{"id":1572823,"date":"2023-06-21T17:24:49","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T21:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1572823"},"modified":"2023-06-21T17:24:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T21:24:50","slug":"former-timberwolves-gm-twice-passed-over-stephen-curry-2009-nba-draft-explanation-staggering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/former-timberwolves-gm-twice-passed-over-stephen-curry-2009-nba-draft-explanation-staggering\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Timberwolves GM Twice Passed Over Stephen Curry in the 2009 NBA Draft and His Explanation Is Staggering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the 2009 NBA Draft<\/a>, five teams famously passed<\/a> on a skinny kid out of Davidson named Stephen Curry<\/a>, who's become the greatest three-point shooter in league history, a nine-time All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA MVP, and has led the Golden State Warriors<\/a> to six NBA Finals appearances, winning four championships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, you may be asking how only five teams overlooked Curry when he was the No. 7 overall pick in '09. Well, the answer to that question is that the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> had back-to-back selections at No. 5 and No. 6. And the wild part about that whole scenario is that they took a point guard with each of those picks, which was apparently the plan of then-Wolves GM David Kahn all along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kahn, who spent 10 years as an executive with the Indiana Pacers from 1995-2004, was hired by Minnesota one month and three days prior to the 2009 draft and selected highly-touted Spanish prospect Ricky Rubio at No. 5 and Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn at No. 6. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stephen Curry, of course, was then taken by the Warriors at No. 7, a selection that ultimately saved a struggling franchise that had been to the NBA Playoffs<\/a> just once in the previous 15 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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