Making a case of Steph Curry's draft selection by Golden State Warriors as one of the most influential moves in NBA history
Steph Curry's draft selection by the Golden State Warriors has undoubtedly been the most influential move in franchise history. Take a look at how the move ranks compared to other influential moves in NBA history.
Steph Curry's draft selection has paid off greatly for the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors felt that they had no chance to draft Steph Curry with the seventh pick in 2009. After all, Curry ranked in the top 10 in total points and points per game in all three of his years at Davidson College.
Curry led the NCAA in total points in his final two seasons as well as scoring average in his final season. He also led Davidson to its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1969, leading them to the Elite Eight.
Injury concerns, however, allowed Steph Curry to slip to the Golden State Warriors. Of the teams that passed on him, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the most notable as they selected fifth and sixth. Rather than selecting Curry, Minnesota instead chose two different point guards: Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn.
While neither of those point guards has even made an All-Star team, Curry has established himself as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. He has won two MVPs, four championships and one NBA Finals MVP. In addition, Curry has been named to eight All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams and the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.
Curry has also led the league in scoring twice, while rewriting the NBA's 3-point record book. He has led the league in 3-pointers seven times and appears to be on his way to doing so for the eighth time in 2022-2023, as he leads the league by 24 3-pointers already. Furthermore, he holds both the single-season and career records for most 3-pointers. Finally, his style of play has transformed the game.
Watch Steph Curry's draft day below:
How does Steph Curry's draft selection compare to other influential moves?
Steph Curry's draft selection is easily the most influential move of the 21st century, as he is one of the very few stars who have remained with the team that selected him. In fact, there have been only a handful of moves throughout NBA history that have been more influential.
When factoring in individual and team success, the only moves that can be compared to Curry's draft selection are the LA Lakers drafting Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson and trading for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Chicago Bulls drafting Michael Jordan, the Boston Celtics drafting Bill Russell and Larry Bird and the San Antonio Spurs drafting Tim Duncan.
Other moves may have brought more success from an individual standpoint or a team standpoint. It is hard, however, to argue that any move other than these seven has had more influence in both categories than Steph Curry's draft selection.
There is a case to be made that Curry's selection is more influential than some of the listed acquistions, particularly if factoring in popularity and impact. From a purely basketball standpoint, however, it is, at worst, one of the eighth-most influential acquisitions in NBA history.
Watch some of Steph Curry's most difficult three-point shots below: