June 25, 2009. That's the date. If you're looking for the quick answer to when did curry get drafted, it was that humid Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. But honestly, the "when" is the boring part. The "how" and the "whoops" from other teams are what actually make this story legendary.
Steph Curry wasn't some locked-in, guaranteed superstar. Far from it. He was this skinny kid from Davidson with ankles that people thought were made of glass. He looked like he was twelve. Seriously. You’ve seen the photos of him in that oversized suit—he looked more like he was headed to a middle school prom than a professional basketball career.
The Draft Order That Still Haunts Minnesota
The Golden State Warriors took Stephen Curry with the 7th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. It sounds like a no-brainer now, right? But back then, the league was obsessed with size and "pure" point guard play. Curry was a "tweener." Too small for a shooting guard, too much of a scorer for a traditional point guard.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had not one, but two chances to take him right before the Warriors. They had the 5th and 6th picks. They took Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn. Two point guards. Neither of them was Steph Curry. It’s arguably the biggest draft blunder in the history of professional sports. If you're a Wolves fan, I'm sorry for bringing it up. It’s gotta hurt.
But it wasn't just Minnesota. The Knicks were desperate for him. Mike D'Antoni’s system was practically built for a guy like Curry. The Garden crowd was ready to explode. When the Warriors snatched him at 7, you could actually hear the collective heartbreak in the arena. New York ended up with Jordan Hill.
Why Scouts Were Actually Scared of Him
It’s easy to look back with 20/20 vision and call everyone idiots. But the "expert" consensus in 2009 was messy. There’s a famous scouting report from Doug Gottlieb that basically said Curry didn't have the upside of Rubio or Brandon Jennings. People thought he’d get bullied defensively. They thought his shot was a bit low.
He stayed at Davidson for three years. In today's NBA, that's an eternity. Most superstars are "one and done." By the time when Curry got drafted, he was 21. Scouts worried he had already hit his ceiling.
Then there were the ankles.
During his early years, those ankles were a nightmare. They popped. They rolled. They required surgery. There was a genuine moment in 2011 and 2012 where the Warriors wondered if they had drafted a bust—not because of talent, but because his body couldn't handle the grind. That's why his first major contract was so cheap. He signed a 4-year, $44 million extension. At the time, even that felt like a gamble. Now, $11 million a year for the greatest shooter ever looks like the heist of the century.
The Warriors Weren't Even Sure
Here’s a fun piece of trivia: Curry’s camp didn't even want him in Golden State. His father, Dell Curry, famously told the Warriors' coach at the time, Don Nelson, not to draft him. They wanted him in New York. They thought the Warriors were a dysfunctional mess. And back then, they kinda were.
The roster was a weird mix. They already had Monta Ellis, a high-volume scoring guard who wasn't exactly thrilled to share the backcourt with a rookie. Ellis famously told reporters that he and Curry "can't" play together. It was awkward. It was tense. The team eventually had to trade Ellis to Milwaukee to officially hand the keys to Curry. That trade was so unpopular at the time that the Warriors' owner, Joe Lacob, got booed during Chris Mullin’s jersey retirement ceremony. Imagine booing the guy who eventually brought you four rings because he traded away Monta Ellis. Life comes at you fast.
The 2009 Draft Class Context
To understand the weight of when did curry get drafted, you have to look at who went before him.
- Blake Griffin (Clippers) - Total monster, lived up to the hype for years.
- Hasheem Thabeet (Grizzlies) - A massive swing and a miss.
- James Harden (Thunder) - Another future MVP. The 2009 class was top-heavy with legends.
- Tyreke Evans (Kings) - Actually won Rookie of the Year over Steph.
- Ricky Rubio (Timberwolves) - Great passer, but no Steph.
- Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves) - Was out of the league in a few years.
Steph was 7th. Looking back, he’s clearly the #1 pick in a redraft. Maybe Harden gives him a run for his money in terms of pure statistical dominance, but Curry changed the actual geometry of the basketball court. He forced defenses to guard him from 35 feet out. He made the "three-pointer" the primary weapon of the modern era.
Before 2009, the NBA was a "dump it inside to the big man" league. After Curry, it became a "space the floor and fire away" league.
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What People Forget About Davidson
The only reason Curry was even in the conversation at #7 was his 2008 NCAA Tournament run. Davidson was a tiny school. Nobody cared about Davidson. Then Curry started pulling up from the logo and dropping 30 or 40 points on Goliaths like Georgetown and Wisconsin.
He led the nation in scoring his junior year. He wasn't just a shooter; he was a gravity well. He’d get double-teamed the moment he crossed half-court, and he’d still find a way to score. That's the player the Warriors saw. They didn't see a "system player." They saw a kid who could create something out of nothing.
Technical Nuances of the 2009 Transition
When the Warriors drafted Curry, the NBA was in a weird spot. The hand-check rules had changed a few years prior, making it easier for small guards to navigate the perimeter. This was the perfect environment for a guy like Steph.
However, the Warriors' coaching staff didn't just let him loose on day one. He had to earn it. His rookie stats were actually solid: 17.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. He shot 43.7% from three. Even as a rookie, he was elite from deep. But the league didn't realize that "elite from deep" could mean "championship cornerstone." They thought he was a specialty act. A Steve Kerr type with more dribbling skills.
They were wrong.
The Legacy of the 7th Pick
Being drafted 7th gave Curry a chip on his shoulder. He’s spoken about it often. He remembers the six names called before his. He remembers the doubts about his frame. He used that to fuel a career that includes:
- 4 NBA Championships
- 2 MVP awards (including the only unanimous one in history)
- All-time leader in three-pointers made
- Changing the way kids play the game on every playground in the world
If you go to a gym today, you’ll see ten kids trying to hit a step-back three from the corner. That’s the "Curry Effect." It all started on that night in June 2009.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking into when did curry get drafted because you're interested in the history or even the memorabilia market, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The Rookie Card Gold Mine: Because Curry was drafted 7th and had early injury issues, his rookie cards (especially the 2009 Panini National Treasures) weren't immediately astronomical. Now, they are some of the most expensive pieces of sports cardboard in existence. If you find an authentic 2009 Curry, hold onto it.
- The "Draft Steal" Narrative: Use this story as a reminder that "expert" scouts often overvalue physical traits (height, wingspan) over skill and "feel." Curry is the poster child for the "skill over size" revolution.
- Watch the 2009 Draft Tape: It’s available on YouTube. Watching the reactions of the analysts when the Warriors took him is hilarious in hindsight. They were so skeptical. It’s a great lesson in how the "consensus" is often wrong.
- Visit Davidson: If you're ever in North Carolina, visit the Davidson campus. They’ve retired his number (it took a while because he had to finish his degree first, which he did in 2022). It gives you a real sense of how small the pond was before he became the biggest fish in the ocean.
The 2009 draft didn't just give the Warriors a point guard. It gave the NBA a new identity. It's rare that you can point to a single moment—a single name called by David Stern—and say, "That's when the sport changed forever." But with Steph at #7, you absolutely can.