The new movie GOAT, produced by NBA legend Stephen Curry, has been sending a message to younger kids that is more needed now than ever—believe in yourself.

The movie has already been a huge success numerically, already grossing over 100 million dollars with a budget of 80 million dollars after its release on February 13, 2026.  It features a celebrity cast of voice actors including Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, and Dwayne Wade, who are all current or retired NBA players. The cast also includes WNBA players like A’ja Wilson and Angel Reese, along with Steph Curry’s wife Ayesha Curry. 

The story was inspired by Stephen Curry and his journey to the NBA as an undersized guard who was overlooked and constantly had to fight to prove himself. Brian McWhorter ‘27 described the movie’s story as a “strong mirror of (Curry’s) time,” but he said he already knew a lot of Curry’s background going into the movie, so watching it didn’t really change his opinion on him as a player or person.

Although the movie follows a very typical sports underdog movie arch, its execution is unique. With the striking and different animation style brought to the screen from the creators of the Spiderverse movies and the recent hit KPop Demon Hunters,the project’s visuals are one of its most admirable qualities.

McWhorter expressed his own resonation with the film because of his personal experiences with being overlooked in terms of his academic skills, “I was always put into a box as a ‘STEM’ kid.” Because of parallel experiences like this, the movie is very easy to relate to for younger audiences overall and it is no wonder it has been such a box office hit thus far. It is a vessel for hope for young kids, teens, and others and a reminder that greatness is not determined by factors out of a person’s own control. Instead, it comes down to one’s ability to perform, show up, and do the work required to achieve certain goals.