The NBA Playoffs is one of the greatest times of the year to me. I enjoy taking in the games maybe with a brew or two. Sometimes I chill at home or I might go out to a local sports bar. As much as I enjoy the games and the competitiveness, I also enjoy the story lines and emergence of superstars. I think nationally this year’s playoffs brought a lot of attention to the Golden State Warriors prolific point guard Stephen Curry. Now die-hard sport fans (like myself) remember Curry during his days at Davidson college where he led them to an improbable run to the elite 8. They lost to the eventual champions Kansas Jayhawks by 2 pts in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. I remember most vividly in that tourney though the 30 point half he had against Gonzaga to lead them back from an 11-point deficit. Curry stole the whole spotlight of the tournament that year. Hitting high arcing threes like simple layups and his deadly step back was on direct target like an assassin. Just wanted to watch the kid play. His game garnered much attention from coaches, college players, and even professional players as Lebron James took the time to watch Curry play. It was cool to see Curry who was attending a small school light up the scoreboard against the bigger schools.
Sonya Curry cheering for Stephen’s younger brother Seth Curry at Duke. If you talk about Stephen Curry you have to mention his mother.
Stephen Curry was born with the NBA pedigree. His father Dell Curry was a prolific shooter himself who spent many years in the NBA. His mother was great volleyball player. The younger Curry had all the tools for greatness. But in high school even though he was putting up extraordinary numbers and came from a family with NBA talent the bigger schools passed on Curry. While he was talented, he was small with a fragile looking frame. This lead many scouts and recruiters to doubt his prospects in taking his game to the next level in college. They looked at Curry and thought nice game but too small, too slow. No major conference schools would offer him a scholarship. So even though Curry would have liked to have attended Virginia Tech like his father the best Tech would offer him was a shot to walk-on. So Curry took his talents to Davidson, a school that wanted him, and from there put up remarkable numbers and proved all the doubters wrong. He eventually found himself the seventh overall draft pick in the 2009 draft.
Stephen Curry didn’t let the disappointment get to him. He never complained about his situation. He worked with what he had and did what he does best. Eventually everyone else got the notice that when it comes to the game of basketball he’s special. I suspect, if that ankle holds up, we will see many All-Star and possible MVP like seasons from Curry in the future. It’s all right in front him. I mean the man has a key to the city.
I think it is an example for all who are the recipients of doubts and ridicule. It shows that with hard work and determination you can serve notice that your talents are to be respected. That you can rise to the occasion and you are on the same level playing field as others. One person for sure that did not doubt Stephen Curry was Stephen Curry himself.
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