An American Love Story: Stephen Curry and the Madison Square Garden

There was a time, when the now-73YO Davidson coach, Bob McKillop said this about Stephen Curry: “Stephen looked very boyish, very baby-ish, very frail“. He continued, “The uniforms back then were free-flowing, and his was draped on him. It looked like he was wearing his father’s uniform.” There was also a time when Curry used to play dreadfully back in his Las Vegas High School tournaments. Yet, his coach, McKilop did not lose faith in him. He was still impressed with the way he infused enthusiasm among his teammates, and respected his referees and his coaches. And then one day, Knicks legend, Dick McGuire visited a Davidson matchup, very early on in Curry’s career, and told McKillop that Steph was going to be a pro in the future. He will be a star shining so bright, he will dull others around him.

Today, Stephen Curry is doing just that. Coming off from a slump in the All-Star weekend, he scored 31 points to lead his team tonight, to a 110-99 victory. And to no one’s surprise, it happened at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. The same center, the same place where his college coach, McKillop also said this: “I saw the way Stephen captivated the Garden crowd that night. It was a defining moment for him because the New York fans oohed and aahed after every shot he took. I was reminded of that when he broke the 3-point record this past season, with the Garden crowd anticipating it as soon as he touched the ball. That love affair goes back to his college days.”

FYI, this was said when he came off a slump and beat West Virginia in a storied manner. It indeed was a love affair. He captivated the audiences, everyone, even the ones on the opposite end of the court were rooting for him. They stood up for him as if he was a Broadway star. Of course, his coach reminisces how New York loves Broadway stars. The people there gravitate towards greatness, even if they see it in a budding basketball player. They have a way of appreciating that greatness. New York saw the greatness in him, in each dribble he made across the court, every single time he stopped, he passed, he ran, and finished around the rim, people saw something in him. Little did they know what Curry was destined to be!

For Curry, the NBA’s 3-point arc is not just an arch, it is an exploratory journey. He explores its geometry, every inch, flings magic from well beyond the arc, and finds a (not-so-gentle) way to leave the court with an electrifying splash. When he performed that night for Davidson, everyone knew Curry would eventually end up in New York. After all, they needed the Broadway star to stay closer to the stage, Madison Square Garden. It was a Mecca of basketball. But destiny had something else planned.

The time New York missed out on drafting Stephen Curry

Although Stephen Curry has had some iconic performances at Madison Square Garden as a visiting player, the Knicks fans still regret missing out on bagging him as their franchise player. During the 2009 NBA draft, the New York Knicks owned the 8th overall pick and wanted to pick a young Stephen Curry from Davidson College. Then-Knicks head coach, Mike D’Antoni, even revealed on The Old Man & The Three Podcast how badly the Knicks wanted to draft Steph that year. “We wanted (Curry) so bad, I could taste it”, D’Antoni told JJ Redick.

Even Steph wanted the Knicks to select him and was prepared to hear his name as the 8th pick. “When I got drafted, I thought I was going to New York, and didn’t really have Golden State on the radar at all”, Steph said during the 2022 NBA Finals Media Day. However, fate had something else planned for the future superstar. The Golden State Warriors came out of the blue and informed Steph that they were picking him ahead of the Knicks. The Warriors selected Steph as their 7th pick and kick-started his unexpected NBA journey.

With Steph out of reach, the Knicks had to settle for Forward Jordan Hill. Unlike Steph, Hill never became a star player in the NBA. He played only one season in New York, averaging a mediocre 4 points and 2.5 rebounds. However, Hill had a solid 8-year NBA career. To rub salt in the Knicks’ wounds, Mike D’Antoni revealed that they could have assured that they got Steph before anyone else.

The Knicks had a chance to move up to the Number 5 overall pick through a deal with Minnesota. But they did not want to let go of a player in the deal and believed Steph would be available till the 8th pick. Unfortunately, their decision backfired, leading to one of their biggest draft mistakes in franchise history. The Knicks’ fans can only wonder what could have been if Steph had been drafted by the Knicks instead of the Warriors 15 years ago. Despite the Knicks missing out on Steph, the Warriors superstar gave the Knicks fans several unforgettable moments at MSG.

Stephen Curry’s most iconic MSG Moment

On December 14, 2021, Stephen Curry did something at Madison Square Garden that no basketball fan will ever forget. That night, The Warriors were going head-to-head against the Knicks in a regular season game, but nobody cared about the outcome of the game. All eyes were on Steph as he was only two three-pointers shy from breaking Ray Allen’s record. And the 4-time Champion did not make the fans wait for long!

He broke Hall of Famer Ray Allen’s record to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in three-pointers made. However, no one in MSG cared about the outcome of the game. Steph hit his career’s 2,974th three-pointer on a pass from Andrew Wiggins with 7:35 remaining in the first quarter. The Warriors took a quick foul and let the Greatest Shooter Ever soak in all the love from the MSG crowd.

Even the Knicks fanbase, who are famous for trash-talking opposing players, could not help but appreciate the Greatness of Stephen Curry. The MSG crowd continued to give a standing ovation to Steph for several minutes as he embraced his father. Steph also shared a wholesome moment with previous record holders, Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, who were among the few big names present in the arena to witness the historic moment.

Die-hard Knicks fan Spike Lee even got down to his knees to capture the perfect angle of Steph’s iconic moment. After the game, Steph appreciated the MSG crowd for their overwhelming reaction, “This arena, I can’t express how much of an honor that was for the reaction here on the road and the appreciation for this milestone.” Steph’s record-breaking three-pointer will always be considered his career’s Greatest MSG moment. But this wasn’t the only iconic moment Curry is remembered for in New York. There was a time when he literally changed the landscape of the NBA, thereby changing his entire legacy – all for the good!

The day Stephen Curry changed the NBA

Years before Stephen Curry cemented himself as the Greatest shooter in NBA history, he had yet another iconic moment at MSG that changed his career trajectory forever. In 2013, 24-year-old Stephen Curry entered Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks. The Knicks had a solid team with Carmelo Anthony as their superstar. Meanwhile, the Warriors were struggling to find their identity after the departure of star guard Monta Ellis. No one knew before the game that Steph was going to change everything that night.

Steph took over and dropped his then-career high 54 points. He shot lights out from the three-point line, making 11 of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Steph hit a three from every part of the floor in every way possible. He was in Beast Mode that night and single-handedly kept the Warriors afloat throughout the game. Even though the Warriors lost the game 109-105 that night, his performance put the league on notice about the upcoming change in NBA’s landscape.

The future superstar called his 54-point night at MSG his “coming-out party on the national stage”. That night, Steph joined the elite company of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, as the only 4 visiting players to score 50 points at MSG. NBA Insider Sean Deveney even put Steph’s 54-point game among the 12 games that helped shape the NBA. While making 11 three-pointers in a game is a regular occurrence for Steph today, the NBA was not as three-point dominant when he scored 54 points at MSG. For the NBA, it wasn’t the same after that night; Steph showed the world a new style of basketball.

Deveney even claimed Steph’s iconic performance at MSG helped him become the superstar he is today. “He had ankle injuries, he didn’t look like a guy who would be durable enough to play in the NBA for a long time. He goes against the Knicks, the team he thought that was going to draft him in 2009, and he was just unbelievable. That’s when the world said, ‘Steph Curry, we have to start paying attention to this guy.’ Everything took off from there”, Deveney said about the impact of that game on Steph’s career.

From a scoreless debut to becoming a beloved superstar in New York

New York does not just embrace anyone. From a rookie who looked like he was wearing his father’s uniform to the superstar, legend he is today, Steph has come a long way. Aside from his slight stature, 6’2, he was basically a shrub in the forest of the NBA. It was difficult for people to understand him, to relate to him, to have faith in such an ordinary being.

Today, he’s a highly trained professional shooter in the NBA, winning multiple accolades, MVPs, and 4 championships. He is the architect of an ever-expanding franchise that was not even remotely close to being on the NBA maps. He has set up an empire that goes way beyond the hardwood floor. A fun fact: He even golfs with former President, Barack Obama! Nobody can beat that.

For 5 seasons, 2014-2019, Curry has ruled the basketball world. He made a comeback in 2022, leading his team to yet another championship. Few people have come closer to achieving what Curry has achieved so far. It is almost elusive. With a baby face and a stature that isn’t remotely close to what people expect from an NBA player, Curry helped ordinary people relate to the league. He helped people feel like winners because of his on-court aura, even if he lost, people did not lose faith in him. He helped people understand, that no matter how slow, we always eventually do win.

This is probably what he did to the people in New York since he stepped foot for his first-ever game. Usually known to be hostile against rival teams, Curry is one superstar New York couldn’t help but love. Unlike other NBA stars like Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, the city did not turn hostile against him. Rather, Curry made a way to let the city fall in love with his graciousness, his “nighty-night” frolic, and his quirky presence. He made a special place in the hearts of Knicks’ fanbase. People in the city love him so much that he even got MVP chants at MSG after breaking the three-point record in 2021.

So even when his debut in 2008, when he was representing Davidson was a disaster, people did not lose faith in him, when he played for less than 3 minutes, scoring no points at all, he still managed to get his share of love. After his debut, this is what he said, “It sucks. You don’t want to be sitting and watching. Hopefully, I won’t get used to it. We’ll see what happens.”

And the Baby-Faced Assassin did not indeed get used to it. He put up some iconic performances at MSG throughout his career and earned the respect of the Knicks fanbase. After a 15-year NBA journey, Steph is now in the later stages of his career. But he continues to put up incredible performances at MSG like he did in tonight’s win. After tonight’s game, Steph expressed what it felt like to play in the Mecca of basketball, “It’s always fun. It’s a special place … I’ve had some good nights here. Two years ago was special. There’s just a different energy”. Steph’s relationship with New York and Madison Square Garden is a true American love story. And hopefully, it will culminate with another iconic performance at MSG before Steph retires from the NBA.

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