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Steph Curry is arguably the greatest player in Golden State Warriors franchise history.
However, there was a time before the 2009 NBA draft when Steph's father, Dell Curry, didn't want him to get selected by the Warriors. The Curry family wanted the future four-time NBA champion to go to the New York Knicks insteaad.
In an interview with the New York Times in 2014, Dell explained why they didn't want Steph to join Golden State. He had a problem with the Warriors culture back then and how it could impact his son's future. He also envisioned Steph playing at the Madison Square Garden:
"The Warriors had some questionable characters on their team. The Knicks really needed a point guard, and we felt that Stephen would fit perfectly with a coach like Mike D'Antoni, playing that fast, up-and-down style. He loved the idea of playing at Madison Square Garden."
Steph Curry was a junior guard out of Davidson and had captivated the nation in the previous two NCAA tournaments. However, there were question marks about his game translating into the NBA heading into the draft.
Regardless of what scouts thought about Curry, then-Warriors coach Don Nelson loved the lanky point guard with a great shooting stroke. Golden State had the No. 7 pick in 2009 but were worried about the Minnesota Timberwolves, who owned the fifth and sixth picks.
Fortunately for the Warriors, the Timberwolves fumbled the bag and drafted Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn. Curry was selected by the Warriors, and the rest, aas they say, is history. New York Knicks fans were livid that they missed out on the greatest shooter the game has ever seen.
Things turned out perfectly for Steph Curry and the Warriors
Steph Curry's tenure with the Golden State Warriors at the start wasn't successful. Curry was hampered by ankle injuries, and there were doubts that he could fulfill his potential.
Fast forward to 2023, and Curry is the league's all-time leader in 3-point shots made. He literally changed the game of basketball and helped the Warriors win NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.
His impact on the franchise paid dividends, with Golden State being named as the most valuable in the league at $7 billion.
Curry also won two NBA MVPs and one NBA Finals MVP. At the age of 35, he remains one of the best players in the league. The Warriors are now gunning for title number five in the Curry era.
