Steph calls custom shoes ‘very small way' to stop Asian hate

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Steph Curry's shoes sent a message Sunday night.

Nineteen days after eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were shot and killed at three spas in the Atlanta area, Curry wore a custom pair of Curry 8s in the Warriors' road game against the Atlanta Hawks. The shoes, bearing the likenesses of iconic martial artist Bruce Lee and his family. will be auctioned off by the Bruce Lee Foundation.

The foundation aims to share the proceeds to the families of the eight victims killed on March 16.

"I think he has a lot of quotes, and narratives and themes that he spoke on consistently that still ring true today, and I know his foundation is doing a lot to live that out, and to continue to impact people's lives and continue to spark change," Curry said Sunday in a video conference with reporters following the Warriors' 117-111 loss to the Hawks.

"Stopping Asian hate across this country is huge, and across this world. The shoes are a very small way to hopefully raise money for that work and that cause, and raise awareness."

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, anti-Asian violence has increased across the country since 2020. Researchers at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino determined that anti-Asian hate crimes increased 150 percent in the United States' 16 largest cities. Last month, Stop AAPI Hate research indicated almost 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported. 

Two days after the shooting, University of Minnesota history and Asian American studies professor Erika Lee testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee that researchers found "the anti-Chinese rhetoric promoted by leaders directly correlated with a rise in racist incidents against Asian Americans." Politicians, including former President Donald Trump, have repeatedly blamed China for the spread of COVID-19 and the still-ongoing pandemic.

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Curry's hand-painted shoes also included a famous quote from Lee.

"Under the heavens, there is but one family."

Curry and the Bruce Lee Foundation's actions will ensure the message resonates well beyond Sunday night.

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