By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
Dell Curry had stopped wondering if the Charlotte Hornets were going to retire his number. He figured that if it was going to happen, it probably would have taken place years ago.
He was very happy to be wrong about that.
The Hornets announced Wednesday that Curry — the father of Stephen and Seth Curry — will get his No. 30 retired in a ceremony on March 19 when the team plays host to the Orlando Magic. He will be the second person whose jersey is retired by Charlotte, joining the late Bobby Phills.
“I never imagined it would happen,” Curry said. “It means so much to me. I do it because it’s what I love to do. The game gave me so much, the fans gave me so much and I want to stay involved just to give back what I can and make this organization what it should be and give the fans, the team and the broadcast and the show that it’s fun, we’re having a great time and come celebrate, come support. … Man, it would be an injustice to try to put into words what this means.”
He played 16 seasons in the NBA, 10 of them in Charlotte. The Hornets were his third team in as many seasons; he started in Utah, then was traded to Cleveland, then got taken by Charlotte in the expansion draft in 1988.
He went on to play for Milwaukee and Toronto, but Charlotte was home and still is home.
“Dell Curry has been a cornerstone of the Charlotte Hornets for more than 25 years — both on and off the court,” Hornets Co-Chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a statement announcing the ceremony. “He exemplifies what it means to be a Hornet through his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to excellence. Dell’s impact on our organization, our fans and our community is undeniable, and he is truly deserving of this honor.”
Curry was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award winner in 1993-94 for Charlotte and averaged 11.7 points on 40% shooting from 3-point range for his career. The Virginia native is in his 17th season as a broadcaster for the team.
The Hornets told Curry of the decision to retire his jersey ahead of time, in a bit of a faux interview to surprise him. It worked.
No. 30 had been worn by a few other players in Charlotte over the years — Joe Wolf, Troy Daniels, Nate Darling and, last season, Seth Curry, who wasn’t even asked what number he wanted when he joined the team.
Seth Curry is wearing No. 31 these days. No. 30 isn’t available on his current team; Stephen Curry has worn it for Golden State his entire career, and he and his brother are now Warriors teammates.
“I still love the game. I love the fans. I love their interaction, not only in the arena, but when I go out to the community, I’m one of them. And they treat me as such, my whole family as such,” Dell Curry said. “They still look at my boys as Charlotte kids. They watched them grow up, play basketball at Davidson and Duke. My daughter played volleyball at Elon. My daughter just moved back to Charlotte. It’s home. And I never want to leave.”
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This story has been corrected to show that the jersey retirement ceremony is scheduled for March 19, not March 23.