How A 3 Star Recruit Became An NBA Legend

Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time, and we believe he's a top 10 NBA player ever. This is the story of Steph's unusual path to the NBA, and how he transformed from a skinny, unranked high school player to an all-time great. Steph Curry was born in Akron, Ohio, in the same hospital as LeBron James. And because his father Dell played for the Cavaliers, Steph always wanted to become an NBA player. But nobody believed he could do it, not even Dell. And it's not like Steph couldn't play, because he was highly skilled. But the biggest problem was his size. Steph was the smallest and skinniest kid on every team. Every jersey he wore was oversized and hanging off him. When Dell played for Toronto, the Curry family moved to Canada, and you could often see Steph and his brother Seth on the court, shooting at halftime. And it was in Toronto where young Steph blossomed as a player. His handles and shooting already looked a lot like they do now. Crossovers, behind the backs, and all kinds of advanced dribbling moves became second nature. He was arguably the best young player in Canada at the time. Being around NBA players and watching every practice really helped Steph to develop a great feel for the game and learned how to train. From an early age, Steph accepted that he wouldn't be tall and athletic. So he developed an insane work ethic, because he knew he had to outwork everyone for just a chance to make the league. Steph would play Vince Carter one-on-one after every home practice, and he was often picked first when the Raptors had shooting competitions. At just 12 years old, he was already beating NBA players in three-point shooting. Curry played for the Queensway Christian School and Toronto 5-0, leading Queensway to an undefeated season and Toronto to a province title. Even then, Steph was exceptional at changing direction, manipulating angles, and finding the smallest gaps to launch a deep shot. He had extremely developed knowledge of the game for such a young player, who always knew where everyone else was on the court. Defenders always had to keep an eye on him, because he never missed open shots. Steph was quiet and humble, but if the other team tried to intimidate or talk trash to him, he would transform into a baby-faced assassin and usually finish the game with 30 or 40 points. When Dell retired from the NBA, the Curries moved back to Charlotte, and Steph led his Christian School to three conference titles. As a senior, Curry's team reached the state championship game, where their opponent's Greensboro Day used the same tactics some NBA coaches now use against Steph. It was a box-in-one defense, where a 6-foot-6 athletic forward was glued to Steph the entire game and ignored everybody else, denying Curry the ball and using his size to frustrate him. It worked. Even though he played his heart out, Steph wasn't strong nor athletic enough to fight off a bigger and quicker opponent for the entire game, finishing with 8 points and a loss. Curry was only 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds soaking wet, and didn't receive any college offers. Despite his skill in shooting masterclass, Curry was nowhere to be found on national rankings as a junior. As a senior, his status improved, and he was ranked as the number 16 player in North Carolina. However, he was ranked as the number 60 point guard in the nation and the number 300 player overall. However, there was still hope to keep his basketball dream alive. Steph eventually received offers from five schools. Del Curry's alma mater, Virginia Tech, offered him a scholarship, but only if he agreed to redshirt as a freshman. Eventually, Steph chose Davidson College so he could stay in North Carolina and start right away, which proved to be the correct decision. As a Davidson freshman, Curry averaged 21.5 points per game. He led the Southern Conference in scoring and was second in the nation among freshmen behind only Kevin Durant. With 122 threes, Curry also broke the NCAA freshman season record for three-pointers made and took the Wildcats to March Madness, where they lost in the first round despite Steph's 30 points. Over the summer of 2007, Steph grew slightly to reach his current height of 6-foot-3 and came into his sophomore season averaging 25.5 points per game. Steph led Davidson to an undefeated season in the Southern Conference and another berth to March Madness. Nobody expected the Wildcats to do much, because other than Steph and point guard Jason Richards, the Davidson team mostly consisted of marketing specialists, data scientists, and other students with no future in basketball. But then, it started happening. Steph torched Gonzaga with 40 points and secured the first NCAA tournament victory for Davidson in 39 years. In the second round against the eighth seed at Georgetown, it seemed like it was all over after Steph scored just five points in the first half, with Davidson down by 17. But their Cinderella story continued, as Curry bullied the Hoyas with 25 second-half points, leading Davidson to a 74-70 comeback victory. In the Sweet 16 against Wisconsin, Steph continued his glorious run, dominating with 33 points in a blowout win. Curry became a national sensation, and all eyes were on him in the Elite Eight against top seeded Kansas. Even against this much more talented team, who threw everything at him, Curry scored 25. But he couldn't pull wonders forever, and Davidson lost by two. Curry averaged 32 points, three and a half assists, and 3.2 steals while shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc, over those magical four games. He also broke the record for most three-pointers in an NCAA season, which still stands today. Because he wanted to develop as a point guard, his likely position in the NBA, Steph decided to stay in college, even though he would be a lottery pick if he opted for the NBA Draft. As a junior, Steph averaged 28.6 points, 5.6 assists, and two and a half steals. He was the NCAA scoring leader, and was named a consensus first-team All-American, despite the fact he was a proven scorer and a deadly shooter. Curry had a ton of doubters before the 2009 NBA Draft. Lack of size and strength was the biggest issue, and a lot of people looked at him as a shooting guard in a point guard's body, not believing that he could be a good enough playmaker. Minnesota had picks No. 5 and No. 6, and they selected two point guards, but neither one of them was Steph. Some genius GM figured that Ricky Rubio and a six-foot Johnny Flynn were better than Curry, after which David Stern said the most important 19 words in Warriors history. "...the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select Stephen Curry from Davidson College." Steph immediately proved that the Timberwolves GM was an idiot for not drafting him. As a rookie, he averaged 17 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Tyreek Evans. Steph was top 10 in the NBA in 3-point percentage, and 3-pointers made, and he scored 30-plus points 8 times, setting the most 30-point games by any rookie since LeBron and Carmelo in 2004. Next season, he slightly improved his numbers, but he couldn't explode next to Monte Ellis, who averaged over 20 shots per game, compared to Curry's 14. However, Steph did lead the NBA in free-throw percentage, with 93.5% shooting from the line, which is still the Warriors' all-time record. But towards the end of the season, Steph underwent ankle surgery, which became an issue that would last for years. Due to various ankle and foot injuries on both ankles, Steph played just 26 games in his third season, and gained the reputation for being injury-prone. By the trade deadline, Steph was agreed to be traded to Milwaukee for Andrew Boga, but the Bucks' doctor stopped the trade, deeming Curry's ankles too risky. The trade still went through, but Golden State gave away a fan favorite, Monte Ellis, instead of Steph, which was greeted with huge disappointment from the Warriors' fans. Little did they know that the Bucks' doctor saved the Warriors from making the biggest mistake in franchise history. In the 2012 offseason, the Warriors offered Curry a $44 million extension, which seems ridiculously small now. But it was considered a gamble back then, because of Steph's glass ankles. Warriors GM Bob Myers drafted Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, who joined Steph, and second-year guard Klay Thompson. It was a core that gelled well together under coach Mark Jackson. The Warriors finally started playing some defense, after years of finishing in the bottom five defensively. More importantly, they started winning games too, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2007, and the We Believe team. Steph flourished under coach Jackson, averaging a career-high 23 points and seven assists per game, including a 54-point game against the Knicks in the Garden. He also established a new NBA single-season three-point record, eclipsing the previous mark set by Ray Allen with 272 three-pointers on 53 fewer attempts. And Klay wasn't too far behind, prompting Mark Jackson to say he's got the best shooting backcourt in NBA history. Many figured it was foolish at the time, especially because Thompson was only in his second season. But thanks to their shooting prowess, Steph and Klay earned the nickname Splash Brothers. Then, in the 2013 playoffs, the Warriors defeated the Nuggets, before they lost to the much deeper and more experienced Spurs team. In 2014, Curry again led the NBA in three-pointers made. He averaged 24 points and a career-high eight-and-a-half assists per game, and made his first All-Star on All-NBA team. The Warriors had the fourth-best defense in the NBA, and finished the season with 51 wins, the most since 1992. Unfortunately, they dropped the ball in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Clippers. After that, Golden State knew it was time for a change, so they fired Mark Jackson and hired Steve Kerr, who would lead the team to unprecedented heights. In 2015, Steph Curry and the Warriors took the league by storm. They led the NBA in pace, points per game, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and assists. They were also first in defensive rating, second in blocks, and fourth in steals. Led by Steph Curry, the Warriors blew everybody out of the way with their pace, and then they killed them with shooting. Haston Space Basketball was born, and it was here to stay. Curry was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star game, and he won the All-Star three-point contest. Steph broke his own league record for three-pointers made in a season, and the Warriors finished the year with 67 wins, by far the most in franchise history. After posting averages of 24 points, 7.7 assists, and two steals per game, Curry was voted the NBA's most valuable player. If that wasn't crazy enough, throughout the season, he sat out 17 fourth quarters due to Golden State's wide margins of victory. Despite their success, most people in the NBA viewed them as this fun little team that's going to get overpowered in the playoffs, hoodwinked by Charles Barkley's mantra that three-point shooting teams don't win championships. But thanks to their top-notch defense led by Draymond, Iggy, Bogut, and Klay, the Warriors were not just a three-point shooting team, and it showed in the playoffs. First, they swept the Pelicans. Then they came back to win against the Grizzlies, and dusted off Harden's Rockets to reach their first NBA final since 1975. Against the Cavs, the Warriors fell behind two games to one, thanks to an otherworldly performance by LeBron and surprising help from De La Vidova, who played excellent defense on Curry. However, the Warriors simply had more talent. When Iguodala entered the starting lineup, he sparked a big comeback, and the Warriors won the next three games and the title. Iguodala was named the Finals MVP due to his stellar defense on LeBron, but Steph could have easily won it as well, averaging 26 and 6 assists, compared to Iggy's 16 points per game. For the playoffs, Steph averaged 28 points on 43% shooting from deep, breaking the records for most threes in one playoff run. In 2016, the league still had not caught up with the Warriors' pace in space program, which was running even smoother than the year before. The Warriors won an NBA record 73 games in a season, becoming the best regular season team ever. Steph shattered his three-point record, hitting an unprecedented 402 threes in a season, when no other player even reached 300 threes in a season. He was an NBA scoring champion with 30 points per game, shooting 50% from the field, 45% from deep, and a league-leading 91% from the free throw line. He was the seventh player to join the 50-40-90 club, and many people consider this the greatest shooting season ever. Steph became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, and the Warriors were the heavy title favorites. However, they fell behind 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, and everybody thought their season would be over. But thanks to Klay Thompson's miracle performance in Game 6, Golden State made a glorious comeback and won the series. In the finals, it was the Warriors who were up three games to one, but then Draymond got suspended, Kyrie and LeBron turned on God Mode, and the Cavs became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. Curry played a decent series, but he couldn't really explode to the rim due to a knee injury, which was most clear when he couldn't get past Kevin Love in the deciding moments of Game 7. The Warriors became a mockery after their 73-9 season produced no ring. Meme makers, analysts, and Richard Jefferson all As soon as Kevin Durant announced that he would be joining the Warriors, everyone knew. This was going to be the best team in the NBA. With KD's scoring added to the core of Steph, Klay, Draymond, and Iguodala, the Warriors were unbeatable. In 2017, they lost only one game in the playoffs on the way to the title, and we believe that this team, with their shooting ability and defensive versatility, was the best team in NBA history. And while KD deservedly won the finals MVP, Steph still averaged 28-6-6 throughout the playoffs, with a ridiculous 66% true shooting percentage. Just to put things into perspective, Michael Jordan's best true shooting percentage was 60% in the 1991 playoffs. The next season, Golden State continued its dominance. The Rockets came close in the conference finals, but nobody could touch these Warriors. Golden State swept LeBron in the finals, with KD as the finals MVP once more. And as usual, Steph wasn't too far behind, with 27-6-7. The next season provided much more drama for the Warriors. KD and Draymond had a big fight, the chemistry was different, and the future was uncertain. However, Golden State was still the most talented team. Even when KD was injured, Curry proved that he was right there to pick up the scoring, averaging 36-8-7 in the conference finals sweep. The finals against the Raptors was an extremely even series, tied at two apiece going into Game 5. And then it happened. KD tore his Achilles in the first game back, and Klay had a torn ACL in Game 6. Curry was playing like a demigod, with all of the Raptors guarding him, and Coach Nurse utilizing the box and one defense on him. Curry still averaged 30 points in the series, but after the injuries to his two best teammates, he couldn't prevail, and Toronto won the title. In 2020, after five consecutive NBA finals, the Warriors became the worst team in the NBA. KD left for Brooklyn, Klay was recovering from injury, and Steph also got hurt, playing just five games in the season. However, that gave him a precious time in the offseason he never had during those finals runs. Steph bulked up, which improved his defense and made him tougher to bump on offense. At the age of 33, he was playing the best, most mature, and well-rounded basketball of his career, which resulted in his second scoring title, with 32 points per game. But without Klay, who suffered yet another injury, the Warriors missed the playoffs once again. Come 2022, Steph had the worst shooting season of his career. It was the first time he averaged less than 40% accuracy from three, even though he was still one of the most efficient guards in the league. However, he was making them when it counted, in the playoffs. Steph's added muscle mass proved to be a big difference in the postseason, and he transformed into a plus defender. He knew when to attack and when to pass, leading the Warriors to another NBA finals, against the Celtics, who had the best defense in the NBA. Curry showed why he's a basketball genius, and an offensive juggernaut like no other. Even though the Celtics had stopped KD, Giannis, and Jimmy Butler in the playoffs, they had no answer for Steph. Curry averaged 31 points in the finals, on 63% true shooting, including a spectacular Game 4, where he scored 43 points and won the game basically by himself. He led the Warriors to a 4-2 series win, winning his fourth title and his first finals MVP trophy. With this title, he further solidified his place in NBA history, and we believe it's fair to say that he's one of the 10 greatest players of all time. Not bad for a player that wasn't ranked as a college prospect in his junior year of high school, and a guy who was drafted behind Johnny Flynn.