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Golden State Warriors v Milwaukee Bucks

Source: Stacy Revere / Getty

Stephen Wardell Curry II has been a phenomenal NBA player, earning eight All-Star nods, two MVP Awards, and taking home the chip with the Golden State Warriors four times. Now he’s the subject of an Apple Original Films documentary, Underrated, which will debut at the Sundance Film Festival. But it didn’t always look like Steph Curry would be the face of the NBA.

Despite being the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, Steph’s options were limited out of high school, and none were top ACC schools like North Carolina, Georgia Tech or NC State. He says his final choices came down to Davidson, Winthrop or Virginia Commonwealth University.

“I was kind of a skinny, scrawny kid on every team that I played on, a late bloomer,” Curry told the Charlotte Observer last year. “My freshman year I was probably 5’9″ at best and like 150 pounds and I graduated at a whopping 6’1″ and 170. That was probably a lot of the recruiting struggles I had, because I just didn’t look the part.”

Steph went to Davison College in North Carolina, where his game evolved. By his senior year, he was an All-American averaging 28.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.5 steals to become the nation’s leading scorer. He was drafted seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors and hasn’t looked back.

Per a press release, “The documentary provides an intimate look at NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s improbable coming of age at tiny Davidson College, where, under the wing of coach Bob McKillop, the team made a thrilling run in the 2008 NCAA tournament. With access to Curry throughout the 2021 season, the film also weaves the Golden State Warriors’ attempt to win another NBA championship following one of the worst seasons in franchise history.”

Peter Nicks, an Emmy Award winner, directed the film, which was produced by A24, along with Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler and producer Erick Peyton.

In 2022, Stephen Curry earned his degree from Davidson, fulfilling a promise he’d made 13 years before when he left before his senior year. The school also retired his jersey, an honor they only confer to graduates.