The Golden State Warriors made the greatest decision in franchise history when they selected Stephen Curry with the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Warriors weren’t on Curry’s radar pre-draft, though, and he spoke about that night on the Fudd Around And Find Out podcast.
“I didn’t know how long the night was going to be,” Curry said. “And so you’re there for two hours before David Stern, at the time, the commissioner, before he even walked out. And so there were a lot of fans in there, a lot of New York fans, which is pretty awesome.
“My favorite moment is how loud they booed when Golden State selected me at number seven,” Curry continued. “… They boo like crazy, and I’m trying to have that moment, but I couldn’t get that distraction out of my head. It’s like, ‘Are they booing?’ I was like, ‘Oh no, they really wanted me. I got it.’ That took me a second. Because in that moment, there’s just so many thoughts going on.
“But yeah, getting that call from Larry Riley, the GM at the time, Don Nelson, who was the coach at the time,” Curry added. “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. It was like all I was thinking about was New York. But careful what you wish for. I’m glad it went my way.”
Golden State is, of course, the official nickname for the state of California. Curry’s not knowing that shows just how little interest he had in going to the Warriors. He didn’t even work out with them before the draft.
You couldn’t have blamed Curry or any other player for not wanting to go to the Warriors at the time. They had made the playoffs just once in the 15 seasons before he was drafted. The Warriors had a couple of 40-win seasons in the mid-to-late 2000s, but this wasn’t a franchise that screamed competence.
Now, the New York Knicks weren’t exactly all too competent either, but you’re talking about the biggest market in the U.S. Going there would open doors that would be closed if Curry went elsewhere. He had also shone at Madison Square Garden in college, scoring 27 points in Davidson’s 68-65 win over West Virginia in 2008.
The Knicks fans wanted Curry, and he wanted to go as well. Those dreams looked set to become reality after the Minnesota Timberwolves passed on him with the fifth and sixth picks. All that stood between Curry and the Knicks, who had the eighth pick, were the Warriors. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, they picked him.
As Curry said, things worked out eventually. He missed time with injuries earlier in his career, but gradually emerged as a dominant force. The Warriors also surrounded Curry with the likes of Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. They even managed to bring in Kevin Durant for three seasons.
Curry was given the tools to take the Warriors to the Promised Land, and he delivered. He has won four titles, one Finals MVP, two MVPs, and two scoring titles in his career.
All of this success has led to the Warriors’ value skyrocketing. Forbes had them as the NBA’s most valuable franchise at $11 billion in December 2025. Keep in mind, Joe Lacob and a group of investors purchased the Warriors for $450 million in 2010. Talk about hitting the jackpot with Curry.
