Stephen Curry Still Motivated by 2009 NBA Draft Critics, Says Father Dell

Stephen Curry doesn't forget. 

The Golden State Warriors point guard's parents, Dell and Sonya Curry, appeared on ESPN's The Woj Pod on Thursday and disclosed their son still remembers who doubted him before he was picked seventh overall in the 2009 NBA draft:

The two-time NBA MVP has had more time to think lately, having been sidelined since Oct. 30 with a broken hand. He will make his return Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors, who defeated the Warriors in last year's NBA Finals.

Curry played for Davidson College from 2006 to 2009, leading the Wildcats to the 2008 Elite Eight as a sophomore. 

The Warriors were 26-56 during Curry's rookie year and finished below .500 the next two years before climbing above .500 in 2012-13 and hitting the 50-win mark in 2013-14. Golden State then hired head coach Steve Kerr ahead of the 2014-15 season.

The Warriors went on to appear in five straight NBA Finals under Kerr and win three championships. Curry earned two league MVPs during the stretch, becoming the first-ever unanimous MVP in 2016.

He is a future Hall of Famer, having set multiple records as a prolific three-point shooter, but he can draw motivation from those predraft doubters to build the Warriors back into title contenders next season. 

At 14-48, the league-worst Warriors are playing out a lost campaign. On top of Curry's absence, Klay Thompson suffered a torn ACL during Game 6 of last year's Finals and has missed all of this year. In addition, Kevin Durant left the organization for the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent last summer. 

In 2020-21, a return to top form for Curry and Thompson will be pivotal to another Warriors title run.