On June 25, 2009, his father's 45th birthday, Curry was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.
Although the Warriors already had another lean, 6-foot-3, offensive-minded guard in Monta Ellis, coach Don Nelson had a penchant for using small lineups in his Nellie Ball system, and had warmed to the idea of selecting Curry.
However, Ellis announced at a media session that he and Curry were too small to play together.
Curry appeared in 80 games (77 starts) during the 2009–10 season, averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.90 steals in 36.2 minutes. His second half of the season vaulted him into the rookie of the year race.
