Stephen Curry may have had his bags packed and ready for New York City, but much to the disappointment of the New York Knicks, he’ll be going to the West Coast instead.

Coach Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors stole Curry right out from under the Knicks’ noses when he picked him 7th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.

To anyone out there who thinks Nelson is planning on trading Curry to the highest bidder (ahem, Phoenix Suns) — think again.

“He can unpack his bags and relax,” Nelson said after welcoming Curry to Oakland. “He can buy a house. We drafted him because we think he’s a terrific player that fits right into our program. He ain’t going anyplace.”

Curry will be paired up with Monta Ellis to create a quick and sharp-shooting backcourt. He will definitely see playing time this fall, as Nelson hopes Curry can help spark his offensive attack.

“I looked at the top 10, and [the Warriors] jumped off the page with the way they play,” Curry said. “I’m a fan of the game, so I notice these sorts of things. I’ve seen enough of them to know I’d fit in here, at least on the surface. It’s exciting to get here and think about what could happen with this offense and this coaching staff.”

If Curry is as exciting to watch in the NBA as he was in college, then Bay-area basketball fans better get ready for some highlight-reel-worthy plays this season.

The 2009 NBA Draft took place in New York City on Thursday night. Everyone knew Blake Griffin was going number one overall to the Los Angeles Clippers but the rest of the draft was up in the air. Here are the 2009 NBA Draft results for both the first round and the second round:

First Round

1) Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma

2) Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut

3) Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden, G, Arizona State

4) Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis

5) Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, G, Spain

6) Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse

7) Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson

8) New York Knicks: Jordan Hill, F, Arizona

9) Toronto Raptors: Demar DeRozan, G, USC

10) Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, G, Italy

11) New Jersey Nets: Terrence Williams, G, Louisville

12) Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, G, Duke

13) Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansborough, F, North Carolina

14) Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark, F, Louisville

15) Detroit Pistons: Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga

16) Chicago Bulls: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest

17) Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA

18) Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson, G, North Carolina

19) Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague, G, Wake Forest

20) Utah Jazz: Eric Maynor, G, Virginia Commonwealth

21) New Orleans Hornets: Darren Collison, G, UCLA

22) Portland Trailblazers: Victor Claver, F, Spain

23) Sacramento Kings: Omri Casspi, F, Israel

24) Oklahoma City Thunder: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State

25) Dallas Mavericks: Rodrique Beaubois, G, Guadeloupe

26) Chicago Bulls: Taj Gibson, F, USC

27) Memphis Grizzlies: DeMarre Carroll, F, Missouri

28) Minnesota Timberwolves: Wayne Ellington, G, North Carolina

29) New York Knicks: Toney Douglas, G, FSU

30) Cleveland Cavaliers: Christian Eyenga, G-F, Congo

Second Round

31) Portland Trail Blazers: Jeff Pendergraph, F, Arizona State

32) Washington Wizards: Jermaine Taylor, G, UCF traded to Rockets

33) Portland Trailblazers: Dante Cunningham, F, Villanova

34) Denver Nuggets: Sergio Llull, F, Spain

35) Detroit Pistons: DeJuan Summers, F, Georgetown

36) Memphis Grizzlies: Sam Young, F, Pittsburgh

37) San Antonio Spurs: DeJuan Blair, F, Pittsburgh

38) Sacramento Kings: Jon Brockman, F, Washington

39) Detroit Pistons: Jonas Jerebko, F, Sweden

40) Charlotte Bobcats: Derrick Brown, F, Xavier

41) Milwaukee Bucks: Jodie Meeks, G, Kentucky

42) Miami Heat: Patrick Beverley, G, Ukraine

43) New Orleans Hornets: Marcus Thornton, G, LSU

44) Houston Rockets: Chase Budinger, F, Arizona

45) Minnesota Timberwolves: Nick Calathes, G, Florida

46) Cleveland Cavaliers: Danny Green, F, North Carolina

47) Minnesota Timberwolves: Henk Norel, F, Netherlands

48) Phoenix Suns: Taylor Griffin, F, Oklahoma

49) Atlanta Hawks: Sergey Gladyr, G, Serbia

50) Utah Jazz: Goran Suton, C, Michigan State

51) San Antonio Spurs: Jack McClinton, G, Miami

52) Indiana Pacers: A.J. Price, G, Connecticut

53) San Antonio Spurs: Nando De Colo, G, France

54) Oklahoma City Thunder: Robert Vaden, G, UAB

55) Portland Trailblazers: Patrick Mills, G, St. Mary’s

56) Dallas Mavericks: Ahmad Nivins, F, St. Joe’s

57) Phoenix Suns: Emir Preldzic, F, Bosnia

58) Boston Celtics: Lester Hudson, G, Tennessee-Martin

59) Los Angeles Lakers: Chinemelu Elonu, F-C, Texas A&M

60) Miami Heat: Robert Dozier, F, Memphis

James Harden Ended up with the Thunder (Image: Zuma Press)

On a night when surreal events appeared to be the norm, the 2009 NBA draft fit right in.

The fact that Michael Jackson passed away yesterday was beyond surreal. Add in Farrah Faucet and you’ve got a double-whammy.  Then Shaq gets traded to Cleveland to team up with Lebron for what seems to be a destined championship run in 2010.

The 2009 NBA Draft class was not as strong as in previous years, but definitely offered some surprises.

What else happened on draft night?

Here’s a brief recap for your viewing pleasure:

• Richard Jefferson was traded to San Antonio.

• Blake Griffin was the number one pick in the ’09 draft.

• Tyler Hansbrough went to the Indiana Pacers.

• Golden State stole Stephen Curry from the New York Knicks.

• Brandon Jennings’ short stint in Europe paid off — he was able to gain more experience playing professionally overseas than he would have gotten playing in college. As a result, he was drafted 10th overall.

• Ricky Rubio sank in the draft and ended up going to Minnesota (along with Johnny Flynn for double the point guard fun).

One of the most interesting players in the 2009 NBA Draft is Stephen Curry of the Davidson Wildcats. The son of former NBA player Dell Curry, he has a silky stroke and a scorer’s mentality just like his father.

In his final season with Davidson, Curry averaged 28.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He shot 45.4% from the field and hit 220-of-251 free throws.

The best thing Curry does is score the basketball. His shot is deadly from almost anywhere on the court and his quick trigger allows him to get his shot off with just a sliver of daylight.

Despite his elite scoring ability, Curry does have a few question marks. The biggest question is what position will he play? At 6-foot-3, he’s likely too short to play shooting guard. He also could struggle as a playmaker if forced to play point guard.

If you are a fan of Curry’s and you want to see him light up the scoreboard, you should root for him to land with a free-wheeling team like the New York Knicks or the Golden State Warriors. On such a team, he could quickly become one of the most explosive marksmen in the NBA.

Stephen Curry - 2009 NBA Draft (Image: Zuma Press)

I know we’re still in NBA playoff mode (speaking of which, how good was the Bulls/Celtics series??? I didn’t want it to end!), but I took it upon myself to look ahead, just a bit, to the upcoming 2009 NBA draft.

Short of creating a mock draft, I listed which players I personally think rank in the top ten as far as prospects go. I think they are the cream of the draft crop. Whether or not NBA scouts agree with me is another question.

Lyndsey’s Top Ten 2009 NBA Draft Prospects

Read more

Stephen Curry took his time making his decision. On Thursday, he revealed that he will be leaving Davidson to make the leap into the NBA.

While at Davidson, Curry was one of the most exciting players in the nation to watch. The son of former NBA player Dell Curry, the Davidson junior averaged 28.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.4% from the field, 38.7% from beyond the three-point arc and 87.6% at the free throw line.

Stephen Curry, 2009 NBA Draft (Image: Newscom)

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Curry is projected to play point guard on the NBA level. While he’s not a natural playmaker, his scoring and shooting abilities aren’t in question. Just like his father, Curry has an amazing shooting touch that he can release with lightning quickness.

Most 2009 NBA mock drafts have Curry going in the first half of the first round. There’s also some speculation that Curry could ultimately be a top-five pick in the draft.

Many young and talented ballers cannot wait to get to the NBA. They look at  their college career as a stepping stone to something bigger and better, and nothing else. The degree doesn’t much matter, since they will be raking in the dough at the professional level anyway.

Those individuals that decide to stay in college for all four years are few and far between.

Tyler Hansbrough stayed at UNC and amassed numerous national accolades as well a national championship. Add a college degree to the mix and I’d say that he made a smart decision.

Stephen Curry is now wrestling with the same decision. According to SI.com, the main thing holding him back from hiring an agent is the college degree.

Stephen Curry has until Sunday to declare for the 2009 NBA draft.

Knowing that Curry is a well-rounded kid and that the hype and attention he has garnered since Davidson’s 2008 NCAA Tournament run hasn’t gone to his head, I’m not the lease bit surprised that he has yet to make a decision about his basketball future. I could see him returning to Davidson for his senior year. And I would respect him for it.

Photo provided by Newscom

Well, it’s looks as though we know where one of the Curry brothers is going to end up after this basketball season.

ESPN reported yesterday that Seth Curry’s father, former NBA great Dell Curry,  made it known Sunday night after a visit to Durham earlier in the day that Seth had been offered a scholarship by the Duke Blue Devils and accepted. Curry averaged 20.2 points a game for the Flames this past season, making a name for himself in his own right outside of the shadow of his brother, Stephen.

Because of the transfer rule in college basketball, Seth will sit out the 2009-10 season and be eligible for 2010-11 as a third-year sophomore.

Seth also told ESPN that the opportunity to continue his career at Duke, and get a Duke education were other major factors in the decision.

The media/television exposure could have also been a factor, hmmm?

Perhaps Coach K. will have an opportunity to get back  the Blue Devils back to the Final Four with Curry’s help.

Get to know Seth Curry:

Now that Davidson’s season is over (they were eliminated from the NIT on Monday night), Stephen Curry has a big decision to make. Will he enter the NBA draft and take his career to the next level? Or will he return to Davidson for his senior year?

Most college basketball (myself included) fans would love to see him back at Davidson. I think there’s something to be said for those players who finish what they started, get their degree, develop as a player and then make the leap. Curry’s draft stock wouldn’t drop if he returned to school. But if he feels as though he has done all he can do at the college basketball level, he’ll most likely make the jump.

Stephen isn’t the only Curry with a big decision on his plate. His brother, Seth (who is just as gifted in his own right) is leaving Liberty after only one year. Seth was quote by SI.com saying he would like to “take advantage of new opportunities that may be available to him in a higher-rated conference.”

What school wouldn’t be interested in picking him up? Seth was the nation’s leading freshman scorer, averaging 20.2 points.

I’d love it if both of them united at Davidson for Stephen’s last hurrah. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

Photos provided by Newscom

Image details: 2007 ESPY Awards - Arrivals served by picapp.com

The annual 2008 ESPY Awards will air live on ESPN on Sunday, July 20th at 9 pm est / 8 pm cst, and keeping with their tradition of including outdoor sports and motorsports within their equation, NASCAR will be represented with nominees in three separate categories this year.

Every year, the ESPY’s select from a pool of nominees for their racing-specific athlete category for “Best Driver“. A NASCAR driver has won this award in 9 of the 15 years, and 4 of the last 5. The most recent winners of this award were Jeff Gordon in 2007 and Tony Stewart in 2006. Representing NASCAR this year are 2006 and 2007 Sprint Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson (whom has never won the award), current Sprint Cup points leader, Kyle Busch, and Dario Franchitti (though Franchitti was nominated for his win in the 2007 Indianapolis 500 and for winning the IndyCar Series championship last season). They will compete against Lewis Hamilton, Tony Schumacher, and Scott Dixon.

Kyle Busch’s surge to 7 wins this season in the Sprint Cup Series and 14 altogether in NASCAR’s top-three series has also earned him a nomination as the “Breakthrough Athlete of the Year“, but he’s going to be looking at some pretty stout competition in this category, particularly as he goes against Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. Also nominated for this award are Stephen Curry (basketball) and Ana Ivanovic (tennis). Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears won the award last year.

Much to his own surprise, Jamie McMurray is up for an award himself. He’s been nominated for the “Best Finish” award for his 0.05 second victory over Kyle Busch in the 2007 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He will be up against Western Kentucky’s 3-point buzzer shot to advance over Drake University in the NCAA Tournament; the San Antonio Spurs’ victory over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals in double overtime; and the Pittsburgh Penguins triple overtime win against the Detroit Redwings in Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

Additionally, IRL star, Danica Patrick, is nominated for the awards of “Best Moment” and “Best Female Athlete.”

Go here for a complete list of the 2008 ESPY Nominees and go to ESPN.com for listing information on the event itself.