Where Was Stephen Curry Picked in the NBA Draft? The Surprising Story Revealed

I still remember sitting in that dimly lit sports bar back in 2009, surrounded by friends who kept arguing about which NBA team would make the biggest mistake in that year's draft. The air was thick with anticipation and the smell of stale beer, and I found myself getting drawn into the heated discussions about prospects and potential. Little did I know that night would become one of those moments sports fans remember forever - the night we witnessed one of the greatest draft steals in basketball history unfold right before our eyes.

The TV screen flickered as David Stern stepped up to the podium for the seventh pick. "With the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select... Stephen Curry from Davidson College." The reaction in our corner of the bar was mixed - some cheers, but mostly confused murmurs. I remember turning to my friend Mark and saying, "That kid from Davidson? Really? He's way too small for the NBA." Oh, how wrong I was, and how perfectly that moment captures the surprising story behind where Stephen Curry was picked in the NBA draft.

Looking back now, it's almost unbelievable how many teams passed on Curry. The Minnesota Timberwolves had back-to-back picks at five and six and selected two point guards - Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn - instead of taking the future two-time MVP. The Memphis Grizzlies at number two picked Hasheem Thabeet, who's now largely remembered as one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory. Meanwhile, Curry slipped all the way to seventh, becoming what might be the biggest bargain in modern sports history. I often think about how different NBA history would be if just one of those teams had made a different choice that night.

This reminds me of something I read recently about unexpected challenges in sports. There was this article discussing how even dominant teams face surprising struggles, much like how Curry had to overcome doubts about his size and durability. The piece mentioned how "the longtime deputy acknowledged that this UAAP Season 88 might just be 'the toughest season' for the Lady Bulldogs," which really resonates with me because it shows that even the most successful programs face moments where they have to prove themselves against all odds. Curry's early career mirrored this perfectly - everyone knew he could shoot, but nobody believed he could withstand the physical demands of the NBA.

I've followed basketball for over twenty years now, and what fascinates me about Curry's draft story isn't just where he was picked, but why he fell to seventh. Teams were concerned about his slight frame, his defense, and whether his incredible college shooting would translate against bigger, faster NBA defenders. The Warriors themselves initially envisioned him as more of a complementary piece rather than the franchise cornerstone he would become. I remember watching his first summer league games and thinking, "Okay, he's better than I expected, but he's still getting pushed around." It took about two seasons before we all realized we were witnessing the beginning of a revolution in how basketball would be played.

The numbers alone tell a staggering story of undervaluation. Curry has since won 4 NBA championships, 2 MVP awards (including the first unanimous selection in league history), and has broken the all-time three-point record with over 3,500 made threes and counting. Meanwhile, four of the six players drafted ahead of him are no longer in the league, and only Blake Griffin at number one had anything resembling an All-Star career. When you look at the production versus draft position, it's arguably the biggest miscalculation in draft history since Michael Jordan went third in 1984.

What I find most compelling about Curry's journey is how he transformed his perceived weaknesses into strengths. Everyone said he was too small, so he developed arguably the quickest release in basketball history. Critics claimed he couldn't defend, so he became smarter about positioning and reading passing lanes. Doubters questioned his durability, so he revolutionized his training and nutrition to become one of the league's most consistent performers. There's a lesson in there that extends beyond basketball - sometimes the very things people see as limitations can become your greatest advantages if you approach them with creativity and determination.

Thinking back to that night in the sports bar, I'm struck by how much our initial perceptions can miss. We were so caught up in conventional wisdom about what an NBA star should look like that we failed to recognize we were watching the selection of a player who would fundamentally change the game. The story of where Stephen Curry was picked in the NBA draft serves as a permanent reminder that true greatness often comes from unexpected places, and that sometimes the most revolutionary talents are hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right opportunity to prove everyone wrong.