During eighth grade recess, Casey Field first saw Stephen Curry sitting alone against the wall. Even though classes had already begun at Toronto’s Queensway Christian College, this was Curry’s first day of classes. James Lackey, Field’s basketball coach, informed him that a new student was enrolling in the class, as Field recalled. Hearing that Field’s dad was an NBA player gave him hope that he could put Field at ease.Stephen Curry’s Unbelievable Basketball Abilities Started When He Was Just Eight Years Old – video Dailymotion

And so, Field went up to Curry and inquired as to whether or not he was a basketball player. Answering, “Yeah, I play a little bit,” Curry continued.

At this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, Curry will make his return. His Warriors are currently in position to break the record for most regular-season victories in NBA history, and he is also the league’s reigning MVP. Whether he’s dazzling defenders with his moves, showcasing his shooting range that appears to extend toward halfcourt, or finishing gloriously at the basket, Curry appears to be putting together an individual highlight reel every night.

Curry spent a year in Toronto as a kid playing basketball and making friends like Field while his dad, Dell, was a player for the Raptors. A number of Curry’s former teammates, opponents, and coaches recently spoke with Sporting News, and their testimonies read like present-day accounts of Curry given in the past tense.

‘The ultimate green light’

The boys’ basketball team from Queensway’s seventh and eighth grades had the tiniest player, Curry. His shooting technique was somewhat unconventional. Field is the first to confess that he doubted his teammate’s abilities. It was quickly enough that he was persuaded. “At least 20 of them” (Field’s total of 24 points) were due to open layups made possible by Curry escaping double teams in their first game together. Field characterizes himself as an undersized power forward.

When he wasn’t setting up his teammates for layups, Curry would shoot 3-pointers from far out. After four or five consecutive possessions, “He would just come down and hit 3s,” Field recalled. Field knew from the first game that this would be a fantastic season. Undefeated was Queensway’s final record.

A representative team comprised of players from Toronto’s West End, the Toronto 5-0, also included Curry. Additionally, Tramar Sutherland, a professional basketball player for the Niagara River Lions of the National Basketball League of Canada, was a crew member. The opportunity to reminisce filled him with pure joy.

He was so much fun to play with, Sutherland said. On occasion, we would do nothing more than stand on the court and observe him play. He received the ultimate approval from his coach. The provincial title was won by their representative squad, which went 33-4.

The York Region Avengers, coached by Dave Bannister—who is still involved with youth basketball in Toronto today—were one of the teams that defeated Curry that season. At a Markham High School tournament, the Avengers lost both matches to the Toronto team by a score of 5-0. On Friday, Curry’s squad cruised to victory in a round-robin encounter. The rematch took place in the championship game on Sunday. The winner was Bannister’s squad.Bleacher Report: Stephen Curry’s Impact on NBA Youth Development | Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

As Bannister reviews his notes, he recalls that Curry scored 30 points or more that game. He managed to keep them in the game all by himself, according to Bannister. “That year, we were fortunate to defeat him.”

In Bannister’s best memory of Curry, the top-ranked rep team Scarborough Blues were trailing Toronto 5-0 at a tournament in Newmarket. It wasn’t until halftime that Curry made it to the gym; his dad was in Raptors practice. At the beginning of the third quarter, he and his teammates went out onto the court without warming up. “He simply jogged onto the court without warming up, drifted across halfcourt, attempted a three-point shot, and missed it,” Bannister remarked, allowing the memory to linger for an additional second despite the passage of time. After that, he repeated the action. “And again!”

At the time, Bannister believed that an eighth student shouldn’t be capable of doing this. It is expected that you direct a play.

‘They couldn’t stop him’

Curry would go on scoring binges, and teams would attempt everything to stop him, including double-teams, triple-teams, box-and-one, and matchup zones. But nothing worked. “He was unstoppable,” Sutherland remarked. “No solutions were found. He was simply superior to everyone else.

Even if he faced pressure from numerous defenders, Curry would always find an open teammate. If a defender attempted to block his shot from beyond the arc, he could easily get by them with his ballhandling skills. Another issue was that the exact depth of his shooting range was not made known.National Basketball Association’s FIBA World Championship roster includes Stephen Curry of the Warriors – The Mercury News

Dan, who was named after Bannister, was the point guard for the Avengers and was tasked with protecting Curry. “In those days, protecting your man probably required you to stand at least three points beyond the arc,” Dan remarked. However, he persisted in making long-range shots. Because of this, I would continue to step away from the 3-point line. Up the next rung. Even though I was positioned far from the basket at the end of the game, he managed to make a sufficient number of halfcourt shots.

In addition to Curry’s incredible shooting, Sutherland recalls him for his leadership. On the floor, he would calm everyone down and reassure them to make clutch plays when the game was on the line. “You felt like you had to step up your game,” Sutherland remarked. You got that advantage from him.

‘He was smooth — very smooth’

Off the field, his teammates reminisce about an eighth grader who was level-headed, polite, and humorous. If you treated him like a brother, “You could really chop it up with him,” Sutherland said. “He was as smooth as silk.”

Sutherland reminisces about spending time at the cinema, the mall, and bowling alley with Curry and his sales crew. Typically, coaches would treat their players to ice cream or pizza after a victory.

Field was a good friend of Curry’s throughout his year in Toronto. Near the conclusion of the academic year, Field’s father treated him and Curry to a round of golf at Milton’s Trafalgar Club & Country Club. “He shot an 89,” Field remarked. I think I shot 105. The thought crossed my mind: It’s not fair that you’re so skilled on the basketball and golf courts. Neither of them requires the other’s expertise in any way. In his spare time, Curry continues to play golf; this summer, he even got to play a round with President Obama.

By the season’s end, Curry’s teammates had figured out that he was leaving Toronto. Stephen would go on to attend Charlotte Christian, win three conference championships, and guide his high school team to three trips to the state playoffs while Dell was retiring, and the family would return to North Carolina.

“He was unable to attend our graduation celebration,” Field remarked. Even though we all knew he wouldn’t be returning, everyone still wanted him to be present. After getting to know each other for a year, we were rather close by the year’s end.

‘An older version of his younger self’

From leading Davidson to the 2008 Elite Eight to being picked seventh overall by the Warriors in 2009 to becoming the finest player in the NBA, Curry’s career was closely watched by everyone who met him during his brief time in Toronto. All of these folks will be watching and reliving all of those eighth grade experiences when Curry returns to Toronto this weekend to compete in the 3-point shootout on Saturday and the All-Star Game on Sunday. Even after all these years, Curry continues to wow everyone.

“We were hoping he’d be just as good as his dad,” Sutherland remarked with a giggle. He was not expected to become famous. That’s insane. He’s basically just his younger self with more life experience.

Adam Shutt, a player with Bannister’s York Region Avengers: “It’s pretty nuts.” Even in Europe, I could tell he could play after seeing that shot.Curry displays a lack of aggression in his Warriors debut – East Bay Times

“I thought he would be Monta Ellis’ sidekick,” says Rob Molenda, another member of the representative squad that faced off against Curry.

Bannister, on the other hand, is now keeping up late to watch every Warriors game this season, even though he coached against Curry years ago. Even now, Curry’s play on the court astounds him. He’s getting gunfire from all directions, Bannister added. This is unfair. Making those shots is not your job.

Earlier, when I asked him about an eighth grader he couldn’t stop, Bannister had given me the same statement, so his incredulity is all the more understandable.