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March 23, 2009 is a date that Warriors fans should never forget.
Why?
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Because that night, Don Nelson went to see Steph Curry in person when Davidson traveled to the Bay Area for an NIT matchup.
"He played against Saint Mary’s, and I went to the game. I fell in love with the kid," the former Warriors head coach told Mark Medina of the Bay Area News Group.
Curry racked up 26 points (11-for-27 FG), nine rebounds and five assists (plus six turnovers) in an 80-68 loss to the Gaels. It was the final game of his illustrious college career.
Three months later, the Warriors selected Curry with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Golden State Warriors
"I was able to draft Steph and he’s been as good or better than anybody believed he would be," Nelson added. "We all thought he was going to be terrific. But wow. He is one of the best to ever to it.”
While Nelson didn't think Curry would turn into a two-time MVP, "I thought he would be a perennial All-Star and one of the top point guards in the league," he said.
Nelson also wasn't sure if Curry would even be available when Golden State was on the clock. Fortunately for the Warriors, Minnesota took Ricky Rubio at No. 5 and Jonny Flynn at No. 6.
[REWIND: Steph Curry unveils story behind why the Wolves didn't draft him]
As they say, the rest is history.
"I would have taken him No. 2 that year," Nelson said back in October. "I would have taken (Blake) Griffin first and then I would have taken him above everybody in the draft."
Hey, that Don Nelson guy is pretty smart.
Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller