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Stephen Curry became a household name during a 2008 NCAA Tournament, but his talent wasn’t always seen as a sure thing.

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Stephen Curry has had a lot of memorable moments on the basketball court. He’s won MVPs, an NBA championship, and has become a star that fills up arenas with fans in awe of his jump shot.

For many, Curry first burst onto the scene during the 2008 NCAA Tournament as he led Davidson to the Elite Eight; becoming a fan favorite and a major bracket buster. In the Sweet 16 win against Wisconsin, LeBron James was in Detroit to see him play.

For Curry, the moment he stepped onto the floor at the cavernous Ford Field was something he will always remember.

“If I had to pick one, I think it was the first time I walked down the tunnel at Ford Field in Detroit,” Curry told Seth Davis. “And you’re playing on that stage that they build in the middle of the football field with the stadium vibe all the way around, 100,000 fans in there, something like that. Coming from Davidson, we don’t play in front of crowds like that. It was a pretty cool experience to just walk out there and just be like, ‘Hey, we’re here at the Sweet 16. Let’s enjoy every minute of this.”

The nation had been introduced to Dell Curry’s son, but just a few years earlier, Stephen was hardly seen as the talent that he is now.

“Coaches came out to watch us play in those travel tournaments and things. Never really got a call from anybody. And that was where the pressure of being Dell Curry’s son kind of sunk in. Everybody was like, ‘What’s going on? Not even Virginia Tech wants you.’ This and that. And I really had to be comfortable in my own skin and just understand that the right opportunity would reveal itself.”

The tiny school just north of Charlotte came calling, and for that, Curry feels blessed.

“Low and behold, Coach McKillop comes and gives me an opportunity.”

Davidson and Curry would never be the same.

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