Most people got a big kick out of seeing Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and his young daughter, Riley, at the podium after Tuesday's Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets game.
But not everyone was thrilled to see the NBA's MVP continue the rich tradition of bringing offspring to the postgame press conferences. Several reporters, including ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Skip Bayless, said that while they agreed Riley Curry is adorable, they wish the "child-on-the-podium" practice was reserved for low-key events like the All-Star game or celebrations like winning NBA Finals.
"As a member of the media who wants to ask the players about the game in a business setting," Windhorst said on ESPN's First Take, "it is counterproductive and it sometimes takes away from being able to ask the questions."
Here's the clip from Wednesday's show:
Windhorst knew he was espousing an unpopular opinion, and so did other reporters.
My man @WindhorstESPN taking the most unpopular position ever, saying NBA might need to ban kids from podium so reporters can ask questions
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 20, 2015
But Windhorst at least deserves credit for sticking with his guns. Brett Friedlander of North Carolina's Star News Online also thinks NBA players should stop bringing their kids to postgame press conferences. He wrote a tweet saying as much before deleting it.
As one can imagine, Friedlander got lots of hate from his followers:
Ah Twitter. If people don't agree w/ you, they call you names & throw out cliches like "get off my lawn." So much for intelligent discussion
— Star-News ACC (@starnewsacc) May 20, 2015
It's not easy to make the argument that Windhorst and Friedlander were making, and they heard it from the Twittersphere.
If even one absentee Dad thought about his own children while watching Curry and his daughter, that scene was worth it.
— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) May 20, 2015
Different opinions are allowed, but I think those journalists who criticized Curry for bringin his daughter to the podium are beyond idiotic
— Howard Chen (@TheHoChen) May 20, 2015
That reporter complaining about Riley Curry- the MVP's daughter, being at the presser is about as salty and unprofessional as it comes
— Max Perry (@MackswellPerry) May 20, 2015
A reporter is mad Curry brought his daughter with him during the postgame interview.....wow really?
— Chana'e Jones (@naenae_dimpliez) May 20, 2015
Curry isn't the only player to bring his kid to a press conference this year. Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin have also done it.
While Riley did seem to be a little bit of a distraction for her father, things did not get out of hand.
Stephen Curry's ability to stay focused on his answers while his daughter ran amok in the interview room was as impressive as his 3-pointers
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) May 20, 2015
The three-pointers were falling for Curry, who hit 6 of 11 shots from long distance and finished with 34 points in his team's Game 1 win.
Only one person I know who is *not* impressed with Steph Curry's daughter this morning..... pic.twitter.com/cWlewuupld
— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) May 20, 2015