Steph Curry Shows Off Comedy Skills in Mr. Throwback

When it comes to turning talent and charisma on the basketball court into a comedic performance, Steph Curry stands on the shoulders of giants. Literally. Before Curry made his scripted series debut this month with Mr. Throwback, a six-episode mockumentary on Peacock, NBA greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabar and his performance in Airplane! (1980) paved the way. While Steph is no Kareem, in Mr. Throwback, he proves that he can do more than, well, be one of the greatest athletes of this century. He’s funny, too.

Mr. Throwback stars Adam Pally as Danny, a broke, divorced sports memorabilia store-owning father with a complicated relationship with basketball. While in middle school, he was the star of the team coached by his father, Mitch (Tracy Letts), until a scandal upended the rest of his life. Warming the bench for Danny was sixth-grade Steph Curry. In need of cash, Danny decides to visit Steph (who plays himself) after an NBA game. What ensues rekindles their friendship, but not without Danny having to sell a story that may or may not be true. 

In a time where a style of self-deprecation is not embraced by many famous figures, it is refreshing to watch Curry lean into it here. His wealth, fame, and the out-of-touch-ness that comes with both become the butt of the joke. But he is also an able deliverer of one-liners, especially during the mockumentary’s many cutaways. Curry’s life serves as the impetus for the mockumentary because, as he says, there are always cameras around to capture his interesting life.

The irony, though, is that Danny, in fact, has the much more interesting life. He is the classic down-on-his-luck dude, just trying to do right by his daughter, Charlie (Layla Scalisi), and make amends with his ex-wife, Samantha (Ayden Mayeri). And he remains estranged from Mitch, a guilt-ridden role that Letts plays in his classic style, a mix of exasperation and sweetness. 

At first glance, the premise of Mr. Throwback sounds a bit much—another poorly written athlete-centered drama at best, a glorified commercial at worst. But Pally and his co-creators—David Caspe, Matthew Libman, and Daniel Libman—give the show a self-awareness of the spectacle that plays to its benefit. A tremendous asset in this regard is Ego Nwodim, who plays Kimberly, the business brains behind Steph’s empire. Not only does the ambitious Kimberly bring a great energy to the show, but it is through her character that Mr. Throwback best acknowledges the money machine that underpins so many of these athlete-centered entertainment enterprises.

This meta quality extends to the mockumentary format, too. The crew itself often breaks the fourth (or fifth?) wall, interacting with their subjects. They come to influence the action itself, including some of Danny’s questionable choices, thus raising questions about the very nature of documentary itself. As one crew member says of documentary ethics, it’s a grey area.

While much attention will be given to Steph Curry’s performance, the emotional and comedic core of the show remains Danny. In the role, Pally creates an empathetic character, living in the moment and, as that central tenet of comedy goes, ignoring consequences. He and Mayeri have a great chemistry. In one scene, as Danny and Samantha reap the benefits of becoming close with Steph, they discuss the obvious: with more wealth comes less stress. They wonder how their marriage may have differed if not for the outsized financial stress, bringing a surprisingly touching bit of class consciousness to the otherwise goofy show.

With a reboot of The Office on the way (as well as that show and its spiritual twin, Parks and Recreation, remaining juggernauts for Peacock), it is clear that NBC is pushing chips towards the mockumentary market. Trying to recapture such lightning is always a risky gamble. And while Mr. Throwback falls short of those classics, it is a warm, resonant, and funny show. If they keep making shows like this, we will certainly keep watching.