"He is the ultimate underdog" - Lil Wayne saw it early when he praised Stephen Curry back in 2008
Back in late 2008, long before Stephen Curry was a household name in the basketball world, rapper Lil Wayne noticed something special.
In an ESPN column, the hip-hop star — who's a huge basketball fan — gave high praise to the then-Davidson College point guard, capturing the essence of Curry's rise well before the hype exploded.
Winning Lil Wayne's respect
At the time, rapper Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., better known as Lil Wayne, was writing a column for ESPN about American sports. He made two things clear: he was a serious college basketball fan, and during the 2008-09 NCAA season, one player caught his full attention — Stephen Curry.
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At the time, Curry was a junior at Davidson, quietly changing what an undersized point guard could do on the court. Lil Wayne even paused his writing to give a rare, heartfelt shoutout, stating, "Steph Curry, you are amazing."
What stood out most was a gritty performance against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
"West Virginia was posting him up every chance they got, but he (Curry) still fought his way through it," recalled the founder of Young Money Entertainment
Furthermore, Lil Wayne mentioned a game where the 6'2" player was doubled every minute on the floor — as if he were the then top NFL receiver Terrell Owens — yet even without their key player prominent on the stat sheet, Davidson still won by 30.
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"It just shows you what kind of man Steph is because even though he didn't score a point his expression never changed. He never got frustrated. That just shows you who he is," wrote Wayne.
Curry's rise
Wayne's excitement likely came from a simple fact: like many others back then, Curry just hadn't been on his radar.
Coming out of Charlotte Christian High School, Dell Curry's son was mostly overlooked. Why? His slim build made ACC programs think he'd get pushed around, so they passed on him.
But instead of letting doubt hold him back, Steph took on the challenge and proved everyone wrong — something Wayne clearly admired.
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"Now he is the ultimate underdog running circles around everybody, and I love him so much for that," he wrote.
Along with the praise, the hip-hop legend also offered some honest advice.
"I think he needs to stay another year to work on his body, but he's going to be fine in the NBA because he actually has a shot, and that's really all you need," explained Carter Jr.
Looking back, Curry — now widely regarded as the best shooter the game has ever seen — didn't take that advice. Just a few months later, he declared for the NBA Draft and was selected seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors.
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On the big stage, the Ohio native turned out to be much more than just "fine." Despite some tough early years, "Chef Curry" became one of the most iconic and successful players in league history. His four NBA titles, two MVPs, multiple All-Star nods, and two scoring titles speak for themselves — but even more telling is how he managed to dominate the game without the physical tools that others usually rely on.
Related: "He look like the dad of the YMCA player" - Lil Wayne admits he doesn't like Nikola Jokic
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