Kerr recalls 1st time watching Steph play: 'It was magical'

Long before he became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr knew Stephen Curry would be special.

Scouting the 2007 Wooden Classic as general manager of the Phoenix Suns, Kerr was captivated by the future superstar despite a less than stellar showing in the box score.

"It was magical to watch him," Kerr said, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "The first time I saw him play, he was a sophomore, played in the Wooden Classic against UCLA.

"And he didn't shoot the ball that well, but he was - his ballhandling, his feel, the way he played just jumped off the court. You could just feel his presence. The whole game revolved around him."

Curry shot just 6-for-19 from the field in a game that featured future stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love on the opposing side. But Kerr left the matchup knowing Curry could definitely hang in the NBA, even if the future unanimous MVP's parents didn't think so at the time.

"They didn't even know if he could play in the league," Kerr said. "And now think about where he is and what he's done and what he's accomplished, it's pretty incredible."

The 30-year-old Curry has led Golden State to four straight NBA Finals appearances, including three championships. A six-time All-Star, he's become one of the league's most prolific shooters during his 10-year career; he holds the NBA's single-season record for threes made and sits third all-time with 2,380 career field goals from downtown.