Stephen Curry became a household name after his breakout freshman season at Davidson, and many people had the same reaction when that happened: How did this kid not end up with one of the top basketball programs in the country? Obviously, Curry was overlooked, and by the time one of those programs realized how good he was, the future two-time NBA MVP wanted nothing to do with it.
In the aftermath of Curry’s fourth NBA title, audio resurfaced from Dell Curry’s appearance on “The Rex Chapman Show” last year. In it, Chapman and the elder Curry recalled how Duke rejected Steph as a potential walk-on before he ultimately landed at Davidson. A year later, Duke had a change of heart after seeing Curry in action, but Curry was not having it.
“I called you and I said, ‘Hey, there are two or three schools that are really interested in having Stephen,'” Chapman recalled, via Alex Kennedy of Basketball News. “And you said, ‘Let me get back with you.’ A day went by… You called me and you said, ‘He told me, ‘Dad, if they didn’t want me then, I don’t want them now. F— ’em. I’m staying at Davidson.’ I got goosebumps, and I almost started to cry! That’s exactly the answer I hoped I would get!”
Dell Curry confirmed the story, noting that his son had always been loyal, and it helped that Davidson played against top teams in non-conference play.
Even now, Curry plays with a chip on his shoulder. That has been the case since he was in college. Most would jump at the opportunity to play for Duke, even after being passed over. Curry was different, and it has paid off for him.
More must-reads: