Dell Curry Confirms The Curry Camp Wanted Stephen Curry To Be Drafted By The New York Knicks

Stephen Curry was drafted No. 7 in the 2009 NBA Draft class by the Golden State Warriors. Since then, we all know what happened: unanimous MVP, three championships, and multiple scoring titles. But history could have ended up much different. 

Dell Curry has recently revealed that the Curry camp originally wanted Stephen Curry to get drafted by the New York Knicks at No. 8 when speaking to NBA Insider Marc Stein. Notably, Stephen Curry himself has stated that he wanted to be drafted by the New York Knicks previously. 

Stephen Curry and those in his camp definitely did want Madison Square Garden to become Curry’s permanent NBA address entering the 2009 NBA Draft.

“Very true, very true, very true,” Dell Curry said Monday night, when we spoke before Stephen Curry’s father called the Charlotte-at-Dallas game in his role as a Hornets broadcaster.

The Knicks had the eighth pick in the 2009 Draft. Golden State held No. 7. Dell Curry, who logged 16 seasons as the NBA’s first of three sharpshooting Currys, fielded a draft-day phone call from the Warriors’ then-coach Don Nelson.

“I said, ‘No, we’d rather you not take him if he’s there because we have another place we’d like him to be,’ ” Dell Curry recounted in our Monday conversation. “He said, ‘Well, if he’s there we’re going to take him,’ and I said: ‘That’s your choice. You call me and ask me a question and I’m telling you the truth from my end.’ “

With an assist from David Kahn and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who selected Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with the Nos. 5 and 6 picks after Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden and Tyreke Evans went off the board, Curry indeed made it to the Warriors at No. 7. Nelson and then-Warriors general manager Larry Riley — who will be in attendance later Tuesday at Golden State’s invitation — defied Dell Curry, agent Jeff Austin and everyone else who was lobbying the Warriors to let Steph make it to the Knicks’ turn at No. 8.

“Thank God it didn’t happen,” Dell Curry said.

A player's situation plays a huge part in how that player develops in the NBA. It is quite possible that if Stephen Curry went anywhere but Golden State, he wouldn't be the player that he is today.

Stephen Curry will be playing the New York Knicks today, with an opportunity to break the 3PT record in Madison Square Garden. Hopefully, New York Knicks fans won't be too upset knowing what could have been.