"Well deserved my man": Stephen Curry is hyped for former Davidson captain and 'Underrated' partner for getting into Hall of Fame
Before moving to the NBA and becoming an All-Star and NBA champion, Stephen Curry put the college basketball world on notice with his impressive performances with Davidson. Playing alongside point guard Jason Richards, Curry led his college to the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
Richards and Curry lost to Kansas, but their Elite Eight run in 2008 is still considered one of the best underdog performances in college basketball history.
The two are still good friends, with the former Davidson point guard starring in Curry's documentary, "Stephen Curry:Underrated," which was released in the summer.
The four-time NBA champion and superstar of the Golden State Warriors took to Instagram on Friday and congratulated Jason Rrichards for his induction in Davidson's Hall of Fame.
"My guy Jason Richards going in to the Davidson HOF. Beyond well deserved my man," Stephen Curry wrote in an Instagram story.
After graduating from college (2008), Richards played in the NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat and the Utah Flash (now Delaware Blue Coats), the G-League team of the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he retired in 2010, due to multiple serious knee injuries.
"It is always nice when you have somebody you have a history with, that helps you in your college career, and the bond that we had can continue even when we are not in the same area. That is kind of what Davidson is about, which is pretty cool," Stephen Curry said about Jason Richards back in 2015, via Erie Times-News.
"We are still great friends. We talk a lot about our careers and him coaching and reminiscence a lot about the Davidson days. He has supported me so much, coming out to games after his season was over with."
Stephen Curry explains how his time with Davidson helped him in his NBA career
After shining with Davidson in the late 2000s, Stephen Curry moved to the NBA, but it took him a few years to find his place in the league. Once he found success with the Warriors, he became one of the best NBA players of all-time.
Recently, Curry appeared in the "Hot Ones" show, where he reflected on how his time with a minor college, like Davidson, helped him elevate his game and become the great player that he now is.
"The brand of basketball that I play now was predicated on a system that Davidson College [and] coach Bob McKillop mastered, and the only reason I think I'm successful at it is I got to learn with reps. So, [if I had] gone to [Virginia] Tech or Duke or whatever, maybe I would ride the bench my freshman year, and maybe I don't get that experience. So I don't know if I'd be the same player," Stephen Curry said, via CBS Sports.
"It's kind of a message of go [to college] where the best fit is for you. As much as you might want to have the pedigree or the resume to say I played in the ACC, I played in a power conference, that's all cool, but myself, Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, guys who went to mid-major colleges, they'll find you wherever you're at. So I wouldn't change that experience [at Davidson] for anything. I'd rather play that than just sit on the bench and say I've got a power conference school on my chest."
Stephen Curry spent three years at Davidson (2006-09). He averaged 25.9 ppg, 2.9 apg and 2.1 spg in his sophomore year, leading his team to the Elite Eight. In his final college year, he improved his numbers to 28.6 ppg, 5.6 apg and 2.5 spg.