It is an interesting thing when siblings find success in the same industry, perhaps in Hollywood or in the sports world. Sometimes one is better known or more revered, and the other, while still quite successful in their own right, can be overshadowed or underrated.
Today in the NBA, brothers Steph and Seth Curry are both playing on elite teams in the Western Conference. Big brother Steph is at the top of his game, while younger Seth is just coming into his own in the league. Both follow in the footsteps of their dad, who played professional basketball for 16 seasons when the boys were young. Do you think there is any family or sibling rivalry among the Currys? Here are the brothers being interviewed together on competing against each other in the All-Star Week 3-point contest.
Play this video for your students [1:51]:
Steph & Seth Curry Interview
- How do you imagine these brothers feel when competing against each other? When watching the other succeed? (You can imagine that predominately they are proud of each other’s successes. There may sometimes be the feeling of one being overshadowed, even while they experience great success. Competing against each other must come with mixed emotions.)
- Does competition always lead to conflict or do you think there is such a thing as healthy competition? What would that look like? (Accept all reasonable answers. Healthy competition might sharpen us by challenging us to be our best. However, when competition is more about defeating an opponent than bettering ourselves it is more likely to cause harm.)
- Have you ever been in a situation where someone close to you experienced a lot of success or praise? How did you feel? Did it impact your relationship with that person? (Answers will vary according to personal stories. Some students may have dealt with feelings of jealousy or resentment or strained relationships. Others may have experienced joy and support and people who stay true.)
The Bible tells the stories of imperfect people, just like us. Today we’ll see how jealousy hurt Joseph and his family, and consider how we can heed this warning. Happily, we can learn from the failures as much as the successes. Better still, our failures are never too big for God!
