WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. — A Golden State Warriors assistant coach made a surprise visit to a local youth basketball practice, creating an unforgettable experience for a group of 4th-grade girls in Whitefish Bay.
Seth Cooper, an assistant coach for the Warriors, stopped by to watch the Whitefish Junior Dukes 4th-grade girls basketball team practice while his NBA team was in Milwaukee to face the Bucks. What made the visit even more special was Cooper's family connection to one of the players.
"It was a complete surprise. We were really excited, and it definitely inspired us a lot," said Maya Curley, 9.
Cooper was there to watch his niece, Genova Cooper, 10, who plays on the team. For Genova, having her uncle visit practice was particularly meaningful.
"It's really cool because he does basketball, but he also teaches really famous people. And when I do basketball, I always would have him to help me too," Genova said.
Michael Curley, the team's assistant coach, was impressed by Cooper's reaction to the girls' skills.
"I think he was pretty impressed by our girls' motion offense. I think he thought that some of his guys could learn a little thing or two from us," Curley laughed.
Cooper's basketball journey began in Wisconsin, where he grew up in Madison before playing at Edgewood University. His path eventually led him to the NBA sidelines with the Warriors.
"When we're on the road, it is a really nice bonus to be back in Milwaukee and to see family," Cooper said.
Watch: Warriors assistant coach surprises Wisconsin youth basketball team with practice visit
Reed Cooper, Seth's younger brother and Genova's father, expressed pride in watching his brother's career unfold.
"As a younger brother looking up to him, it's like such a proud moment whenever I can see him on TV and coaching the people that he has. And then especially for him to be able to come and kind of share that expertise and knowledge with my daughter and her teammates," Reed said.
While the visit was meant to be a learning opportunity for the young players, Cooper found himself gaining something from the experience as well.
"To see them practicing always reminds you how basketball in its purest form is about having fun, and that hit me when I was sitting there watching Genova and other girls on her team – running around and practicing and enjoying it and smiling and laughing," Cooper said.
The 4th graders didn't miss the opportunity to ask their NBA visitor some important questions, including Maya's inquiry about Stephen Curry's favorite food.
"I asked him what Steph Curry's favorite food is, and he said he really likes popcorn," Maya said.
Genova followed up with an equally pressing question: "And then they asked, does he like watching movies with it? Because you have to have popcorn with movies."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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