NBA: Warrior godfather.

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"Is this Butler University? It looks good, but the campus is too small. It seems to be ten times smaller than VT?" Sonya looked over the university campus with a discerning eye. The campus covered just 290 acres and had a quiet, elegant environment.

"Butler University has only 4,400 students, which is certainly not comparable to VT, but it is willing to give Stephen a chance," Dell said.

Curry stood at the back, nervously clenching and unclenching his fingers, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The family had just arrived from Indianapolis International Airport by taxi, which took 25 minutes.

Upon learning that Butler University had invited Curry for a tryout, they booked the earliest flight the next day and came straight to Indiana.

"Don't be nervous, Stephen. Butler University may not be a famous basketball school, but the requirements won't be too strict. You'll be fine," Dell reassured him.

Curry took a deep breath, his resolve firm. "Dad, I will seize this opportunity."

Though Butler University was a small and relatively unknown school in the grand scheme, it had made it to the NCAA tournament four years ago and was a competitive option compared to truly obscure schools like Davidson College and Virginia Commonwealth University. It was Curry's best choice at the moment.

Davidson College, with only 1,700 students, hadn't made it to the NCAA tournament since 1969, when Dell was only five years old.

The three of them entered the school, and the coordinator of Butler University's basketball operations was already waiting. He led the Curry family through the tranquil campus to Hinkle Fieldhouse, which stood prominently on the east side of the school.

As they entered the arena, they saw players training under the guidance of several coaches.

Dell noticed a white man demonstrating technical moves while players listened intently. On the sidelines, a young Hispanic man stood with his arms folded, observing the practice in silence.

The attention of the players and coaches shifted to Curry and his group, and the young Hispanic man walked toward them.

Dell felt a twinge of confusion but smiled at the young man. He approached the white man and extended his hand. "Hello, Coach Liam. I'm Dell Curry, Stephen Curry's father."

The white man looked surprised but shook Dell's hand and said with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Curry. I'm glad you're here for the tryout. However, I'm Brad Stevens, the assistant coach of the Bulldogs. This is our head coach, Liam."

Brad pointed to the young Hispanic man.

Dell looked at the young man with incredulity. This person, appearing to be in his early twenties, was the head coach of the Bulldogs?

Was Dell out of touch, or was Butler University being unreasonable?

Unable to find a reason for Stevens to tease him, Dell calmed himself and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Coach Liam. Your age is quite surprising. I've never seen a head coach as young as you."

He extended his hand to Liam, who was lost in thought, staring intently at Curry. Liam seemed oblivious to Dell's comment.

Matthew Graves nudged Liam and reminded him in a low voice, "Liam!"

Liam blinked, shook off his surprise, and took Dell's hand with a smile. "Oh, it's okay, Dell. Just give me one of your signed jerseys. I'm a fan."

Dell was taken aback but smiled, "Haha, no problem. This is my wife Sonya and my son Stephen… Stephen, come here."

Curry approached, still visibly nervous. He twisted his hands together and said, "Coach Liam, hello. I'm Stephen Curry from Charlotte Christian School. I play as a shooting guard. I'm good at shooting and running without the ball..."

His voice was high and tremulous from anxiety.

Hearing Curry's voice, Liam snapped out of his reverie. No longer a fan, he was now the head coach responsible for Curry's potential future.

"Stephen, relax. Just call me Liam. I'm only 23 years old, not much older than you," Liam said.

Curry took a deep breath, lowered his hands, and replied, "Okay, Coach Liam."

"Actually, my last name is González. Liam is my first name," Liam clarified.

"I'll remember that, Coach Liam," Curry said.

"Haha..." Julian Beko chuckled but quickly silenced himself when he noticed the others looking at him.

"What are you doing here? Follow me!" Stevens commanded, leading the players to continue their training.

"Let's start with the physical test," Matthew Graves suggested once the players had left.

Curry agreed and went to the sidelines to change and prepare for the test.

The Bulldogs were experienced with the recruitment process, and Curry, having participated in many tryouts, completed the physical test quickly.

"Coach Liam, is this what you call a 'real genius'?" Matthew asked, frowning as he reviewed the physical test results.

"He's 6 feet 1 (1.85 meters) tall and weighs 159 pounds (72 kilograms). Are you sure he plays basketball and not baseball? Look at his thin body—I'm really worried he'll get knocked around on the court. His wingspan is only 6 feet 2, making it hard to create shooting space during intense play. This type of player is often overrated. We need to consider this carefully," Matthew said bluntly.

"Congratulations, Matthew," Liam said slowly.

"Huh?" Matthew was puzzled.

"Your vision has reached Coach K's level. He shares your opinion that Stephen Curry won't adapt well to NCAA competition. No prestigious school is optimistic about him," Liam said.

"In that case, why did we invite him for a tryout?" Matthew was baffled.

"Because I, as head coach, want him to play for us," Liam said seriously.

"…"

Matthew Graves: Are you polite?

"I don't joke about my position as head coach," Liam whispered. "Stephen Curry is indeed a genius—an alternative genius."

"But he's not suited for basketball. He lacks physical talent!" Matthew's voice grew louder.

Though only an assistant coach, Matthew had years of experience in recruiting and had his own standards.

"Physical talent is just one aspect. Shooting touch, hand-eye coordination, reaction speed... these are also talents," Liam argued.

In his previous life, Curry was initially considered to lack talent, but as the small-ball era unfolded, no shooter like Curry emerged. Over time, his hand-eye coordination and shooting skills were recognized as extraordinary.

"What? Touch is considered a talent? Nonsense..." Matthew said, but when he saw Liam's serious expression, he revised his stance. "Shooting can be trained, but height and wingspan cannot!"

In 2006, basketball was still focused on traditional values—physicality, the inside game, and confrontation.

Shooting was seen as less significant in high-intensity play.

The Curry family, standing a little further away, could hear snippets of the conversation. Curry caught the word "talent" and felt a pang of self-doubt.

"Sure enough, it's still because I don't have enough talent..." Curry murmured.

Dell, unsure how to comfort his son, repeated softly, "There must be a chance. There must be a chance!"

"How about this, let Stephen do a shooting test, and you will see his talent." On the other side, after a stalemate, Liam suggested.

Matthew Graves agreed. He wanted to see how good this baby-faced guy's shooting was that made Liam so persistent in his seemingly ridiculous opinion.

Afterward, Liam and Matthew approached Curry and the others. Liam looked into Curry's eyes and said slowly:

"Stephen, you should know how much you are at a disadvantage in terms of physical talent, right?"

Curry nodded dejectedly.

"But I never think that only physical strength is talent. In my opinion, shooting feel, hand-eye coordination, reaction speed, basketball IQ... these are all talents! And you are the most talented shooter I have ever seen," Liam said in a low and firm voice. He then continued, "But unfortunately, my assistant coach doesn't think so. He stubbornly believes that it will be difficult for you to gain a foothold in the NCAA."

He glanced at Matthew Graves, who, though unembarrassed, said seriously, "I'm sorry, but out of duty, I have to tell you my opinion truthfully."

Curry was not angry. He was captivated by Liam's words. No one had ever told him that shooting touch was also a talent!

Liam turned around and continued, "So, we're going to give you a shooting test later. Please give your best performance and show my stubborn assistant coach what a real shooter is!"

End of this chapter

Note: This novel as you see I changed the name and nationality, as such is more complicated translate it I hope you support.