Stephen Curry has become synonymous with the Golden State Warriors during his legendary career, but it almost didn’t work out that way.
Much has been made about Curry’s desire not to play for the Warriors leading up to the 2009 draft, and admittedly it’s hard to blame him.
The franchise had been so dysfunctional for so long that there wasn’t really any reason to feel any type of optimism about playing for them back in 2009.
Curry really wanted to play for the New York Knicks, who were drafting one spot after the Warriors. There was a multitude of reasons for this preference.
Not only would Curry be staying on the East Coast if New York drafted him, but then-head coach Mike D’Antoni ran an offense tailor-made to Curry’s skill set. The aura of New York is undeniable, as well. It’s hard to fault Curry for wanting to play in the Mecca of Basketball.
Travis Schlenk is currently the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks, but he was working in the front office of the Warriors during that 2009 draft.
In an interview with KNBR 680, Schlenk detailed just how much Curry’s people tried to prevent the Warriors from drafting him.
Schlenk said that right before the Warriors announced their pick, he got a text from someone from Curry’s agency saying not to draft him.
Schlenk informed them that they were drafting Curry, and it was the start of one of the transcendent dynasties in NBA history.
If there’s one moment that can be viewed as the genesis of all this success, it’s the decision to draft Curry in that 2009 draft.
It’s a good thing that Curry wasn’t the type of player who would have demanded out of a situation he wasn’t excited about.
For other young players getting drafted, it serves as a powerful lesson that a franchise they’re indifferent or distrustful of could end up being the perfect location for them.