Stephen Curry announced Thursday he would skip his senior year at Davidson and enter the 2009 NBA draft. He plans to hire an agent soon, guaranteeing there will be no turning back on this decision.
Curry said at an on-campus press conference that he had heard through the NBA grapevine he would be chosen anywhere from No.7 to No.20 in the NBA's June draft. Curry led the NCAA in scoring last season at 28.6 points per game and looks forward to the free-flowing NBA game -- he has always been at his best in the open court, doing things quickly.
If Curry does well in NBA pre-draft workouts, he could well be a lottery (top-14) pick. Curry could be available when the Charlotte Bobcats pick. Charlotte will likely have the No.12 selection, although the pre-draft lottery has not been held.
But I would guess the Bobcats wouldn't end up picking Curry at No.12. D.J. Augustin has a similar skill set to Curry's and just came off a solid rookie year as the Bobcats' sixth man, and the Bobcats also will likely have Raymond Felton back at the point. (Curry, ironically, consulted Augustin before making this decision since Augustin faced a similar stay-or-go decision a year ago at Texas).
Curry went to bed Wednesday night thinking he would probably leave for the NBA, but gave himself a night to sleep and pray on the decision before making it final. While eating an omelet on Davidson's campus Thursday morning with teammate Steve Rossiter, Curry decided for sure.
"I think I'm ready," he would say at his press conference. "I've got to take the opportunity while I have it in my hands."
Davidson coach Bob McKillop fought back tears in the press conference while describing what Curry meant to the school and how much the team and the fans would miss him. "But it's not a divorce," McKillop said later. "Stephen will always be a part of our program. He will always be here in spirit with us."
In the Curry family, father Dell had thought Stephen would go to the NBA and mother Sonya had thought he would ultimately come back to Davidson for his senior year. They weren't sure what their son was going to do, either, until an hour or so before the 11:30 a.m. press conference. They still will get to go to a number of college basketball games, though -- younger brother Seth Curry has transferred to Duke and will start playing games for the Blue Devils in 2010-11.
Curry said he will complete his coursework and be on Davidson's campus through early May. He still needs seven more courses to complete his degree and said he would try to get those done at some point. But since Davidson doesn't have summer school, that degree may not happen until his NBA career is over.
"This has been my dream for a long time," Curry said, "ever since I was a little kid going to my dad's games. I'm at peace with my decision."
We're moving!
9 years ago
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34 comments:
Good luck to him.
Back to reality Favidson!!!
Good luck to him, a great kid and a great player. I think he did as much as he could do at Davidson and has earned the right to go on to the next level. Yeah, back to reality now but what a great few years it's been.
He would be an IDIOT to not go NBA while he is healthy!! He can go back to school after he makes a few hundred million. Why take a chance on an injury ending his career BEFORE he gets a chance to play in the NBA? Good luck to you!
That is great. People can say what they want about $$$ versus education. Money is definitely not an issue for the Curry family - so Stephs love for the game is what helped him make the final decision. That is all that matters.
I remember going to Hornets games in the early 90's watching he and Seth play on the court prior to the game and at half-time in oversized Dell Curry jerseys. So it is great that he is at peace with his decision!
As far as a degree - who cares. Is 7 more classes going to make him morally correct. People are putting way too much emphasis on him completing his senior year.
Great kid, great family support, great decision!
Good luck to an awesome young man and congratulations to a fine family.
On graduating, I wonder if he could do summer school at UNC or Duke and transfer those courses over to Davidson to graduate? There's plenty of good games in the summer for players at his level. Gotta be an easy solution to the no summer school issue.
I hope that he does end up finishing his coursework one day, as his jersey belongs in the rafters at DU.
Congrats to Steph. I'd love to see him in a Bobcats uniform next season. If he's there at 12, it will be VERY difficult for MJ not to draft him if only to put more fans in the seats next year that remember Dell or were big Davidson fans.
Good for Steph. We'll miss him at Davidson but we're looking forward to getting back to reality!
Bob McKillop totally supported Stephen's decision. Bob is a great coach who wants the best for his players whereever the play.
Best of luck, Steph! The suggestion you take summer courses at Duke that transfer to Davidson is a good one and would give you some time with your brother. The basketball team is at Duke all summer, seems to me. Just so you graduate from Davidson and get your jersey retired!!
Congrats and Good Luck to a fine young man, Steph Curry. I believe he needed to move this year while his stock is at a peak. I am sure he and Davidson will figure out an answer to the degree issue. It would not hurt either one of them. Regarding the insensitive posts and comments to Coach McKillop and Davidson College, I have one comment GROW UP!!!!
I wish him well. Good Luck!
Not a good idea. He's not big or strong enough yet for the pro game. He'll have to play point, and guys like Billups, Paul, Williams, et.al. will absolutely eat him alive. He had trouble all year when he went up against Division 1 guys who only had aproximations of pro-level quickness, strength and length. He needs to stay at Davidson another year, get bigger & stronger, work on his weaknesses, and get his body and skill level prepared for the pros next year. Bad, bad move. His dad should have advised him better; sometimes kids need a reality check.
Unless they've changed the requirements drastically since I was in college at Davidson, yes, they will accept transfer credits from other accredited schools. That would be the best thing for him to do - go to summer school at UNC or Duke this summer and in a couple years he ought to have enough credits to earn his Davidson degree. I think you need is two years of actually living on campus, and he has three.
I'm happy for him, even though I don't think he's "Physically" ready for the punishment He's going to go through in the NBA. he barely handled it this year. Those guys know he's kinda "Fraile", so they're going to be physical with him. Can his body take it? One more year of strengthing his body would help, Right now, he's just a 2 in the NBA. Worst case....he goes...get's banged up his first year physically, and never recovers...and disappears like Reddick, and other great shooters out of college lately.
good luck young man, i am a previous player and graduate of charlotte christian, you have made the christian family proud, what a great platform you now have to contuinue to set such a good example for our youth and adults alike, keep up the good work!! you will be a great professional but an even better role model congratulations steph!!!
I can't believe Steph got the main headline and the UNC boys are some small blip!! Awesome, finally the Observer does something right ;-)
Steph, man good luck in the big show...been a long time coming...so cool to see!
What a disappointing outcome! Such a decision of the head or at least of the wallet in combo with the head is bound to lead to aching heart-burn sooner or later. Steph is wonderful kid who clearly loves the fun of college basketball; and it was so evident to all who watched him play with unmatched enthusiasm. Sadly, NBA basketball is work -- roadtrips, buses, planes, and strange hotels with a bunch of mostly older guys who, largely because of fading youth, had to trade college basketball a professional sport that is a 100% pure business existence. Despite everyone's best wishes, at some point Steph will recognize and probably regret trading-in his youthful ways a year too soon in order to mirror his dad's ball-playing career ... and especially when it was not in any way financially-necessary given the family's solid financial standing. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT HE'LL LISTEN TO HIS HEART AND WITHDRAW HIS NAME BEFORE THE DRAFT!
Carpe Diem
Anon 5:59, you're such a dummy. Money has absolutely NOTHING to do with his decision. It has always been a DREAM of his to play in the NBA. He has an opportunity to achieve his DREAM now instead of having to wait another year. A DREAM is clearly different from a job; which is something that 90% of the American public has. Very few people have a chance to do something that they love doing and actually get paid for it.
No disrespect to anyone, but only people that are doing something that they love and are passionate about can relate to Steph's decision. Those that aren't are probably the ones that are hating on him.
Do you really think him getting a degree in 2020 instead of 2010 makes that much of a difference??? Man please...
I agree with the anonymous @ 2:47pm who said this is not a good idea. People think Hansborough's game will not translate to the NBA. Get ready for mediocrity Steph.
I agree with the anonymous @ 2:47 pm who said this is not a good idea. People who think Hansborough's game wont translate to the NBA wait till Curry fades into obscurity.
Everyone who disparages getting a college degree or suggests that a delay of a few or ten years is OK should stand in front of the mirror. These are the very same arguments which would translate into encouraging ballplayers to go directly into the NBA out of high school and to bypass college. IF education matters, you don't use the system until you've establish credibility and a big professional paycheck waiting. Steph Curry is a smart and likeable guy; but the wallet is the overriding variable in this decision. To acknowledge the truth doesn't demean him in any way because money-centered decisions are made everyday in every village and city of this country. But money should never be the deciding variable. It's not a issue of morality; it's a matter of judgment ... not weighing all the variables including money, being in a rush for everything, wanting more and more always, desiring to get it all now, and letting the heart lose the battle to the head.
Godspeed Steph. To those who says he is "too small" for the NBA, heart is not a measureable trait. He is leaving to fulfill his dreams, not for the money. Guess what...he doesn't care if he succeeds or fails...next year is not promised.
Mr. Curry wants to play pro ball. He will not improve with another year at Davidson (and the competition he would face). He will improve playing and practicing at the college level. Also, all those hat say he is not physically ready are correct, but most (all) pro players grow stronger their first year in the game because they are able to focus on the game and working out, not studying. Finally, he will earn more in the next ten years than any of his classmates at Davidson. So why should he stay?
On the biggest possession of his career, Steph didn't even take the shot.
Curry will be a pro bust like three other scoring machines from mid-major schools: Adam Morrison, Bo Kimble, and J.J. Redick.
1. Davidson requires that the senior year must be in residence at Davidson. That means no summer courses or transfer credits from somewhere else. No degree without a full final year on campus, as a real student.
2. Hall of fame eligibility at Davidson requires graduation. So, no diploma means no retired jersey. (That rule has been applied to the late Mike Maloy, keeping him out of the Davidson hall of fame.)
Money, love of the game, dreams, whatever: Curry will not get a Davidson degree, nor will he have his jersey retired at Davidson.
Why is it that people make such a big deal if a basketball player leaves school early and turns pro but nothing is EVER said when baseball and hockey players skip college all together to go play in the minors? Not to mention tennis players (Andy Rodick) skipping college as well.
I would love for some of the people that are killing Steph & these other players to answer this simple question, but I doubt anyone will.
I love the jealous anti-Davidson comments (not sure whether you are jealous of the education but sure that I don't care). I wish Curry all the best and although this team will never be the same, I know that Coach McKillop will get Davidson back to the tourney before long, as he did several times before Curry set foot on campus. Go Cats!
Bob McKillip is a class act.
The anonymous coward at 10:22 is a ridiculous hater.
Curry ran the called play. Kansas covered it well. He made the smart decision to dish to the team's wide-open second-best three point shooter.
That was a smart basketball play by a smart player.
I wish he was graduating, but I wish him well. And I look forward to watching coach McKillop coach the next few teams without Curry as well as he coached his last few before Curry.
Davidson will be fine.
Curry will be a pro bust like three other scoring machines from mid-major schools: Adam Morrison, Bo Kimble, and J.J. Redick.
To: Anonymous @ 10:22PM
Adam Morrison: Gonzaga- Mid-Major - Yes
Bo Kimble: Ball State- Mid-Major - Yes
JJ Redick a bust - YES! But as much as I hate them: When did dook become a mid-major school?
curry doesn't need good luck (but i'll give it to him anyway), he's gonna be great! i myself would have love to see him give it one more year, but reality he doesn't have the help on the court to make it balance. i think he's given it all and davidson a good chance. if he was just entering off his fame ride he would have done it last year. GOOD LUCK STEPH!
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