Steph Curry Admits He Was Fixated on Knicks Drafting Him in 2009, Didn't Know Where Golden State Was
Prior to being drafted by the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry was keeping a close eye on the team that was picking after them.
Appearing on the Fudd Around and Find Out show with Azzi Fudd and Ashanti Plummer (starts at 16:15 mark), Curry revealed "all I was thinking about was New York" in reference to the Knicks before the Warriors selected him No. 7 overall in the 2009 NBA draft.
Curry joked after he got the call from the Warriors informing him he was there pick that he had to look up where Golden State played.
Predictions for Curry leading up to the 2009 draft were unclear. He was being mocked in the four to six range, where the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves were picking. Minnesota had back-to-back selections at five and six.
The primary concerns for Curry were his size and decline in performance in his final season at Davidson. He averaged a career-high 28.6 points per game as a junior, but it came on career-low shooting overall (45.4) and from three-point range (38.7).
Davidson wasn't loaded with high-end talent around Curry, so he was being asked to carry the offense in ways that negatively impacted his shooting efficiency.
The Warriors, who were sitting in the seventh spot, jumped on the chance to select Curry after the Timberwolves infamously used their picks to select two point guards (Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn).
New York at No. 8 wound up selecting Jordan Hill with Curry off the board. Dell Curry, Stephen's father, revealed in 2024 that he tried to steer his son to the Knicks, including telling then-Warriors head coach Don Nelson in a pre-draft phone call he didn't want them to take him.
"So draft day, we're in New York, I get a call from [ex-Warriors coach] Don Nelson. He says, 'Dell, you got a problem if we select Steph at No. 7? I said, 'Yes, I do.' He's like, 'What?' I'm like, 'Yeah, we want him in New York.' We talk for five or 10 minutes. He's like, 'Well if he's there, we're going to take him anyway.' I'm like,' It's your choice. You asked me for my opinion, I gave it to you.' I'm glad he [picked Steph]. It all worked out."
Things absolutely worked out for Stephen, who clearly did figure out where they play, and the Warriors. He has turned in one of the best careers in NBA history, leading the Warriors to four championships in 17 seasons so far.
Meanwhile, the Knicks were in the midst of eight consecutive losing seasons at the time of the 2009 draft. They did have a brief bounce-back from 2010 to '13 after acquiring Carmelo Anthony and making the playoffs in three consecutive years.
It really wasn't until the summer of 2022 when the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson that they found a franchise player capable of leading them to rarified air. They are still chasing their first title since the 1972-73 season, but they're getting close with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the horizon.
