Getty Stephen Curry, Warriors
Stephen Curry never expected to be in Golden State. He’s discussed it before—he thought, in the 2009 NBA draft, that he would wind up suiting up for the Knicks, who had the No. 8 overall pick. He was excited to play in Madison Square Garden, excited to join up with an offensive mastermind like Mike D’Antoni.
But the Warriors surprised him by grabbing him with the No. 7 choice on that June night. After a rough start, of course, the Warriors also brought together Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and the rest was NBA history. The Warriors brought on Steve Kerr as coach, won a championship in 2015, won 73 games in 2015-16, and appeared in six Finals, with four wins, altogether.
13 years ago today, Steph Curry was selected by the Warriors with the No. 7 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Now, he is a four-time NBA champ 👏
For that reason, Curry sees himself as a Warriors lifer.
Maybe? Or maybe there is another team Curry could play for. At least, he opened the door to the possibility on Thursday.
Curry Had a Busy Week in Charlotte
Speaking during a whirlwind week in Charlotte, Curry offered a hedge on his Warrior-for-life mindset.
He can easily be forgiven for getting caught up in his North Carolina roots. He received his degree from Davidson in a special ceremony this week, something he’d worked on since leaving school early 13 years ago. After receiving the diploma, he had his number retired by Davidson, where he played three seasons under coach Bob McKillop and provided some of the most scintillating highlights in NCAA tournament history.
He topped it all by receiving the key to the city of Charlotte from the city council as well as Mayor Vi Lyles. Curry attended Charlotte Christian for high school before moving on to Davidson which is located about 20 miles north of Charlotte.
.@StephenCurry30 says if he would play for any other NBA team besides the @warriors, it would be the @hornets!
“I’ve always said, I want to finish my career in Golden State, how much it means to me—the experiences, the teammates, the journey we have been on,” Curry said. “Everybody asks me, ‘Don’t you want to play one year for the Hornets, come back to the city?’
At this, the crowd cheered, and Curry laughed.
“I am not making any promises, all I would say, though, is that if there was a team that I would want to play for that is not named the Warriors, that would be the team. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
Curry Ranks as NBA’s Highest-Paid Player
Of course, it’s possible that Curry closes out his career in Charlotte, though the Warriors are not likely to allow that—at least not any time soon.
Curry is currently under contract, at the beginning of a four-year, $215 million deal that makes him the highest-paid player in the league. He will earn $48 million this year, a contract that escalates to $54 million next year, $56 million the following year and $60 million in its final season.
The Warriors are facing some financial decisions that won’t be easy in the coming years, including extensions for Curry favorites and longtime Warriors stalwarts Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, as well as valuable Finals piece Andrew Wiggins and youngster Jordan Poole. With the NBA’s exceptionally punitive luxury tax, it’s unlikely the Warriors can keep them all.
Curry, though? He is the bedrock of everything the Warriors have accomplished in this era. No matter the cost, it’s hard to imagine them letting him get some run for another NBA team.