“That Sounds Ancient!”: Stephen Curry Suffered Just Like Michael Jordan and LeBron James During Early Years of His Career

Popularity plays a major role in the NBA. While NBA scouts try to identify the best talents across the world, it is fairly difficult to cover them all without the media’s influence. In such a situation, being drafted among the top 10 picks may seem like a herculean task. Now a superstar in his own right, Stephen Curry had to go through just that to be drafted 7th overall by the Golden State Warriors.

The media have a major role to play in players’ success in the NBA. From the draft to the end of their career, it is necessary to make an impression in the public eye. Take Michael Jordan and LeBron James for example. Curry showed his brilliance in Davidson to cement his place as a top draft pick. However, had it not been for the media, his brilliance in Davidson would have gone unnoticed. This was talked about by one of his former college teammates recently.

Stephen Curry put the world on notice

Stephen Curry had one of the most remarkable runs in college basketball. While putting up incredible numbers, Curry led the Wildcats to some historic wins in the NCAA tournament. The 6’2 guard became one of the most popular prospects out of college. However, this was during a time when social media platforms did not even exist.

Back in the day, Curry made headlines in newspapers and had people talking about his unbelievable talent on phone calls, a sight rarely seen nowadays. His former Davidson teammate, Jason Richards, had some words for this recently.

“In 2008, when you think about it, Facebook had just started. There was no Twitter….social media wasn’t a big thing. So the fact that Steph took the nation by storm through newspaper articles, people texting….that sounds ancient but people started getting noticed because we were everywhere. We were on TV, we were on paper, I can only imagine what it would be like if we had social media back then,” he said.

Curry’s former teammate had his say about the advent of social media. However, his statements got people thinking. How would it have been if social media were prevalent during the earlier eras of basketball?

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The advent of social media in basketball

Whether it was ‘The Chosen One’, LeBron James or ‘His Airness’, Michael Jordan, the narratives surrounding NBA greats is what truly makes the league an international phenomenon. Stephen Curry, too, is one of the icons that further strengthened the hold the league has on the global market. However, these NBA legends achieved international stardom despite the absence of social media.

Social media has taken the NBA world by storm since its incorporation into the league. Players like Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball, and even the 2023 No.1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, became stars in their own right before even entering the league due to social media.

The current buzz around players before they even get drafted is unbelievable. However, one begins to wonder how it would have been if this level of media attention was prevalent during earlier eras of the NBA.

Michael Jordan bagged the ROTY award in 1984 despite being 3rd overall pick. Had social media been prevalent back then, Jordan could have potentially gone 1st overall in his draft class.

Similarly, LeBron James entered the league as the most hyped draft prospect in NBA history. He was so celebrated that his high school games were broadcast on national television. But he, too, did this in the absence of social media.

Stars may be enjoying fame at a different level in the modern NBA. However, had the advent of social media happened sooner, the previous eras would have evidently had a stark contrast in narratives.

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