Things could have gone a lot different for Steph Curry at the 2009 NBA Draft. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is a shoe-in for the NBA Hall of Fame once he calls it a career. Three Finals trophies and two league MVP titles to his name, he is regarded as one of the best shooters of all time by a landslide. However, his fate as a Bay Area superstar wouldn’t have happened had he gotten his first choice of teams in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Speaking on Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ “All the Smoke” podcast, the father of three not only admits he thought he was going to be a member of the New York Knicks, he wanted to take his talents to the Big Apple.
Welp. Today is ruined for @WorldWideWob, as Steph Curry explicitly told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on “All the Smoke” that he wanted to get drafted by the Knicks: “I wanted to go to New York and thought I was going to New York.”
“Thinking back, I wanted to go to New York and thought I was going to New York,” the 31-year-old said Thursday.
“At the draft–in the green room — like, ‘Oh, get to the eight spot and New York can get me.’
“And then I got the call from (former Warriors general manager) Larry Riley, like ‘We’re going to pick you in the seventh spot.'”
With the eighth pick, New York selected Jordan Hill. In his rookie year, Hill was ultimately offloaded in a deal that would send Tracy McGrady to the Garden.
For Knicks fans, losing out on Curry is perhaps just as worse as the time LeBron James famously said to former teammate Dwyane Wade that “it was either here or the Garden” when the two met for one final time on the hardwood.
Every season, Knicks fans confidently declare that this is “their year.” One year, hopefully, that will be the case.
Twitter Reacts to Steph’s Admission
Once #NBATwitter got word of Curry’s revelation, they had no choice but share their comments about the pick that could have been, with many claiming that Curry wouldn’t be regarded as the superstar he is today had he ended up with the Eastern Conference team.
Curry Could Return From Injury as Early as March
Currently battling an longterm injury after injuring his hand at the end of October, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II reported on Sunday that Curry could hand the Warriors a much-needed injury boost in March. While that’s great news for Golden State fans, Thompson is cautioning them not to get their hopes up just yet.
“That’s not set in stone, of course. More like a target date. But expect a return by the face of the franchise before next season.”
When Ohio-born baller’s first underwent surgery post-injury, the timetable for recovery was 3-4 months. So, technically speaking, the targeted March 1 return date makes sense. However, with Golden State sitting dead last in the Western Conference standings with an abysmal 10-36 record, it might not be worth bringing back Curry or fellow splash brother Klay Thompson if the changes of a playoff berth appear unlikely as the season continues.
A position they haven’t found themselves in the last several years, the Warriors are probably better off taking their chances on the lottery and landing an acceptable pick in this year’s draft.