Move over Charles Barkley: Auburn has a new fan in Steph Curry

It’s hard to avoid Charles Barkley’s love for Auburn, with his NCAA Tournament television studio space festooned with blue and orange balloons, pom-poms, his No. 34 jersey and even a stuffed Tiger.

But now Steph Curry, a two-time NBA MVP and member of the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors, is taking notice of Auburn’s run as a No. 5 seed to the Final Four.

Curry, through Under Armour, sent pairs of his Curry 6s to Auburn and Texas Tech, another Final Four school sponsored by the shoe company. Curry delivered personalized messages to each team Thursday night.

Texas Tech got the “Working on Excellence” colorway shoes, with Curry telling the team there are always “bigger and better opportunities out there.”

Auburn received the Curry 6 “Underrated Story” colorway. In his video message to the Tigers, Curry, who played at Davidson, said he was expecting big things from them in the Final Four.

“I definitely like the sneakers,” junior guard Samir Doughty said. “He knew we were the fifth seed, knew we were underdogs.

“It just means a lot knowing that one of the best players in basketball has been watching us and is supportive for us.”

Doughty wasn’t sure he’d wear the shoes. Junior forward Danjel Purifoy will wait to wear them next season, saying the shoes were a “pair that I’ve wanted since they came out.” Purifoy also showed off a pair of the Curry 6 “walking shoes” that the team also received from Under Armour.

As for Barkley, Purifoy said “if it was me I wouldn’t have done all that with the stuffed animals, the balloons,” adding “It’s great to see — he’s a character. He loves Auburn.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2019 at 3:51 PM.