Stephen and Ayesha Curry are happily married now, but there was a time when the basketball star struggled to move past the friend zone.

It wasn’t entirely Steph’s fault. He found himself in a challenging situation where he had feelings for a girl who wasn’t allowed to date at the time. While he’s had his share of blocked shots on the court, the biggest rejection he ever faced came from the person who would eventually become his wife.

In an interview with Alan Shipnuck of Parents, Steph and Ayesha shared the story of how their relationship began. It turns out the basketball player had to respect the rules and wait for the right moment.

PARENTS: You two were in the same church group as teenagers, but you never asked Ayesha out. Were you afraid she was out of your league?

STEPHEN CURRY: I always had my eye on her, but I got a little shaken, for sure.

AYESHA CURRY: I wasn’t allowed to date in high school. We always laugh that we were both focused on God.

It only gets sadder for Steph from there:

P: Fast-forward a few years. Stephen is a rising junior at Davidson College [in North Carolina], you’re pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles, and he comes to town for the ESPYS sports awards show. He found you on Facebook, and you spent a day hanging out—does that count as your first date?

AC: I mean, it was friend vibes … until I dodged his first kiss.

SC: Yep. I struck out.

We need the play-by-play.

AC: He was in mid-conversation and came flying at my face like a thief in the night. So I was like, No. Then I thought, “Oh, I didn’t know this is what was happening.”

Ouch. That’s rough.

Of course, things wound up working out for Stephen and Ayesha. The two did eventually become an item and got married. The couple has been wed for about five years now and has two children (Riley and Ryan) together.

In the interview, Ayesha said Steph would love to have more kids, but for now, they won’t be adding to their family anytime soon.

In case you want more from this feature, Mr. and Mrs. Curry also talked about parenting and a special pregame ritual the two share: