First let me confess that this post is inspired, in part, by the fact that it is written while sitting at a desk that allows me to glance to the side and look at the Golden Gate Bridge.

In other words, I am currently attending a journalism conference in Stephen Curry territory.

This location tends to inspire thoughts on Curry, hoops, sneakers and God -- not necessarily in that order, There are, of course, topics that have been discussed many times here at GetReligion (click here for flashbacks) because, well, many (not all) mainstream journalists have struggle to "get" the whole God angle in the remarkable career of this unlikely NBA megastar.

Anyway, I noticed the following report in the daily online offerings of Baptist Press, a denominational news organization that is usually not my go-to source for NBA news. This is not a remarkable story, by any means. In fact, it's rather ordinary -- which is my point. The question that I think some news consumers would ask, once again, is this: "Is this story news? Why or why not?"

Now, there are several different newsy things going on in this story.

For Baptist Press, the lede is clearly the religion element. You have one of the world's best known athletes giving his Christian testimony in what, for some, would be a controversial setting. This isn't a surprise, since Curry is very open about his faith and, well, reporters should have figured out the Bible verses written on his sneakers thing by now.

It also helps to know that Curry's younger brother Seth -- currently lighting things up for the Dallas Mavericks -- played hoops at Liberty.

So Steph Curry said the kinds of things one would expect an openly Christian guy to say in a chapel setting, asking students to "use their talents and abilities" to serve God and help others.

Originally posted here:

Stephen Curry goes to Liberty: Social justice plus God plus sneakers equals news? - GetReligion (blog)