Special Bruce Lee pair of sneakers worn by NBA star Steph Curry will benefit families of Georgia shooting victims

 

Steph Curry's shoes will be auctioned off to benefit the families of the Georgia shootings.

Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors' superstar point guard, wore a pair of shoes on the basketball court unlike any he has ever worn.

The yellow and black custom-made sneakers had an image of the legendary Bruce Lee and his family along with one of Lee's quotes.

Wearing the pair of shoes while playing in Atlanta against the NBA Hawks was intentional and significant.

News of the March 16 mass shooting  tragedy in Atlanta sparked outrage in Curry  immediately.

“Disgust, horror and outright anger at why any violence keeps happening in our country,” he told The Undefeated. “After all we have been through this past year, let alone in the history of our country, people still deal with unnecessary tragedy and are afraid for their lives. We have to do better.”

It took 12 hours of painting by Kreative Custom Kicks to design the sneakers. The inner panel features one of Curry’s favorite Bruce Lee quotes, “Under the heavens, there is but one family.”

“It’s plain and simple,” Curry tells The Undefeated. “We are all different and unique. On purpose. But, we are all human beings on a quest to fulfill our purpose and that energy should be used to uplift and love each other to the fullest. Anything else is a waste of our existence.”

Curry worked on the hand-painted shoes with The Bruce Lee Foundation managed by Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee. The plan is to auction off the shoes with the proceeds going to the families of the eight victims of the Georgia shooting carnage.

The Warriors have a huge Asian American fan base in the San Francisco Bay Area where 34% of its population is of Asian descent. 

“We have so many faithful Asian American fans that have supported me along this amazing journey,” he added. “We represent them on the court and I feel the love no matter where I go. You can’t replace that.”

“[I’m looking to] honor Bruce Lee and his continued influence and impact on today, but also shine a light on the work that needs to be done to bring all of us together, no matter what our background is,” Curry tells the Undefeated. “We have it in us, but it’s on all of us to make that reality happen. Spread love, joy, optimism and positivity always!”

Basketball star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha help out East Bay restauranteur

MONSTER PHO

Tee Tran with his mother Tina Le

NBA star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha, a restaurant owner and entrepreneur, gave $25,000 to an Oakland restauranteur to help his business survive the pandemic.

The unexpected windfall was given to Tee Tran, owner of Monster Pho in Oakland, while the celebrity couple were guests on The Tamron Hall Show.

Tran said he’s lost 75% of his business during the COVID-19 pandemic and put his home on forbearance. Despite these struggles, he’s been providing produce for seniors in need in his community and has given out more than 24,000 meals.

“I’m just juggling, trying to figure out every day,” Tran said. “I know it’s tough for me, but it’s tough for everybody. You just keep on pushing. I don’t want people feeling sorry for me. We just don’t do that. We just got to work hard and help people.”

The star guard for the Golden State Warriors said, "He hits the ground every morning with gratitude and finds a way to keep pushing. And I love that spirit. It’s something I want to embody as well."

TAMRON HALL SHOW

Steph Curry, left and his wife gave $25,000 to Monster Pho owner Tee Tran, right.

Instead of closing when the dining restrictions were put in place, Tran wanted to help others, especially the elderly. As a young boy, Tran learned the lessons of giving from his mother, who cooked and shared meals for her less fortunate neighbors.

Many of Monster Pho's regular customers were frontline workers from the  nearby Kaiser medical facility. He'd offer free coffee with the meals that her purchased. At times, he would personally deliver coffee to the health care workers.

When the Kaiser employees had a  shortage of masks and gloves, he created “Project Health Heroes” to raise funds to purchase the protective equipment. 

The restaurant owner also works with the celebrity couple’s charitable organization, Eat, Learn, Play, also provides meals through World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals to those in need during natural disasters.

In an earlier interview with Berkeleyside, Tran got emotional when he talked about what his family's experience as new immigrants. “When we got to America,” he says, “we were living in the poorest areas and did not have much. But we were lucky enough that the community helped us for all these years.”

“Everyone talks about the American dream – come to America and do well and take care of your family, but that’s not it. You have really accomplished it, when you start to give back. What completes the American dream is being able to give back to your community.”

You can watch the clip from the show below.

TGIF FEATURE: The 'Hamilton' Challenge goes viral: 'Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)'

THERE'S A LINE in the hit musical Hamilton that never fails to bring the house down: "Immigrants, we get the job done."

Although the lyrics were written before Donald Trump's election, a video has been produced to reflect the current debate over immigration. 

The new video of "Immigrants, we get the job done" was released Wednesday  (June 28) by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in time for America's birthday, July 4th, as we reflect on what makes this country great. It portrays refugees and immigrants from around the world in camps, garment sweatshops, fruit-picking fields and crowded trains. It is accompanied by a new song, set to rap lyrics, about their struggles, setbacks and contributions to society.

This election cycle has brought xenophobia and vilification of immigrants back to the forefront of US politics. This is a musical counterweight," Miranda wrote in a commentary on the music community website Genius.com.

Riz Ahmed, the British/Pakistani actor that starred The Night Of, is featured in one of the segments as Riz MC, along with rappers K'naan, Residente andSnow Tha Product, appear in the video to rap their verses as immigrants from various backgrounds work, struggle, and ultimately come together. 

"The music vid + track I always wished existed," Ahmed tweeted. "Beyond proud to be part of it."

The video, which was directed by Tomás Whitmore, is part of a social media campaign -- #Ham4All -- asking participants to sing a song from Hamilton and to make a donation to the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition,  and -- not unlike the viral Ice Bucket Challenge -- then challenge two friends to do the same, The coalition, made up of legal agencies, immigrants and civil rights groups, provides legal representation and advocacy for “immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who come to us in search of the American Dream.”   

Entrants have a chance to win tickets to see Hamilton in Los Angeles. Famous contributors so far include Steph and Ayesha Curry, who challenged Olivia Munn and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Others who have taken part include Gina Rodriquez, Ben Stiller, Shonda Rhimes, and the cast and crew of The Beguiled.

Lin-Manuel Miranda joins Ayesha and Steph Curry in the video challenge of Immigrants (We Get The Job Done).

###