Steph Curry on Why Grizzlies Didnt Draft Him Funny
OAKLAND, Calif. – As Stephen Curry took snapshots with the NBA Well-nigh Valuable Histrion trophy on Monday, the man who tried to keep him from the Gilded Country Warriors shook the mitt of the man who refused to permit that happen.
"I didn't see him until Steph called him out [in his acceptance speech]," Curry'south agent Jeff Austin said of former Warriors full general managing director Larry Riley, "and I was glad that he was hither."
Said Riley: "It's been fun to sit down back and watch this whole thing develop."
Curry was regarded equally a meridian-10 NBA draft prospect afterward averaging 28.half dozen points per game his inferior year at Davidson College during the 2008-09 season. The Los Angeles Clippers were assault drafting and then-Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin with the top option. Austin's hope was that his client would land with the New York Knicks with the eighth overall selection. Curry and his begetter, former NBA player Dell Curry, were on board with the programme too.
Still, Austin knew the Warriors had strong interest a choice before the Knicks.
"The Knicks had eight and we thought in New York he'd be a great fit. We really wanted him to drib to eight," Austin said. "Once nosotros got to 7th, we were like, 'C'mon homo, don't pick him with [Aureate State].' At the time, the Warriors were not in our mind as a preferred destination."
Austin said former Memphis Grizzlies assistant general manager Kenny Williamson, who died in 2012, had potent involvement in Back-scratch with the second overall pick. Austin, yet, declined an invitation from Williamson for a workout.
The Grizzlies used the 2nd overall pick to draft Connecticut'due south seven-foot-3 centre Hasheem Thabeet, who concluded upwards being a bust. Now Curry is playing against the Grizzlies in the second round of the playoffs with Game two on Tuesday.
Williamson "said he needed him downward for a conditioning to convince the owner," Austin said. " 'Without a workout, I can't get him. But if he comes in and works out, I desire to push him for our No. two option.' We chose not to have him go to Memphis. The two big believers were Larry and Kenny."
The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder had involvement in working out Curry for the third pick, but too heard the rumors about Austin wanting him in New York, a source told Yahoo Sports. The source added that Austin declined the Thunder's workout invitation to Curry because Austin was confident the Thunder wanted and so-Arizona State guard James Harden, who they concluded up selecting.
Somehow, the rebuilding Sacramento Kings were able to convince Austin to permit Back-scratch work out. Sacramento endemic the quaternary pick and worked out Curry, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, Toney Douglas, Nick Calathes and Patty Mills on June 21, 2009. Austin said he doesn't remember why he let Curry work out for Sacramento.
The Kings, however, selected Evans. The at present New Orleans Pelicans guard ended up winning the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year accolade with Sacramento, but has never been an All-Star.
"Tyreke had size and a hell of a conditioning," ex-Kings banana general manager Wayne Cooper told Yahoo Sports. "Curry was good, but Tyreke had the better conditioning that 24-hour interval. You can't predict the time to come, but at the time Tyreke was a better fit."
Austin had no interest in Curry going to the rebuilding Minnesota Timberwolves, who owned the fifth and sixth picks, respectively, and were interested in guards. The Warriors were worried that Minnesota would select Curry. The T'wolves, still, concluded up selecting Spanish baby-sit Ricky Rubio and Syracuse guard Flynn, whose NBA career lasted iii seasons.
"I thought they would take Rubio and come across Steph as a [shooting guard]," Riley said.
Side by side up were the rebuilding Warriors, who had made just i playoff advent from 1995-2009. Austin told Riley that Curry didn't want to come to Gold State and wouldn't come for a workout.
Riley, however, didn't need a workout since he was already high on Curry afterward seeing him play confronting Purdue early in his junior season. Riley liked him even more during a predraft military camp interview, ranked him the second-best player behind Griffin and likened him to ii-fourth dimension NBA MVP Steve Nash.
Riley also liked that Curry was the son of a successful and respected ex-NBA player. Riley sold and then-Warriors coach Don Nelson on Back-scratch too. Austin and Dell Back-scratch even so tried to keep the Warriors away from Stephen Curry. But Austin told so-Knicks president Donnie Walsh that unless they could trade up, he expected Golden State to draft Curry. Austin said Walsh didn't believe him because the Warriors already had guard Monta Ellis.
"I said, 'Larry, I like you a lot and respect you a lot, but don't accept Steph. This is non the right place for him,' " Austin said. "Nosotros wanted him in New York."
Said Riley: "Dell was the same fashion. He was about cold."
Austin told Curry before the draft that if he dropped to the seventh selection, he should await to go to Golden State. He was right, and Back-scratch was selected by one of the NBA's worst teams. Meanwhile, the Knicks lost out on an eventual two-time All-Star who scored 54 points in Madison Square Garden on February. 27, 2013, and was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game there this yr. The Knicks drafted Arizona forwards-center Jordan Hill, a journeyman now with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Curry "wasn't disappointed," Austin said. "He was the seventh pick in the NBA typhoon. That'southward a great solar day for anybody."
The 24-hour interval after the draft, Curry, his father and Austin were on their way to Oakland for an introductory news conference with the Warriors. They were worried, however, well-nigh rumors that Stephen Back-scratch could be dealt to the Phoenix Suns. Upon inflow, Riley apace ended that talk.
"When we landed, Dell, Steph and myself were in the San Francisco drome and we get a call from Phoenix saying, 'Don't become to the printing conference because we take a merchandise. We made a trade with Golden Country and they're trying to back out of information technology,' " Austin said.
Said Riley: "I never gave them the word we're going to make a trade. The but fashion I made that trade is if Steph's gone and I'one thousand looking at a guy named [Jordan] Colina."
Curry averaged 17.5 points as a rookie and fabricated the 2010 NBA All-Rookie team. Midway through that season, Riley had a message for Austin.
"I said, 'I'thou going to build the team effectually him,' " Riley said. "And nosotros proceeded to exercise that."
The Warriors did non make the playoffs during the first three seasons of Back-scratch'southward career. Golden State somewhen made Curry the face up of the franchise past trading Ellis during the 2012-thirteen season. On April 24, 2012, Riley was moved to managing director of scouting for the Warriors while Bob Myers was promoted to GM.
Now, nearly half-dozen years after drafting Curry, Riley'southward projection of the Warriors beingness a ability led past the sharp-shooting guard has get true. Curry led the Warriors to an NBA-best 67 victories this flavor while averaging 23.8 points. Moreover, Curry was named the NBA's MVP on Monday, becoming just the second player in franchise history to win the award. Wilt Chamberlain was the commencement in 1960.
Curry is happy to be with the Warriors at present and made a point to acknowledge Riley during his long MVP news conference.
"He'due south the reason I'm here," Curry said. "He drafted me. He saw potential in me coming out of college, forth with Don Nelson, making those decisions. Yous're a large reason why I'thousand hither, taking a hazard on a footling scrawny kid from a mid-major schoolhouse. So just wanted to say thanks for assertive in me.
"Crazy how far we've come in six years. But cheers, man. I tin can't thanks plenty for that decision."
Riley made a point to seek Back-scratch out to offer a congratulatory handshake subsequently.
"I had him as the second-best histrion in that draft," Riley said. "But now I'm wrong. He was the all-time histrion."
Source: https://ph.news.yahoo.com/the-story-of-how-stephen-curry-s-agent-and-dad-didn-t-want-the-warriors-to-draft-him-023517645.html
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