It’s been 17 years, but Steph Curry still vividly remembers New York Knicks fans booing him mercilessly at the 2009 NBA Draft, when the iconic sharpshooter was selected No. 7 overall by the Golden State Warriors.
The Knicks, who owned the No. 8 pick, wound up with Jordan Hill, who lasted all of 25 games before being shipped off to the Houston Rockets in his rookie season.
On the “Fudd Around And Find Out” podcast with Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd, Curry sent a message to Knicks fans — incidentally, days before Jalen Brunson and Co. face the Detroit Pistons or Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“My favorite moment is how loud they booed when Golden State selected me at No. 7,” Curry said, dissing Knicks fans while recalling his favorite draft-night memory.
“They booed like crazy, and I’m trying to have that moment, but I couldn’t get that distraction out of my head,” Curry continued [H/T X Account aly].
‘Be Careful What You Wish For’
“It’s like, ‘Are they booing?’ I was like, ‘Oh, no, they really wanted me. I got it. That took me a second.’ In that moment, there’s just so many thoughts going on.
“But getting that call from Larry Riley, the GM at the time, Don Nelson, who was the coach at the time. Getting that call and being like, ‘Hey, we’re looking forward to having you. I’m excited.’ And then me quickly looking at my phone, trying to figure out exactly where Golden State was,” recalled the four-time NBA champion.
Interestingly, Curry suggested he had been hoping to land with the Knicks, but was glad that the Warriors ended up selecting him No. 7 overall.
“It was like all I was thinking about was New York. But be careful what you wish for. And I’m glad it went my way for sure,” Steph Curry added.
Knicks Enter Eastern Conference Finals
One wonders if the Knicks would have already snapped their 53-year NBA title drought if Curry landed with them in 2009. They need eight more wins to end the decades-long wait, with the first of those potentially coming as early as Tuesday, when they face the Pistons or the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Although the Knicks are the betting favorites to end their 26-year NBA Finals drought, they could have their work cut out against a Pistons team that crushed them by an average margin of 28.0 points in three regular-season losses this season. Many analysts believe the Knicks — on a seven-game winning streak — could struggle to match the physicality and defensive tenacity of the top-seeded Pistons.
“Cade Cunningham provides a more difficult challenge for New York than either [James] Harden or [Donovan] Mitchell,” The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III wrote this week, while previewing the Eastern Conference Finals.
“Another potential area where the Pistons would have an advantage over the Knicks is the team’s athleticism. New York just hasn’t seen a team with that quality yet in the postseason,” Edwards added.
“Ausar Thompson is, arguably, the best perimeter defender in the NBA, and that isn’t a walk-in-the-park matchup this late in the season for Jalen Brunson despite his brilliance.”
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals series is set for Tuesday. If the Cavs prevail against the Pistons in Sunday’s Game 7, the Knicks will have home court advantage.
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