Why Riley Curry Is the Best Thing to Ever Happen to Sports

To say that I don't care about sports is an understatement. I stare begrudgingly at my NFL- or NBA-laden television every time a game is on, counting down the seconds until I can turn it back to something that's at least in a language I can understand. It's not that I have a hatred of sports, just straight-up indifference — it's like staring at a blank screen. "Who's the red team again?" and "Wait, what is a safety again? . . . Actually, don't answer that" are just a couple of the things you might hear me say while I endure yet another televised competition among ball-throwing men in tight clothes. This has always been the case for me, even in spite of growing up in a sports-filled household and attending a college known for its basketball program (nope, I didn't even use my free ticket to any UNC vs. Duke game . . . but go Heels, I guess!).

This year, though, things were different because someone changed the game for me: Riley Curry. I won't forget the first night that Stephen Curry's hilarious, impossibly adorable 3-year-old daughter upstaged his post-Warriors-game chat on ESPN when she interrupted his speech. "Did you guys see the Warriors game last night?" co-workers chatted the next day. "No, but did you guys see what happened after?!" I said as I excitedly joined in on a #sports conversation for the first time. Let's talk about six reasons 2015 was the year that Riley Curry made me almost — almost! — want to watch sports.