If the word "underrated" ever needed a visual definition in the dictionary, a picture of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry would be fitting. Throughout his illustrious 16-year NBA career, he's consistently faced skepticism due to his slender physique, boyish appearance and his signature long-range shots.
And even after securing two Most Valuable Player trophies and four NBA championships in the last decade, some former NBA players and pundits still hesitate to give him his due. But then again, none of these are new to Curry, who has had to overcome tremendous odds at every step of his basketball journey, including the 2009 NBA Draft, when he was selected seventh overall.
For most, being drafted seventh overall is a moment of immense celebration. A top-10 pick represents the ultimate validation of the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice poured into reaching the NBA. Add to that the security of a guaranteed, multi-million-dollar contract and getting picked seventh is nothing short of a dream come true.
However, Curry didn't see it that way, especially with the players whose names were called before his. In his mind, he wasn't the best guard in that draft class. In fact, he wasn't even the second-best.
"It's weird," Curry said , "When I was the seventh pick, it was like, 'Oh, he was overlooked,' because I was the third point guard. I guess James Harden is a point guard — I was the fourth point guard picked."
Being a top-10 pick could hardly be construed as underrated, but for someone as competitive as Curry, it sent him a message that he didn't belong in the upper echelon of guards; that Harden, Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn were all supposed to be better than him. It was a notion that he would use as motivation throughout his career, constantly reminding himself of where he came from and how far he had to go.
"Still, you're like top seven; that's not really underrated," he added. "But for me, it's like that still was the chip I had from jump, so it kind of carried ever since."
Whether Curry wins 10 more NBA titles from now on, his DNA will always tell him he isn't good enough. That has been the driving force and most powerful motivator of his career so far.
"That's always part of the DNA and what carries me through," he explained. "But it gets to a point where it gets really hard to articulate that to people, that no matter how many successes you have, you still feel underrated."
The fact that Curry has four rings and is widely regarded as the greatest shooter of all time, yet still feels like he's under the radar, is odd. However, that is a product of how he has been perceived ever since he picked up a basketball in North Carolina. If most pundits and NBA players are to be believed, the image of a legitimate legend resembles a hulking center like Shaquille O'Neal or lithe, lean and athletic wingmen like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Curry doesn't look like any of those guys and he doesn't play like them either. He's a smaller, slighter player with unbelievable shooting prowess and ball-handling skills, which he has leveraged to earn all-time status in the sport. Maybe, just maybe, it's time for people to change their perception of what a basketball legend should look like.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
