You’ve seen the Under Armour commercials. You’ve watched the Chase Bank spots and the Google Pixel ads where the camera zooms in tight on those iconic tattoos or the rhythmic dribble of a basketball. Most fans assume it’s always Steph Curry on screen. Why wouldn't it be? He’s the star.
But honestly, if you were to walk onto a set while they’re setting up the lights, you might be confused. You’d see a guy in a Warriors jersey who looks... well, nothing like the greatest shooter in NBA history.
Who is the real Steph Curry stand in?
His name is Court. That’s it. Just Court.
Steph actually opened up about him recently during an interview with Speedy Morman. The funniest part? Court is completely bald. Not just a little thin on top—we’re talking "Michael Jordan levels" of shiny-head bald.
It sounds like a joke, but it’s a vital part of how high-end production works. When you’re filming a commercial with a guy who makes $50 million a year, every second of his time is mapped out. You don't make Steph Curry stand under hot 5K lights for three hours while a cinematographer adjusts the shadow on a backboard.
That is where Court comes in. He’s been Steph’s primary stand-in for over a decade. He knows the "blocking"—the specific way Steph moves, how he holds his shoulders, and where he stands.
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What exactly does Court do?
A stand-in isn't necessarily a stunt double. In the film world, there’s a massive difference.
- Stand-ins (like Court) are for the technical stuff: lighting, camera focus, and framing.
- Photo doubles are the guys who actually appear on camera, usually from the back or in close-ups of hands.
- Stunt doubles do the dangerous stuff (though with Steph, the "stunt" is usually just a 35-foot jumper).
Curry mentioned that he and Court have a "collage" of photos together from the last ten years. Even though Court doesn't have the hair, he has the frame. He has the height. He has the skin tone that helps the lighting department calibrate their equipment so that when the real Steph finally steps onto the "X," everything is perfect.
The Jordan Poole "Stunt Double" Era
Back in 2022, the term Steph Curry stand in took on a completely different, more metaphorical meaning. During a stretch where Steph was sidelined with a foot injury, Jordan Poole started playing out of his mind.
The media, specifically The Ringer, started calling Poole "Steph’s stunt double." It wasn't because he was literally standing in for him on a movie set. It was because the way he moved—the deep triples, the relocation off the ball, the flashy handles—was a mirror image of what the Warriors' system looks like when it's firing.
Poole was in the 99th percentile for handoffs at the time. Steph was in the 93rd. For a few months there, the Warriors didn't have to change their playbook because they had a basketball "stand-in" who could run the same lines. Obviously, that dynamic changed later, but for a moment, it was the closest thing the NBA had ever seen to a biological replacement for Curry’s gravity.
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The Viral Doppelgängers
Beyond the professional sets and the NBA hardwood, there’s a whole world of people who actually do look like him. If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably seen Sherwin Altagracia.
He’s a barber from the Philippines who has become a massive celebrity because he is essentially a carbon copy of Steph. The smile, the facial hair, even the shooting form—it’s uncanny. People call him "Stepping Curry."
Then there was the "Stuff Curry" phenomenon years ago. A kid named Landon Lee became a viral sensation as a baby because he looked like a miniature version of the Warriors star. It started with internet trolls being mean, but his mom, Jessica Benton, turned it into a brand. Steph even sent the kid baby-sized Curry Two sneakers.
Why the stand-in matters for E-E-A-T
When we talk about the logistics of a superstar athlete, we have to look at the business side. Producing a 30-second spot for a brand like Subway or Rakuten costs millions.
If Steph Curry is on set for an eight-hour day, the production company is likely paying a premium for every hour beyond a certain limit. Using a professional stand-in like Court allows the crew to:
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- Map the shadows: NBA arenas have very specific lighting. Recreating that in a studio requires hours of tweaking.
- Focus the lenses: High-speed cameras (like the Phantom used for slow-motion) have a very shallow depth of field. If the person is two inches off their mark, the shot is blurry.
- Preserve the athlete: Steph needs his energy for the game. Standing still for four hours is surprisingly exhausting.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're interested in how these productions work or you're a content creator yourself, here's what you can take away from the way the Curry camp handles "stand-ins":
- Consistency is king: Steph has used the same guy (Court) for ten years. In production, having someone who knows your "vibe" and your physical tendencies saves thousands of dollars in wasted time.
- Height and Build over Face: If you are ever looking to hire a stand-in for a video project, don't worry about the face. Match the height and the skin tone. The camera department only cares about how light bounces off the skin and where the top of the head hits the frame.
- The "Double" Psychology: Even in basketball, having a "stand-in" or a "replacement" (like the Warriors tried with Poole or later with the addition of his brother Seth Curry in 2025-2026 for bench depth) is about system continuity.
Next time you see a Curry commercial, look at the close-ups. If you see a shot of just his shoes or a tight shot of a jersey fluttering as he runs past, you might actually be looking at Court—the bald man who makes the "Chef" look good.
It’s one of those weird Hollywood-meets-NBA secrets that most people never think about. But without the guy who looks nothing like Steph, we wouldn't get those perfect shots of the guy who does.
The relationship between a star and their stand-in is built on trust. Steph trusts Court to be his shadow. And in the high-stakes world of NBA marketing, that shadow is worth its weight in gold.
If you want to spot a stand-in yourself, watch for "insert shots." These are the quick cuts to hands or feet. Often, the lighting is slightly different, or the skin texture doesn't perfectly match the previous wide shot. That’s the fingerprint of a stand-in at work.
The business of being Steph Curry is a 24/7 operation. Having a "stand-in" isn't about being a diva; it's about being efficient. And for a guy who has perfected the most efficient jump shot in history, that makes total sense.