Golden State gladly was able to draft Steph at No. 7 overall, while the Knicks settled for Jordan Hill with the next pick — the two have had vastly different professional basketball careers.
Dell’s pleading, however, didn’t stop with the Knicks. He also requested something from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had the No. 5 and No. 6 picks in 2009.
“I got a call from Minnesota [Timberwolves] as well, asking about drafting [Steph],” Dell added. “I told them, ‘Please don’t. Please don’t.’ It was [ex-Timberwolves assistant coach] J. B. Bickerstaff. They said, ‘OK, we won’t.’
“They didn’t. [They took] two back-to-back point guards.”
https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/steph-curry-nba-draft-knicks/1744746/
by supremeboxlogo12
16 Comments
Cavs reading this: yeah we made the right move
Bickerstaff is a… Nevermind, God bless him!
You are allowed to draft someone even if they don’t want to be picked there.
The last time any player was able to pull off not wanting to join a team after being drafted was Steve Francis in 1999, but it’s unlikely to happen again in the NBA with the current rules.
If the TWolves were willing to take Rubio (who wasn’t even guaranteed to come and in fact took 2 additional years), they definitely could have taken Steph if they were confident.
Nah i thought Steph curry was ‘Underrated (TM)’ throughout his entire life, now you’re telling me his dad could just lobby nba teams 🤯
As mad as most Wolves fans were at the time and confused even at the draft why we didn’t take Curry…it all lead to where we are now with Ant, so it all worked out in the long run.
Turned out to be the best of his era! Crazy.
They had literally just taken two other pgs right before Steph and Rubio was seen as a potential future star pg. Rubio was understandable but Jonny Flynn made no sense.
Steph also didn’t want to go to the Warriors either…
He was trying to force his way to the Knicks who had the 8th pick.
The TWolves listened, the Warriors didn’t.
Dang! if that happens, Love and Curry Duo with the strongest Center, probably a fun to watch team, especially with in their Prime together
If the Knicks drafted him, he wouldn’t have had time to develop before being shipped off. He was also injured a lot in the early years. NYC would’ve been bad for him.
They had melo trade incoming a couple years later… he would’ve been someone to be offered.
Remember Knicks traded their whole team for Carmelo Anthony lol.
As a T-Wolves fan, I was so hyped that year, I went to a draft party at a bar! Figured we’d lock up our backcourt for a decade. Then they take fucking Flynn, and we had another FRP and used it on a 3rd PG (Ty Lawson), who was traded immediately.
David fucking Kahn. What a shit stain of a GM. This is just another reason why Glen Taylor needs to go!!
I was hoping for Rubio and Derozan that year with the 5 and 6 picks. Better than Rubi and Flynn but man missing on Steph twice hurts looking back.
We didn’t know what he was yet, no one did. That said it’s super depressing knowing we took two point guards ahead of him, one barely played and the other wasn’t just like anybody else.
I would have told him tough
I heard Baron Davis talk about low fan attendance during his time in GS. I also heard Draymond say they used to past out free tickets on the street when he got drafted. I would’ve preferred not to go there either.
I’m sorry, but this is bullshit, imo. I don’t like the idea that players and families dictate where players are drafted. Players like Kobe and Steph completely change the trajectory of franchises. I don’t care about owners, but fans deserve to have the chance to see their greatness. Not just in L.A.