Exploring Stephen Curry’s underdog story of becoming an NBA star, and legend status, whilst still being one of the most doubted basketball stars of all time.

Stephen Curry is one of the most decorated players in NBA history, and his legacy has immensely impacted basketball worldwide. However, his fame did not come easily. In fact, he has been the underdog for his entire career, being an undersized guard, and doubted by various pundits. This begs the question, how did an underdog like Steph Curry become the icon that he is today?

Early Life

Curry was born in Akron, Ohio, on the 14th of March, 1988 into a very athletic family. His father, Dell Curry, played in the NBA for 16 years, known most notably for his prolific 3-point shots. His mother, Sonya Curry, played women's volleyball in Division 1 at Virginia Tech University. While growing up, Curry spent a lot of his time watching his father play, leading him to be inspired to pick up the sport. 

His passion for basketball started in high school, where he played as a guard at Charlotte Christian High School. At the age of 15, he had reached 5 '6'’, and 125 lbs, making him an undersized guard for American standards. During his time in high school, he averaged 18 points a game, and after 4 years, he had scored the school record of 1,400 total points. Additionally, he grew 6 inches to be 6ft by the end of high school. Although growing a substantial amount and having a standout high school career, Steph Curry was still an undersized basketball player, getting 0 scholarship offers from major basketball colleges. Later, he got a scholarship to Davidson College, a small college in North Carolina, where he would go on to play three seasons for the Davidson Wildcats. 

In his freshman year of college, Curry’s dominance on court continued, scoring an average of  21.5 points per game, which would be the highest scoring average amongst all freshman players in the nation. His sophomore season would be his breakout season, where he led his team, an underdog college that usually never qualified for high-level tournaments. They qualified at the NCAA March Madness Tournament, sitting at the 10th seed at the beginning of the tournament, which brought them to the Elite Eight (The final 8 teams). This was an impressive feat considering that this tournament had the best college basketball teams in the US competing. His point average also increased to 25.9 points per game during this season. In his final year at Davidson, the prodigy would again increase his point averages from the previous season, averaging 28.6 points per game, his all time best. However, in the coming years his team struggled to face the same success, and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament in 2009, marking the end of his college career.

Early NBA Career

Steph Curry was drafted into the NBA with the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA draft, to the Golden State Warriors. He would immediately become a starter for the team, playing as the starting point guard, alongside a star in Monta Ellis. In his rookie season, he would average 17.5 points per game, continuing his stardom from his college matches. His team finished with 26 Wins and 56 losses, finishing in 13th place in the Western Conference. Despite a strong individual start to his NBA career, he wouldn’t win Rookie of the Year, finishing just second to Tyreke Evans. Tyreke Evans would be a rising star in the making, averaging 20 points in his rookie season.  In 2010, his average points per game only improved by 1.1 points. However, his team, the Warriors, improved their record from the previous season by 10 wins, seeding them in 12th place for the Western Conference.

In 2011-2012, Steph would face major ankle injuries that would see him play a reduced number of games. On Boxing Day, he would roll his ankle twice in a single week, sidelining him for a whole week. In his third game after returning from injury, Steph would sprain his ankle again, putting him out of action for another two weeks. The ankle guards he wore when returning drastically affected his playstyle, scoring just 12 points in his first game back.. His physical injuries would continue,  straining a tendon in his right foot in the same season. To prevent his injuries from getting worse, the Warriors organisation and Steph agreed for him to undergo ankle surgery, taking him out for the remainder of the season. With the Warriors missing a valuable player for the majority of the season, the team record fell to 23 wins and 43 losses, putting them in 13th place in the Western Conference. Desperate to return, the Warriors organisation began trade talks to replace Steph, talking with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, the coach at the time, Mark Jackson, insisted that they didn’t trade him away, as he saw the potential in the young star. Instead, his teammate, and star guard, Monta Ellis, was traded to the Bucks, and Steph Curry's tenure with the Warriors would continue. 

Breaking into Stardom 

Steph Curry broke out in the 2012-2013 season, finishing 11th in MVP voting. He averaged 22.9 points per game, and led the league with a total of 272 3-pointers made in the season. The Warriors also reached a winning record of 47 wins and 35 losses, which secured a playoff spot as they qualified for the 6th seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors would beat the Nuggets in the first round in 6 games, but then lose to the dynastic Spurs in 6 games in the second round. 

The Warriors’ Dynasty

The 2014-2015 season was the birth of the Warriors' dynasty. Steph Curry set a record of 286 three-pointers in the regular season, and the Warriors achieved a 67-win, 15-loss season, an outstanding record in the NBA. He would also average 23.8 points per game. This led Curry to get an all-star selection, in the All-NBA 1st Team, and most importantly, he became the MVP of the 2014-15 season. Furthermore, in the postseason, Steph would transform his team into true title contenders, winning their first NBA championship in over 40 years, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals, putting them away in 6 games, winning 4 to 2. Steph's teammate, Andre Igoudala, would win Finals MVP this year, although many speculated that Steph was more deserving of the trophy.

The following year, the Warriors were blazing hot, finishing with a record-shattering 73 wins and 9 losses in the regular season, surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins and 10 losses. Steph would lead the team in points per game, with a league high of 30.1 points per game, with his Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, averaging 22.1 points per game to assist the greatness of Steph himself. Steph would obliterate his previous record of most threes in a season, finishing with 402 three-point shots made, blowing the previous record out of the water. He also won the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, with all pundits voting for Curry, and an All-NBA 1st Team Selection. In the postseason, Steph and the Warriors would cruise past every opponent in their way, up until the finals. The Warriors made it to the finals, against the Cavaliers, where they were leading 3-1 in the series,  against Lebron and the Cavaliers, until a major change occurred. The Warriors would blow their 2-game advantage, and eventually lose the whole championship. This disastrous fumble in the finals tarnished Steph's legacy and reputation at the time.

In the 2016-2017 season, Curry was joined by Kevin Durant, an All-Star and previous MVP, looking to win his first title, deepening their arsenal. Steph once again led the NBA in three-pointers made, with 324 three-pointers made, making this his fifth consecutive season making the most three-pointers. The Warriors would also once again win 67 games, and lose 15, seeding them in 1st place in the Western Conference. In the postseason, the Warriors would remain as dominant as ever, sweeping the Portland Trailblazers in the first round, the Utah Jazz in the second round, and the San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals, leaving them undefeated on their way to the final. In the finals, the Warriors would destroy the Cavaliers, making their record in the playoffs an outstanding 16 wins and only 1 loss. However, Steph wouldn’t win Finals MVP again, instead, Kevin Durant won his first-ever Finals MVP.

Steph Curry faced a knee injury during the following season, ending his 5-year reign on most three pointers made in a season. Without the presence of Curry, the Warriors didn’t perform as well to get the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. The Steph-less Warriors would blaze past the San Antonio Spurs in the first round before Steph returned in the second round, assisting the team to win its third championship in four years, cementing the Warriors as the new dynasty of the modern era. Kevin Durant would once again win the Finals MVP, continuing Curry’s pursuit to winning the Finals MVP award.

Curry would continue his magical play in the following season, earning a spot on the All-NBA First Team, with an average of 27.3 points per game. In the playoffs, the Warriors were hit with an injury plague, seeing the likes of Klay Thompson, his fellow Splash Brother, and Kevin Durant suffer injuries. Although this plagued the Warriors, Steph was still able to carry the team to the Conference Finals, and eventually fell short in the finals to Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors. This marked the end of the Warriors' dynasty for the time being.

Following the Warriors' loss to the Toronto Raptors, in the offseason, Kevin Durant would set out to find a new team. Another one of his teammates, Klay Thompson, would also sit out the entirety of the season due to an ACL injury from the previous season. Steph suffered a hand injury early in the season, which made him sit out for the remainder of the season, leaving the Warriors with the worst record in the league in that season, a drastic fall from its former glory.

The 2021-22 season would be a comeback season for the Warriors. With the help of Jordan Poole, a young teammate, the Warriors seemed to be returning to their former glory. Steph broke the record of most 3-pointers made in NBA history this season, adding more to his list of achievements. They won 53 games that season, earning the 3rd seed in the conference. They went on a tear in the playoffs, only losing 6 games, and beating the Boston Celtics in the Finals, where Curry averaged 31.2 points per game, and earned his long-awaited, well-deserved Finals MVP trophy. 

Winning four titles in 8 years cemented the Warriors as the dynasty of the new era, overshadowing every other team in the league. Curry’s time with the Warriors influenced the game of basketball forever, with teams nowadays using Warriors small-ball tactics, shooting more three-pointers, inspired by plays made during the Warriors dynasty. The Warriors dynasty has been compared to other great dynasties like Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers, and Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics. Placing them at legend status, with the NBA immortals.

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