In the eve of a return to his hometown of Charlotte, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors caught up with longtime friend and Davidson classmate David Dennis Jr. of The Undefeated, recalling his humble beginnings as a potential draft selection.
The marksman recalls his path not being as clear-cut as other dominant studs like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who knew they'd be destined for an NBA future. As a freshman at Davidson, Curry went into it with no expectations, until the spotlight found him later on during a rousing sophomore season.
“When I went to Davidson, that was my goal, but I didn’t really know. It wasn’t like a chess game where I would position everything so that I could be an NBA player,” said Stephen Curry. “I was able to have a ‘normal’ college experience where it’s just about playing ball, hanging out with my teammates, going to school. Then we go to the [2008 Elite Eight] tournament run, we lose to Kansas, and the first question I get after … is, ‘Yo, are you declaring for the draft?’ And I’m like, ‘What?’ Like, ‘No. What are you talking about?’
That was a genuine response, because it wasn’t necessarily on my radar like that. I was just playing ball. Then, between my sophomore and junior year, that’s when I first really started to assess my game in terms of being an NBA player and understanding what I needed to work on if I want to get drafted. But even so … I hesitated when it came down to making the decision. … It wasn’t like I wasn’t destined to make that jump, but in my head it was still a question mark. It took me a while to get there and to get committed.”
Curry was the son of Dell Curry, who had played 16 years in the NBA as a role player and a 3-point specialist. His aspirations were to match his longevity in the league, but to do so in his own way. Now in his 10th year in the league, he has shattered his father's 3-point records and well-surpassed his scoring output, now a two-time MVP, six-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion.
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