songs from the 1965 motion picture The Sound of Music that won over even the film’s star, Julie Andrews. Lady Gaga also won hearts on Oscars night with her moving performance of her song “Till It Happens to You.“ United States Vice President Joe Biden introduced the performance, which was dedicated to survivors of sexual assault. As she performed the song, Lady Gaga, who has openly discussed her own alleged assault, was surrounded by other survivors with empowering messages written on their arms. She wrote the song for the 2015 sexual assault documentary The Hunting Ground.

Lady Gaga was born on March 28, 1986, in New York City, New York. Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She began studying piano as a child. At 17, she was admitted to study music at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University (NYU). But she left NYU to pursue a career as a performer. A music producer gave her the name Lady Gaga in 2006. The name was inspired by the song “Radio Ga Ga” (1984) by the British rock band Queen.

In 2008, Lady Gaga’s first single, “Just Dance,” was released. The song became a worldwide hit. Her first album, The Fame (2008), featured the song “Poker Face.” Both the album and the song also became huge worldwide hits. The album also featured the hit “Paparazzi.” The Fame Monster, a reissue EP of The Fame that featured eight new tracks, was released in 2009. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. The EP featured the hits “Bad Romance” and “Telephone.”

Lady Gaga’s second studio album, Born This Way, debuted at #1 when it was released in 2011. The album’s title song delivered a record-setting debut on Billboard’s Pop Songs radio airplay chart after just three days of availability. The song had 4,602 plays, the highest total detections by a debuting song in the chart’s 18-year history. “Born This Way” also became the fastest-selling single on Apple Inc.’s iTunes Store. The song went to #1 in 23 countries and sold more than 1 million copies in five days. Lady Gaga’s third album, Artpop, released in 2013, also debuted at #1 and featured the hit “Applause.” In 2014, Lady Gaga and the American singer Tony Bennett had a #1 hit with Cheek to Cheek, a duets album of jazz standards. During the first half of 2015, the pair toured together in support of the album in 36 shows across Europe and North America, many of which were sold out.

Lady Gaga has won a number of awards, including 6 Grammys. She also holds 12 records in the Guinness Book of World Records, including most followers on the social networking website Twitter. In 2011, Lady Gaga had more than 10 million Twitter followers, whom, along with her other fans, she affectionately addresses as “Little Monsters.” In 2015, she began acting in the television series “American Horror Story: Hotel.” In January 2016, Lady Gaga won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the series as the Countess, a bloodsucking fashionista who owns a mysterious hotel in Los Angeles, California.

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March 21, 2016

Canadian pop megastar Justin Bieber, who turned 22 on March 1, won his first Grammy Award last month. The hit single “Where Are Ü Now” (2015), by the American music producers Skrillex and Diplo (as the group Jack Ü), featuring Bieber on vocals, won a Grammy Award as best dance recording. Bieber has also won a number of other awards for his music, including American Music Awards, ASCAP Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Juno Awards, which are presented annually to Canadian artists.

Justin Bieber is a Canadian pop singer, songwriter, and musician who gained international fame in the early 2000’s. Bieber became one of the youngest solo male artists to top the United States popular music albums chart. This photo shows him during a performance. Credit: © Shutterstock

The singer, songwriter, and musician gained international fame in the first decade of the 2000’s while still a teenager. Bieber’s first EP, My World (2009) became a huge worldwide hit. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. Bieber’s first studio album, My World 2.0 (2010), also became a huge worldwide hit. Bieber received Grammy nominations in 2011 for best new artist and for best pop vocal album for My World 2.0. The success of My World 2.0, released when Bieber was 16, made him the youngest solo male artist to top the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart since 13-year-old Stevie Wonder in 1963.

Justin Drew Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario. He grew up in Stratford, Ontario. He taught himself to play piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. In 2007, when Bieber was 12, he posted a video of himself performing in a local singing competition on the video-sharing website YouTube. Bieber’s popularity grew as his mother posted more videos of him singing. Bieber’s videos were discovered by a music producer named Scooter Braun, who became his manager. Bieber was soon signed to a recording contract.

Bieber’s first single, “One Time,” was released in 2009 and became a hit in more than 10 countries. His other hits include “One Less Lonely Girl,” “Love Me,” and “Favorite Girl” (all 2009); “Baby,” “Never Let You Go,” and “U Smile” (all 2010); “Boyfriend” (2012); and “Love Yourself,” “Sorry,” and “What Do You Mean?” (all 2015). The release of the latter, on Aug. 28, 2015, made Bieber the youngest male artist to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In addition to that record, Bieber has also set five other records in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2012, his music video for “Baby” (with the American rap performer Ludacris) became the most popular video of any kind online. Also that year, Bieber became the first artist to have three #1 albums in the United States and the United Kingdom before the age of 18, as well as the person with the most widespread social network message in 24 hours, after a message celebrating his 18th birthday was posted 251,878 times on Facebook and Twitter. In 2014, Bieber became the youngest solo artist to have five #1 albums in the United States and the youngest musician with a music channel viewed three billion times.

Bieber’s second studio album, the Christmas album Under the Mistletoe (2011), also became a #1 hit. It was the first holiday album by a male solo artist to open at #1 in the 55 years of Billboard’s album chart. Bieber donated some of the album’s proceeds to his “BELIEVE” charity. Bieber’s third studio album, Believe (2012), also became a #1 hit. His fourth studio album, Purpose, released in November 2015, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold 522,000 copies in its first week of release, giving Bieber the largest first-week sales of his career. Bieber also had #1 hits with the remix albums Never Say Never: The Remixes (2011) and Believe Acoustic (2013).

Bieber appeared in the documentary concert films Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011) and Justin Bieber’s Believe (2013).

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March 14, 2016

The world’s great mania for soccer—which is called football in most countries—has taken root and thrived in the United States. Professional leagues for both men and women are more popular than ever, and Americans watched in record numbers as the U.S. Men’s National Team battled to a tough knockout round loss to Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. But it is the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT)—Team USA—which has earned the title megastar.

The United States Women’s National Team celebrates with the trophy after they beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday, July 5, 2015. Credit: © AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

The USWNT began humbly in 1985, losing badly to more traditional soccer powers from Europe and South America. But U.S. women’s soccer gained momentum in spectacular fashion as the team won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup held in China in 1991. That first World Cup began humbly, too. In fact, the sport’s governing body refused to call it a World Cup. Few remember that early tournament’s official title: 1st FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football for the M&M’s Cup. That title doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, say, like an M&M.

Women’s soccer gained great popularity following the M&M’s Cup, and the next global tournament, held in Sweden in 1995, was graced with the World Cup title. The USWNT finished third that year, but won the World Cup again in 1999 as the tournament was played on American soil. The USWNT crept into mainstream U.S. sports talk, and soon people began to recognize such stars as Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, and Mia Hamm.

The USWNT blossomed in the 2000’s, cultivating such stars as Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Christie Rampone, Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo, and Abby Wambach. Team USA fell short, however, in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 Women’s World Cups, finishing second or third in all three tournaments. The team returned to greatness in 2015, however, dominating the Women’s World Cup in Canada for their third world championship. That year, U.S. head coach Jill Ellis was named FIFA’s World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football. Lloyd, who famously scored three goals in the World Cup Final, won the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award. Two other Team USA players had previously won that award: Hamm (2001 and 2002) and Wambach (2012).

The USWNT has dominated the Olympic Games since women’s soccer became an official sport in 1996. In five Olympics, Team USA has won four gold medals and one silver. With the Summer Olympics just a few months away in Brazil, expect another dazzling medal run for the American megastars.

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• Soccer (1998) – A Back in Time article
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March 7, 2016

International supermodel Jennifer Hawkins takes to the catwalk again for Myer when Australia’s largest department store group returns as an official sponsor of the 2016 Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. Myer will showcase its autumn collections at its national flagship store in Melbourne during the March 7 to 13 festival for the first time in five years. In February, Hawkins helped launch Myer’s 2016 Autumn/Winter fashion collection in Sydney.

Jennifer Hawkins at the G’Day USA Australia Week 2010 Black Tie Gala, Kodak Theater, Hollywood, CA. Credit: © Shutterstock

Since 2004, life has been a blur for Hawkins, an Australian television host, business executive, and entrepreneur. That year, Hawkins won both the Miss Universe Australia and the Miss Universe beauty pageants. Hawkins triumphed over 80 other contestants from around the world vying for the coveted title in Quito, Ecuador. As the reigning Miss Universe, Hawkins traveled worldwide raising awareness for HIV and AIDS. In 2004, Hawkins also became a presenter for Australia’s leading television network, the Seven Network.

Hawkins’s natural beauty, charismatic personality, and expert strut on the runway have made her a national celebrity in Australia and one of the country’s highest-paid entertainers. Hawkins has used her popularity, lucrative endorsement deals, and sharp business sense to turn her property and business investments into a multimillion-dollar empire.

Jennifer Louise Hawkins was born on Dec. 22, 1983, in Holmesville, near Newcastle, New South Wales. She attended West Wallsend High School in New South Wales. She later worked as a legal secretary and was a cheerleader for the Newcastle Knights National Rugby League team.

In 2006, Hawkins signed a multimillion-dollar contract to represent Myer, the Australian retailer. She has served as the Face of Myer for nearly a decade. Hawkins also has launched a growing list of her own top-selling brands, including “COZI by Jennifer Hawkins” swimwear for Myer, “JLH by Jennifer Hawkins” shoes, and “JBronze” self-tanning products. In addition, she has represented such global brands as Bioglan vitamins, Covergirl makeup, Lovable lingerie, LUX fashions, PepsiCo Australia, Range Rover luxury sport utility vehicles, and Redwin skincare products. Hawkins has been featured on the cover of a number of magazines and has appeared on the popular Australian television shows “Australia’s Next Top Model,” where she currently serves as the host and judge; “The Great Outdoors”; and the travel show “Getaway.”

February 29, 2016

The 88th Academy Awards were presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, last night, following one of the most controversial Oscars seasons in recent memory. The Academy Awards are presented annually for outstanding achievements in filmmaking. The awards are supervised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with headquarters in Beverly Hills, California. Oscars are awarded in up to 27 categories.

Academy Awards are presented annually for outstanding achievements in filmmaking. Winners of an Academy Award receive a gold-plated statue commonly called an Oscar, shown here. Credit: © Richard Levine, Alamy Images

Spotlight won for best picture of the year. The film tells the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Alejandro González Iñárritu won the Oscar as best director for The Revenant, about a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820′s who fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team. It was the Mexican director’s second Oscar win in a row for best director. Iñárritu won as best director in 2015 for Birdman. Leonardo DiCaprio won the Academy Award as best actor for his performance as the lead in The Revenant. It was the actor’s first Oscar win after five other nominations. Brie Larson received the Academy Award as best actress for her performance as a woman who is abducted, held against her will, raped, and gives birth to a boy in Room. Mark Rylance won the best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of a man who is captured for espionage against the United States on behalf of the Soviet Union (now Russia) during the Cold War in Bridge of Spies. The Academy Award for best supporting actress went to Alicia Vikander for her performance as the wife of a transgender pioneer in The Danish Girl. The night’s big winner was Mad Max: Fury Road, with six awards, for costume design, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, production design, sound editing, and sound mixing.

A number of Hollywood’s most prominent African American stars boycotted the Oscars ceremony to protest the Academy’s lack of diversity. After the Academy announced its Oscar nominees on January 14, it was quickly noted that only white actors and actresses were nominated in the top four acting categories for the second year in a row. The Twitter hashtag #OscarSoWhite, which began last year, soon saw a resurgence among users of the social networking website. Among the most outspoken Hollywood celebrities calling for a boycott were director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith. On January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, Pinkett Smith announced on Facebook and Lee announced on Instragram that they would not attend the Oscars ceremony with their spouses. Lee’s film Chi-Raq failed to win any nominations, while Pinkett Smith’s husband, Will Smith, who had been expected by some to be a best actor contender for his turn in the biopic Concussion, was also snubbed for an Oscar. Other notable omissions were British actor Idris Elba, who was projected to secure a best supporting actor nomination for his performance as an African warlord in Beasts of No Nation; Michael B. Jordan, who portrayed a boxer in the Rocky sequel Creed; and the cast of the biopic Straight Outta Compton, about the influential rap group N.W.A.

Many protesters called for the evening’s host, African American comedian and actor Chris Rock, to join the boycott. Instead Rock, who had also hosted the awards in 2005, made the Academy’s lack of diversity the focus of his humorous opening monologue and the butt of many of his jokes and bits during the evening. On Jan. 22, 2016, the Academy announced that it would overhaul its membership in order to promote diversity, aiming to double its number of female and minority members by the year 2020.

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February 22, 2016

In January, Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi won his record fifth Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball), an annual award given to the best men’s soccer player in the world. The Ballon d’Or was just the latest tip of the cap for Messi, who has captivated soccer fans since his debut with FC (football club) Barcelona in 2004. One of the best scorers ever to step on the pitch, Messi has racked up 297 goals in his Barcelona career—more than any other player in Spanish league history.

Lionel Messi is an Argentine soccer star who is internationally famous for his speed, his ball handling skills, and his goal scoring. Credit: © AP Photo

In 2008, Messi led the Argentine national team to a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in China. In 2012, playing for both Barcelona and Argentina, he scored 91 goals, the most by a player during one calendar year in professional soccer history. In 2014, he powered Argentina to the FIFA World Cup final in Brazil (a 1-0 extra time loss to Germany). FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Such was his presence at that tournament that the final was often billed “Messi versus Germany.” Statistically, he didn’t qualify for the all-tournament team, but on reputation alone he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the World Cup.

Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. He began playing soccer as a child, playing on local teams. From the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with a deficiency of human growth hormone. Human growth hormone is the main hormone that regulates human growth and development during childhood and adolescence. FC Barcelona signed Messi to a contract and agreed to pay for the treatment he needed to attain a normal height. He and his family moved to Barcelona. Messi obtained Spanish citizenship in 2005 but kept his Argentine citizenship as well.

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• Soccer (2005) – A Back in Time article
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February 15, 2016

Cam Newton is the National Football League (NFL) Most Valuable Player for the 2015-2016 season. As the star quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, he is also the NFL’s most polarizing player.

Cam Newton was named the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2015-2016 season. Credit: © Paul Jasienski, AP Photo

In the 2015-2016 season, Newton led the Panthers to a league-best 15-1 record and a place in Super Bowl 50 on February 7. Carolina was favored to defeat the Denver Broncos in the game, but Denver crushed the Panthers 24-10. The game was a personal disaster for Newton. He fumbled twice, both fumbles leading to Denver’s only touchdowns. He also threw one pass interception and was sacked six times by the ferocious Denver defense. It was a rare failure for Newton, and he did not handle it well, walking out of a televised postgame interview after muttering only a handful of words.

Newton had not entered the NFL as an unknown. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2010 as the country’s best college football player and led Auburn University to the national college football championship. He exploded on the professional football scene his first year in the NFL. His outgoing personality combined with his playing skills moved him to the center stage of the NFL. In his rookie year in 2011, he became the first NFL player in history to gain more than 4,000 passing yards (4,051) and more than 500 yards (706) rushing in one season. Currently, Newton is the most dominant offensive player in the NFL when both rushing and passing are combined.

But Newton’s style has turned off many fans and media people. His antics on the field after making a big play or scoring a touchdown can be called exuberant and colorful. They have also been called showboating and arrogant. As one sports journalist commented, Newton never saw a spotlight he didn’t like. His public comments on sensitive subjects such as race have deepened the controversy attached to him. Newton’s talents may take him to more Super Bowls, just as his personality may grab even more headlines. Stay tuned.

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February 8, 2016

R & b diva Beyoncé gave an energetic and politically charged performance at the halftime show at Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, February 7, as the Denver Broncos took on the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. She also performed with the halftime show’s headliner, British rock group Coldplay. Beyoncé had also performed at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. Bruno Mars was another repeat performer at the 2016 halftime show. He headlined Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

Beyoncé is a popular American singer and actress. She first gained fame as a member of the singing group Destiny’s Child. In the early 2000′s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer. Credit: © Shutterstock

One of today’s biggest megastars, Beyoncé rose to fame in the late 1990’s with the hugely successful all-woman r & b singing group Destiny’s Child. As a solo artist and with Destiny’s Child, she has won 20 Grammy Awards and has been nominated for 53 Grammys, making her the most nominated woman in Grammy history.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on Sept. 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. At the age of 9, she began singing with an all-girl group called Girl’s Tyme. The group changed its name often before the members settled on Destiny’s Child. It recorded a number of hit songs, notably “No, No, No” (1998) and “Independent Women Part I” (2000). Destiny’s Child disbanded in 2005.

In the early 2000’s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer while still singing with Destiny’s Child. Her first album, Dangerously in Love (2003), was an international hit. It was followed by the other number-one albums B’Day (2006), I Am…Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), and Beyoncé (2013). The latter, a surprise release in late December 2013, became the fastest-selling album in the history of the iTunes Music Store. Beyoncé’s most popular singles include “Crazy in Love” (with rap singer and songwriter Jay-Z, 2003); “Irreplaceable” (2006); “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008); “Drunk in Love” (also featuring Jay-Z, 2013); and “Partition” (2014). In 2008, she married Jay-Z.

As an actress, Beyoncé made her debut in the television musical Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001). She also appeared in the motion pictures Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and Obsessed (2009). She also provided her voice for a character in the animated feature Epic (2013).

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January 25, 2016

Stephen “Steph” Curry of the Golden State Warriors has become the poster player for the National Basketball Association (NBA). His mixture of an outgoing and sunny disposition with a “try and stop me” swagger has captivated the American sports world. Simply put, Curry is fun to watch, especially when he nonchalantly makes 25- and 30-foot 3-point shots with a flick of the wrist and a defender in his face. He’s the perfect leader for a Warriors team that has earned praise for playing basketball “the right way,” emphasizing teamwork and speed.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) puts up a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers guard J. R. Smith (5). Credit: © Tony Dejak, AP Photo

Curry has been widely proclaimed to be the greatest shooter in NBA history, and his complementary skills as a passer, dribbler, and rebounder make him one of the NBA’s most complete players.

He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2014-2015 season and led the league in scoring. Curry is leading the NBA in scoring again for the 2015-2016 season, and his Warriors have the best record in the league as they compete for their second straight championship.

Wardell Stephen Curry II was born on March 14, 1988, in Akron, Ohio, but grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. While attending high school at Charlotte Christian, Curry led his team to three conference championships. Curry did not receive a scholarship offer from any major college basketball program. He finally accepted a scholarship from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.

Curry built a reputation as a scorer during his three years at Davidson. In his freshman season in 2006-2007, he set a single-session NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) record for made 3-point shots. The next season, he set an NCAA record for 3-point field goals by any player, and in 2008-2009, he was the NCAA Division I scoring leader. Division I consists of all major college teams.

Curry decided to leave school after his junior year to enter the NBA draft. His scoring exploits at Davidson convinced the Warriors he was worth selecting in the 2009 draft, and the club picked him as the seventh player in the first round. Some people predicted that Curry, a guard at only 6 feet 3 inches (1.19 meters) in height and 190 pounds (86 kilograms) in weight, was too small to withstand the demanding physical style of the NBA. But his scoring average of 17.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals was good enough to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting. In his second season, Curry was awarded the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award. The championship 2014-2015 season was his coronation as one of the NBA’s superstars.

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• Basketball (2008) – A Back in Time article