Stephen Curry is one of the best players in history today, a man who revolutionized the game with his long-range shots… But that wasn’t always the case, and in his youth, the Warriors point guard has déjà caught a strong wind. He never forgot that and let it be known with cash words.
After the new Warriors title and his first Finals MVP trophy, Stephen Curry can officially count himself among the greatest players of all time. For some pundits he’s overtaken Magic Johnson as the greatest point guard in history, and for others he’s carved out a spot in the NBA’s all-time Top 10.
And this success is even more impressive when you know where the Chef comes from. No, it doesn’t come out of nowhere like LeBron James or Kevin Durant, his father was a recognized NBA player who notably helped to democratize 3-point shooting… But in his teens, absolutely no one bet on him, and even after good years in the NCAA, he was selected only in 7th position in the Draft, behind Ricky Rubio…
Stephen Curry was badly denied by Duke in NCAA
This “chaotic” course, or at least far from the usual paths, necessarily adds value to the many collective and individual trophies won by the leader of the Warriors. Moreover, in recent days, many media have been plunging back into the path followed by Stephen Curry in his career, and his father Dell, as well as his friend Rex Chapman, have revealed the team he probably hates the most on earth. The website BasketballNews says in a great article:
Dell Curry : When he was in high school, Steph dreamed of coming to play for Duke, and my friend Rex Chapman used his network to pass on the information to Coach K. It was simply to join the team as a student, he didn’t even ask for a scholarship! The next day we received a refusal and Steph engaged with Davidson. He exploded at the NCAA level and by the end of his freshman year, everyone wanted to draft him.
Rex Chapman : A lot of people at Duke were asking me for Dell’s number to get Steph to come. So I called Dell to tell him that the Blue Devils were on the case, but also Kentucky and other big names, and I remember his answer the next day: “Steph told me that these universities did not want him in high school, Duke didn’t want to welcome him as the 15th player, now he’s the one who doesn’t want them. He told me they could all go fuck themselves”.
Stephen Curry had a dream in his youth: to wear the Duke jersey in the NCAA. Unfortunately for him, he was badly rejected when he left high school, despite his contacts, and he never forgot this refusal. So when the Blue Devils came back the following season to seduce him, he made it a point of honor to send them for a ride… A choice that largely paid off, since with this determination and this desire to give them wrong, he revolutionized the NBA.
If the leaders of Duke knew that the Chief would become what he is today, they would not have hesitated a single instant to recruit him when he left high school… But would Steph have been as strong in such a prestigious team? Nothing is less sure.
