In March 2012, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors engaged in a trade that changed the course of history for each franchise. The Warriors sent beloved guard Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown to the Bucks in exchange for center Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.
Unbeknownst to some, NBA icon and Warriors legend Stephen Curry was supposed to be included in the package until then-head coach Mark Jackson stepped in. It was an intriguing development at the time, and it would have been fascinating to see how Curry would have fared in a Bucks uniform.
Vote of confidence
Before establishing his undisputed reputation as the greatest shooter of all time, Curry was still trying to shed the often-injured tag that had followed him in the early part of his career. One person that truly believed in Curry’s capabilities was Jackson.
“Coach Jackson pulled me out of the locker room, and he's like, ‘yo, I just have to let you know, they wanted you in the trade,’ but for whatever reason, it didn't go down like that. He said, ‘I kind of stepped in too,’” shared Curry during his appearance on Draymond Green’s podcast.
Letting Curry take the wheel
Jackson then went ahead and essentially handed Curry the keys to the Warriors franchise, asking him to lead his team as the point guard and do what he does best — shoot. Curry shared that Jackson told him:
“‘I'm going to give you the keys. We really believe in you, we just have to get you healthy, and that's what the rest of the season is going to be about.’ His line was, 'don't make me a liar.’”
The rest, as they say, is history. Ellis continued his high-scoring ways in Milwaukee, while Bogut brought toughness, rim protection, and a defensive anchor to the Warriors. With his impending breakout, Curry was ready to take the league by storm — and just like that, the Splash Brothers era was born.
More must-reads: