Everyone knows Stephen Curry today. Even those who aren’t basketball fans have heard the name, and chances are they can tell you what he does for a living, too. But there was a time when Curry wasn’t known as the greatest shooter of all time
Back then, he was still unproven, making the giant leap from Davidson to the pros as the No. 7 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Can you believe it? Six players were actually drafted ahead of Curry, a two-time MVP and future first-ballot Hall of Famer
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As mentioned, Curry was once far from a sure thing. There was even an instance in which he was drastically outshined on the basketball court by a relatively unknown teammate
Stephen Curry Reflects on Anthony Morrow’s Record-Breaking NBA <a href="https://healthylife7.com/train-like-jennifer-aniston-this-summer/” title=”Train Like Jennifer Aniston This Summer”>Summer League Game
While NBA veterans like Curry are enjoying the offseason, signing new contracts, working on their game, and relaxing after a long 82-game season, rookies and young players are in action at the Las Vegas Summer League, looking to prove they belong in a league full of hungry athletes
Curry was once one of those eager prospects with a basketball-sized chip on his shoulder, while Anthony Morrow was also looking to prove himself as an undrafted player out of Georgia Tech
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It appears Curry still remembers those days fondly. The four-time NBA champion recently took the time to reflect with The Athletic’s Daniel Brown on when Morrow “had the gym buzzing” in Summer League during a historic offensive performance
“His second and more vivid memory is that another Warriors guard did just fine,” Brown wrote
“On July 16, 2009, Anthony Morrow, an undrafted shooting guard from Georgia Tech, set UNLV’s Cox Pavilion ablaze with what remains one of the greatest — and most audacious — individual performances in the 22-year history of the Las Vegas tournament. It was on this date that Morrow scored 47 points in a little over 36 minutes for a mark that has rarely been threatened at the annual Summer League gathering
“What made the effort even more of a conversation piece was that the Warriors beat the Hornets 104-84. ‘He had the gym absolutely buzzing,’ Curry said. ‘I’m not surprised that it’s still the record.'”
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Morrow’s Summer League reputation held up in the NBA, where he became known as one of the league’s premier sharpshooters. Did he ever reach the stardom hinted at with his memorable Summer League eruption? Not exactly, but it may have given him the confidence needed to play nine seasons in the pros
“Morrow, now 40, remembers channeling his inner Ray Allen — ‘one of my favorite players ever’ — and launched shots without apology or hesitation,” Brown continued. “He made 18-of-26 from the field, including 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Curry, in comparison, chipped in 9 points in a supporting role. ‘As a shooter, you get into that groove. I got in the groove that day, and it really kind of set the tone for the rest of my career,’ Morrow said. ‘Like, it really etched me in stone.'”
Morrow led the NBA with a 46.7% 3-point percentage as a rookie with the Warriors. That type of confidence had to come from somewhere, and the foundation may have been laid during Summer League, outperforming Curry, even if only for one game
