What Could Have Been: New York Knicks Still Haunted By Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reminded everyone on Wednesday about how the New York Knicks missed out on taking him in the 2009 NBA Draft.

New York Knicks fans have to deal with enough every single offseason and on Wednesday, yet another jab was thrown at them.

This time though, the jab was from Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry.

At NBA Finals Media Day, Curry was asked about the time he was drafted and what was going through his mind when he found out that Golden State was going to be taking him. Not only did the two-time MVP admit that he did not know much about the Warriors franchise, but he stated that he really thought New York was going to take him.

“When I got drafted, I thought I was going to New York, and didn't really have Golden State on the radar at all...” Curry told reporters. "It's been an amazing run. We obviously feel like we still have a lot left in the tank. That's why we're here."

In the 2009 NBA Draft, the Knicks owned the rights to the eighth overall selection, just one pick after the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

Stephen Curry was not the player he is today and there were a lot of concerns about his long-term health in the league stemming from multiple ankle injuries throughout high school and college. Not to mention, many scouts were questioning Curry’s ability to be a pure point guard and facilitator in this league, even though he made up for this with his perimeter shooting.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves selected two guards in Ricky Rubio fifth overall and Jonny Flynn sixth overall, passing up on the chance to draft the future All-Star guard, the Warriors found themselves on the clock and risked everything drafting Curry.

Well, this has seemed to pay off pretty well for Golden State, as 13 seasons later now, Curry is an eight-time All-Star, a two-time league-MVP and a three-time champion with the Warriors. This season, Curry helped elevate the Warriors yet again and they find themselves currently in the 2022 NBA Finals, fighting for a chance to win their fourth title in the last eight season.

On the opposite side of the country in New York, the Knicks failed to make the postseason for the eighth-time in the last nine seasons and they are once again looking for answers in their backcourt this offseason.

Missing out on the opportunity to draft Stephen Curry is something that continues to haunt the Knicks and their fan base today, especially given all of the success Curry has had with the Golden State Warriors.

As if Curry breaking the league’s all-time three-pointers made record in Madison Square Garden this season was not enough salt in the wound for the Knicks, his comments on Wednesday at NBA Finals Media Day just add on to the list of “what if” scenarios New York brings up every single year.

Coming off of a 37-45 season, the New York Knicks will once again be heading back to the drawing boards, looking for ways to turn themselves into a contending threat in the Eastern Conference.