Could Stephen Curry Ever Play For The Charlotte Hornets?
It is ok for the Charlotte Hornets to dream.
After being named Most-Valuable-Player of the NBA, Stephen Curry is on top of the basketball world. His team, the Golden State Warriors, are considered the favorite to win the Western Conference and make the NBA Finals.
However, his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, has seen their basketball team falter down the stretch of a playoff race in the rather pedestrian Eastern Conference. The Hornets lack a star player, and lack any kind of legitimate shooting touch.
Curry, of course, is one of the premier shooters in the association, and the presence of a player of his caliber would lift a middling franchise like the Hornets into heights never dreamed possible.
Curry has said in the past that he would be open to the idea of playing in Charlotte:
"“I’ve always had thoughts about playing at home, what it would be like,” said Curry, who is in the middle of a four-year, $44 million contract extension with the Warriors. “My dad played there for 10 years, and people around the Greater Charlotte area in North Carolina have done a lot for my family growing up, so you always think about it.“Right now I feel like I’ve got three years left on my deal, so this isn’t going to be an issue for me for a while. I love the Bay Area and where we are as a team trying to win a championship, and that’s what it’s all about. Of course everybody dreams about or thinks about what it’s going to be like to play at home. Obviously if that opportunity comes along it’s a different discussion.”"
That answer was in response to being asked about LeBron James returning to Cleveland to try and bring the city a championship. Curry obviously loves the Charlotte area, and his answer gave Hornets fans just a glimmer of hope that maybe, perhaps, when his contract with the Warriors is over that he would consider returning home to North Carolina.
Of course, that would be a controversial decision. After all, the bay area is a fantastic place to live if you have the kind of money Curry has. Oracle Arena, where the Warriors play, is one of the loudest places to play in the entire world, let alone the NBA.
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Golden State fans love their team, and the place is rocking on a nightly basis. That is not to say that Charlotte could not fill up Time Warner Cable Arena in the same way, but the fan support for the NBA’s newest franchise has been tepid, at best, through some of the lean years.
Plus there is the basketball situation to think about. In California, Curry shares the backcourt with Klay Thompson, who also happens to be one of the best shooters in the game. Andrew Bogut and defensive player of the year candidate Draymond Green give the Warriors an inside presence. That is a deep, talented team with championship aspirations.
The Hornets dream about just winning a playoff game. The expectations of the two franchises are markedly different. However, signing an MVP would instantly give credibility to this team. When Houston traded for James Harden, that opened the door to signing Dwight Howard.
When Cleveland signed LeBron James, suddenly Kevin Love was interested in playing there. After drafting Blake Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers became an attractive destination for the disgruntled Chris Paul.
Anything can happen once you get that superstar player. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Curry will have two more years on his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Assuming he is not extended by the Warriors.
There is no doubt that Golden State will try to sign him to an extension in the summer of 2016, but you never know what might happen between now and then. Perhaps Curry decides that he hates the fog of the California coast?
With LeBron’s return to Cleveland, fans have realized that anything is possible. So go ahead, Charlotte, watch Curry drain threes in the Western Conference playoffs while dreaming of him donning a Hornets uniform, because you never know what might happen.