Raising Fame

While many of his Warriors teammates wear their passion on their sleeves, Klay is a made of a different material. Quiet, intense and even mysterious, Klay is hard to read -- even his most ardent fans find him unknowable. Now in a rare interview, Julie and Mychal Thompson (himself a former #1 NBA draft pick) sit down together to talk openly with their friends Dell and Sonya Curry about raising the “other” splash brother – the quiet but gifted Klay and his two athletic brothers.

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Some are late bloomers. Others peak early and burn out. Megan Rapinoe was born a superstar, and she’s shining brighter than ever, with a World Cup Golden Boot and Golden Ball and, to cap it off, the 2019 Ballon D’Or for the best player in the sport of women’s soccer. Here’s her parents’ story of raising the fiery phenom who would grow up to defy the U.S. President and inspire young athletes around the globe. Jim and Denise Rapinoe worked day and night shifts to juggle Megan’s exploding career and a busy household of siblings, including a beloved but troubled brother.

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Anyone who watched Michael Phelps win Olympic gold, after gold, after gold, is familiar not just with his 24-karat smile in the water but also with the beaming face of his mother, Debbie, in the stands. In this candid interview, Debbie talks about raising the boy who would become the most decorated Olympian of all time. She speaks with great openness about the fact that raising a superstar isn’t always shiny. She puts no gloss on the early days when Michael considered quitting, and repeatedly got in trouble at the pool. And she shares some astonishing stories about the inner drive her son possessed from a very early age.

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Fairy tales begin with “once upon a time” and usually involve a prince, a frog, or some fairy dust. The Williams sisters’ tale took a different route: grit, work, talent -- and a generous dose of intentional parenting. Many have heard the story of their father’s involvement in their rise to dominance in the sport of tennis. Here in a rare and candid interview, their mother, Oracene Price, gives HER perspective on their childhoods, and their athletic journeys, including some stories heard here for the first time.

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“Rob wants you to think he’s a dumb jock”—but that’s all marketing, says Gordy Gronkowski, better known as Papa Gronk and the father of five professional athletes, including the best tight end of all time, former Patriot Rob Gronkowski. Here’s Gordy’s story of how he once had to market himself, and later his children, and how he systematically built an athletic empire in his basement and in his kitchen, leaving almost nothing to chance in forging greatness for Rob and his brothers.

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Call her mom, call her CEO. Dr. Michelle Carter most certainly sat at the head of the table in shaping the icon that her son, Vince, would become. It didn’t happen by accident, and it wasn’t always easy as a black single woman taking her place in the conference room. But step by step, the educator and mother put into place the building blocks that would allow young Vince to grow up to become Vinsanity, a slam dunk legend and also more diversely talented than people realize. And she’s still running the show. Here’s her story of raising -- and today still guiding -- the great Vince Carter.

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Some call the Oregon Ducks senior point guard one of the best kept secrets in college basketball…but if you’re in the Pacific Northwest, and pulling for him to win Pac-12 Player of the Year, you know he’s a local legend. His dad, a former college tight end and his mom, a former college gymnast, taught him that old fashioned grit could more than make up for his lack of size…and he proved them right when he led his high school team to four straight state championships, the first time that’s happened in the state of Oregon. Today he owns several Oregon career records, and his toughness has him splitting defenders in the paint and hitting buzzer-beating, game-winning threes with cold-blooded confidence. Hear his parents’ tale of raising this fiery, feisty competitor.

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In the span of just a few months, the four Edwards children lost both their mother and grandmother to cancer. Their father wasn’t in their lives. That left the four siblings to fend pretty much for themselves. Here’s the incredible story of the two oldest siblings -- Antoine and Antoinette -- who were appointed by their mother as guardians before she passed. They were essentially still kids themselves, but they did their best to create a stable home life for “Ant-Man,” the Georgia Bulldog superstar who is projected to go first in this year’s NBA draft.

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After 20 years as a New England God, Tom Brady is flying south to Tampa Bay. In this exclusive interview, his parents share their immediate reaction to their son’s huge decision...why they’re so excited about the move…their thoughts about Bill Belichick and Bruce Arians...how the Florida weather might benefit their son’s “aging” bones…and what Tom’s ambitions are for this season and beyond. Then they take us back — long before Tommy became an icon…before the organic plant-based diet and 5 AM training mornings…to when he was just little Tommy riding his bike around the neighborhood, craving cheeseburgers, getting into mischief, and dealing with some major disappointments in his early athletic career. Come along for the journey of the joys, and the setbacks, of a little boy destined for greatness.

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At 6’10”, 270 lbs., Duke freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. is more than just a chip off his offensive lineman dad’s block. Born when his mom and dad were teens but surrounded by caring family, Vernon Jr. and his parents grew up together. His parents’ fortunes changed when dad became a star for the Miami Hurricanes and later for the Dolphins. They taught him “Do it right, or don’t do it at all.” Listen to his parents’ story of raising the player who runs to his baby sister before autograph seekers, and who Coach K hails for his super-special poise and “more-than-a-big-man” skills on the court.

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