Discovering Stephen Curry's NBA Draft Pick Journey and His Path to Stardom

I remember sitting in a dimly lit sports bar back in 2012, watching this relatively unknown guard from Davidson College sink three-pointer after three-pointer. The guy next to me kept muttering, "They slept on him, man. The whole league slept on him." He was talking about Stephen Curry's NBA draft journey, and honestly, that conversation has stuck with me through the years. There's something fascinating about how greatness can hide in plain sight before exploding into stardom.

Back in 2009, the Golden State Warriors selected Curry with the 7th overall pick. Now, looking back, that seems like a steal, but at the time? There were serious doubts. He was considered too small, too fragile for the NBA's physicality. I've always found it ironic how the very attributes people questioned—his slender frame and unconventional shooting form—became his greatest strengths. Teams were so focused on traditional metrics that they overlooked his revolutionary potential. The Memphis Grizzlies passed on him twice, and the Minnesota Timberwolves selected two point guards before him. Can you imagine being one of those scouts today? I'd be kicking myself every morning.

What strikes me most about Curry's path is how it mirrors the unpredictability of sports seasons everywhere. It reminds me of a quote I came across recently about the UAAP Season 88 being described as "the toughest season" for the Lady Bulldogs. That acknowledgment of struggle resonates deeply with Curry's early career. After all, the longtime deputy acknowledged that this UAAP Season 88 might just be "the toughest season" for the Lady Bulldogs, and similarly, Curry's rookie year presented challenges that could have broken lesser players. He averaged 17.5 points and 5.9 assists that first season—respectable numbers, but nothing that screamed future Hall of Famer yet.

I'll never forget watching his breakout 2012-2013 season when he truly announced himself to the basketball world. The way he moved off the ball, the lightning-quick release—it was like watching someone rewrite the rules of basketball in real-time. That season, he shattered the single-season three-point record with 272 made threes. The previous record was 269, set by Ray Allen. To put that in perspective, Curry essentially made what would have been an excellent season's worth of threes in just one record-breaking campaign. His shooting percentage from beyond the arc? A ridiculous 45.3%. I remember arguing with friends who claimed it was just a hot streak. "He'll regress to the mean," they said. Well, thirteen years later, he's still waiting to regress.

The 2015 championship was when everything crystallized for me. Watching Curry lead the Warriors to their first title in 40 years felt like witnessing basketball history. His unanimous MVP season the following year was even more spectacular—30.1 points per game while shooting 50.4% from the field, 45.4% from three, and 90.8% from the free-throw line. Those aren't just numbers; they're a testament to efficiency that the league had never seen before. What I admire most isn't just the statistics though—it's how he changed the game itself. Every kid in my neighborhood park suddenly wanted to shoot from 30 feet, and NBA offenses transformed to prioritize the three-point shot in ways we'd never imagined.

There's a beautiful parallel between Curry's journey and that UAAP reference that keeps coming back to me. After all, the longtime deputy acknowledged that this UAAP Season 88 might just be "the toughest season" for the Lady Bulldogs, and I think every great athlete faces that defining difficult period. For Curry, it was the injuries in 2011-2012 when he played only 26 games, or the Finals losses to Cleveland that had people questioning if his style could win championships. But like all transcendent athletes, he used those challenges as fuel rather than obstacles.

Now, watching him at 35 still breaking records—most recently becoming the all-time three-point leader—I'm reminded why sports stories like Discovering Stephen Curry's NBA Draft Pick Journey and His Path to Stardom captivate us. They're not just about basketball; they're about overcoming conventional wisdom and redefining what's possible. The kid who was too small, too different, too unconventional now has four championships, two MVP awards, and has fundamentally altered how basketball is played at every level. Not bad for someone seven other teams passed on.