There are those who are simply born shooters, and Stephen Curry is unrivaled in this regard. Steph possessed the toughness of a pro even at the age of seven, and he almost utilized it to defeat an NBA shooting guard in his prime in a one-on-one match.
“I used to play with the Charlotte Hornets in his driveway when he was seven years old. Dell Curry, his father, said to me when we were hanging out, “Ed, I bet my son can beat you.” As I’m playing with him outside in the driveway, this guy starts firing bullets into the street. And they’re entering… We’re playing ten games, and this guy is winning [7-0]. I yelled, “Hold up.” I play in the National Basketball Association. I gave him the old guy treatment, dude. I began to lay it up and back it down. I’m not giving him another chance, even though he got upset. He was hot, and I won the game.”
Players in the NBA typically start out young, but Curry might have been an especially unique instance. It speaks volumes about his innate talent because at the age of seven he nearly defeated a professional NBA sharpshooter. For some reason, Curry was able to shoot long distance before he was ten years old, which was enough to make the best players in the world, like Eddie Johnson, constantly on their toes.
During his 17-year NBA career, Eddie Johnson won the 1989 Sixth Man of the Year title. His time with the Hornets was the shortest. In his 73 games overall during his one-season stint, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 45% shooting. During this time, he was Dell Curry’s teammate, and it was at his house that he and Steph played pickup basketball. Dell saw, rather naturally, that his teammate would find it difficult to defeat the kid on his home rim.
Although he was born in Akron, Ohio, Stephen Curry lived a large portion of his early years in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was raised entirely surrounded by the NBA, having watched his father play there for the majority of his playing career. Thus, Steph was already proficient with a basketball and could shoot better than the majority of professional players by the time he was 7 years old.
Eddie Johnson may have taken the loss personally and the narrative would have been much more bizarre if he hadn’t defeated Curry that day with his incredible size and strength. However, given how wonderful No. 30 turned out to be, Johnson shouldn’t feel as guilty looking back.
Nearly twenty years later, Curry continues to amaze even the finest players in the NBA. Being a four-time champion, two-time MVP, two-time scoring leader, ten-time All-Star, and Olympic gold winner, Steph is considered one of the greatest players of all time and has come to represent the modern NBA.
Curry is still regarded as one of the NBA’s best players, and it is anticipated that he will lead the Warriors for many more years after averaging 26.4 points per game the previous campaign. Steph Curry is a true generational icon, and there were indications from the beginning that he would be unique.
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