Behind-The-Scenes With 2 Authors: What Makes A 'Sports Superhero?'

Rich Korson and Josh Bycel recently released their new graphic novel, "Sports Superheroes Volume 1: Stephen Curry" detailing the rise of the Golden State Warriors star, which brings to mind a unique question: What makes a superhero?

An illustration from "Sports Superheroes Volume 1: Stephen Curry," written by Rich Korson and Josh Bycel detailing the rise of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. / Illustrated by Damion Scott

"Who wouldn't want to be depicted as a superhero, right?"

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SAN ANTONIO — Josh Bycel and Rich Korson put pen to paper with the goal of re-imagining the "meteoric" rise of Stephen Curry.

The 6-foot-2, 185 pound point guard from Davidson, had to come from somewhere. And while that literally meant Akron, Ohio — ironically, the same place as his historic rival, LeBron James — and later Charlotte, N.C., it meant something else entirely taking his skill set into consideration.

Where did Curry get his iconic shot from? How did he go from a "short" kid to one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history? And, most importantly, is he the embodiment of a "sports superhero?

The pair of authors say yes to the latter.

"He has the demeanor," they said. "He absolutely checks all of the boxes."

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Korson, the President of Smartless Media, got his start on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and now develops and produces kids and family content for Penguin Workshop, where he is a Producer at Large.

Bycel has written, created and produced shows for numerous networks, also serving as the Executive Director and Founder of OneKid OneWorld — a grass roots non-profit focused on rebuilding schools using green technologies and creating sports and education projects.

In their new graphic novel, "Sports Superheroes Volume 1: Stephen Curry," both authors painted Curry as a young child with high aspirations and limiting height. If he wanted to make it big in the league, he'd have to find a way to overcome that — which is' where his "hero" origin story came to be.

That was his start.

"His dad puts him through called the summer of hell," Bycel said, explaining the narrative. "He basically says, 'Look, man, you're small. You're going to have to figure out a way to get your shot off over these taller kids.' And (Steph) basically re-works his shot in a summer on a hot black top."

An illustration from "Sports Superheroes Volume 1: Stephen Curry," written by Rich Korson and Josh Bycel detailing the rise of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. / Illustrated by Damion Scott

Curry eventually became the icon he's known as today. He won championships — the first of which solidified his status as a "superhero" in Bycel and Korson's eyes — en route to not only changing his team's landscape, but that of basketball as a whole in the real world.

"Every superhero has a superpower, right?" Bycel said. "Steph has a lot, but his shot is his (main) one."

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Kids were donning "Curry" jerseys any time they picked up a basketball. They began to shoot further from the rim and even tried their hand at some of his celebrations and post-shot antics. As Curry continued to show his greatness on the court, he became even more popular, and, like every superhero, idolized.

By the same kids who the authors hoped to reach with their novel.

"We want to get this into the hands of kids who love to read, but also kids who don't," Bycel said. "It's a chance for these kids to fall in love with with books ... (and) when they see the imagery, they will be sucked in."

"It's so rewarding," Korson added, "to add to the other part of the conversation. We really wanted to make sure kids knew ... the amount of work and dedication that this guy had to do to become a sports superhero. It's really important for kids to see that it's not handed to you. You have to earn it."

Cover art for "Sports Superheroes Volume 1: Stephen Curry," written by Rich Korson and Josh Bycel detailing the rise of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. / Illustrated by Damion Scott

While the criteria for becoming a sports superhero aren't tangible, rather invented by Korson and Bycel, they do hold a standard for athletes to reach. Curry, with his four championships, countless records and immense success, fits that mold.

But what about a younger athlete, already making waves in the NBA as a foreign prospect? A player like 20-year-old San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

According to Korson, he's "well on his way."

"I think he'll take that next step, as well," Korson said of the budding star. "It always seems like after the Olympics, the right guys take the next step."

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Wembanyama, after averaging 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.7 stocks for Team France in its silver-medal winning Olympic campaign, showed once again his impact, especially on the defensive end. All season in the NBA, the rookie did the same as he solidified himself as the foundation for the Spurs' rebuild.

For their self-titled "superpower."

"We don't believe there is a deadline for success," Spurs owner Peter J. Holt said. "Some people try to take shortcuts to the top, to short-circuit the process, [and] it usually backfires. Having a generational talent like Victor ... we arealready seeing an evolution.

"We want to build a superpower, ultra-competitive that lasts for a long time."

November 24, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the basketball against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the third quarter at Chase Center. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Korson and Bycel's depiction of what a "Sports Superhero" is leaves room for interpretation. Wembanyama has proven plenty, even at just 20, but has a long way to go. After all, Curry didn't achieve his status as a superhero until his first championship.

So, in the coming seasons — as Wembanyama looks to help turn the Spurs around in the West — he'll work to achieve that status, too. And not by Korson or Bycel's "invented" criteria, but by his own.

“I think in terms of development from my first game to my prime," Wembanyama said at the end of his first season, "I am at 15 percent of my capabilities."

Wembanyama has the mindset, and with so much room to grow, he's likely to become more impressive over time. And if he does end up being the face of a book depicting him as a superhero?

It won't be far off.

So, where is his start?

“His story begins as a kid in France,” Bycel said. “Far away from the NBA. And his body is growing … more than anybody else.”