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NEW YORK UPDATE: Stephen Curry could be traded to Phoenix.
Stephen Curry was very close to getting exactly what he wanted.
Instead, he must want what he has. The Golden State Warriors selected Curry, the former Davidson star guard, with the No.7 overall pick Thursday night at the NBA draft.
If Curry had lasted only one pick longer, he likely would have been chosen by the New York Knicks, staying on the East Coast and getting to play in the nation's largest media market.
Instead, he will set up basketball shop in Oakland, Calif., playing for a crusty veteran coach in Don Nelson, who is known to be tough on rookies. The team has a number of veteran guards and went 29-53 last season.
On the plus side, the Warriors run the up-and-down style Curry prefers and playing time should be available given the Warriors are restructuring.
When the pick was made, Curry briefly bowed his head.
“That dipping my head wasn't about not going to the Knicks,” Curry told me moments later. “I was just thanking God for allowing me to be drafted. Plus, it also helped me focus and drown out the boos of the Knicks fans a little.”
The Knicks fans who dominated the WaMu Theater crowd at Madison Square Garden booed Golden State's selection because they wanted Curry. However, Dell Curry sat in the green room two seats away from his son, knowing it probably wasn't going to happen.
“I talked to Don Nelson Wednesday,” Dell Curry said. “He told me they really liked Steph and, if he lasted that long, Golden State was going to take him at No.7. He wasn't going to go past that.”
There was a rumor late Thursday at draft headquarters, however, that Curry might not be in Golden State for long. The Warriors reportedly might trade him to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire, but nothing had been confirmed at press time.
Stephen Curry has made his mark outside of traditional powerhouses before, of course. He became a first-team All-American at Davidson. In three years under coach Bob McKillop, Curry showcased his wondrous shooting ability and became one of the faces of college basketball.
He said all the right things after the draft, as you knew he would. He reiterated he wasn't disappointed about being selected by Golden State.
“I've left all that behind,” Curry said. “Once draft day comes and you know anything can happen, you can't go in biased toward one team.”
His roundtable in the NBA green room included his parents, girlfriend, younger sister and McKillop. The entire room was stocked with a Who's Who of college basketball; besides the players, college coaches Rick Pitino, Roy Williams and John Calipari were there to support their players who were getting drafted.
The Curry family had a sign at their table that read “Hi, Davidson” that they attempted to get in front of ESPN's cameras several times.
“That was just our way of saying hi to the community back there, “Curry said. “Just showing that I'm still wearing Davidson on my heart even though I have a Golden State hat on now.”
In many circles, Thursday will be remembered for far different things than the NBA draft. Singer Michael Jackson and actress Farrah Fawcett died. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford continued to make national headlines because of his affair with an Argentine woman.
For the Curry family, it was monumental for another reason. It was the day the oldest son realized his NBA dream of being drafted. Even though it wasn't New York that picked him – or Charlotte, for that matter – Stephen will now be guaranteed millions to do the thing he has wanted to do ever since he was following Dell around at Charlotte Hornets shootarounds.
“You always dream that you want to do what your dad does,” Curry said. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps. But I didn't think it would be a reality until pretty much my sophomore year in college.”
It is reality now.
Curry walked down a back hallway at Madison Square Garden after the draft, saying “Golden State, Golden State” softly.
You could tell he was trying to get used to the name of his first NBA employer – located in a place three time zones and 2,700 miles away from Davidson, Charlotte and just about everything he has ever known.
Scott Fowler: 704-358-5140; sfowler@charlotteobserver.com.
