Chapter 63: Salingborg's Regret
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They had traveled to Birmingham before the first-round games to support their son, Stephen Curry, and naturally, they wouldn't miss the upcoming matches. What's more, the host city for the next two rounds of the Eastern Conference games happened to be Charlotte, Curry's hometown.
Even more surprising to Liam was learning that their next opponent was Virginia Tech—Dell and Sonya's alma mater and the school that had rejected Curry.
When Liam shared the news, Curry's eyes lit up, and his excitement was evident.
After landing, Curry immediately contacted his alma mater, Charlotte Christian High School, to secure their facilities for the Bulldogs' training. Liam found a nearby hotel for the team to stay in, even though it was a bit farther from the competition venue, it made training more convenient.
With the game scheduled for March 27, three days away, the Bulldogs had ample time to rest and prepare.
Once they were settled in at the hotel, the team followed Curry to Charlotte Christian High School for recovery training. When they arrived on campus, they were greeted with enthusiasm by the students.
Curry's popularity in Charlotte, especially at his alma mater, had soared thanks to his stellar performances over the last two years. Liam even had the team sign autographs and take pictures with the students before heading into the gym. Curry seemed especially nostalgic, recounting fun memories from his high school days.
During training, Curry was more aggressive than usual, eager to take every shot himself. Liam recognized this as a blend of homecoming pride and the desire to prove himself against the team that had rejected him.
Though Curry's desire to win was apparent, Liam kept the training intensity low, focusing on maintaining the team's conditioning with the game approaching.
After the afternoon training session ended, the team began their journey back to the hotel. Just outside the school gate, they were swarmed by reporters. Microphones, recorders, and cameras were pushed toward them as reporters shouted questions.
The Bulldogs' media team quickly stepped in to maintain order. Once things settled down, the reporters began their interviews more formally.
"Coach Gonzalez, Butler University's best record in history is the Elite Sixteen. Do you believe you can break that record this year?" a young reporter asked.
"Absolutely," Liam replied confidently.
Other reporters rolled their eyes at the simple question, eager for something more substantial.
"Stephen, you're about to face Virginia Tech, your parents' alma mater. Can you tell us why you chose Butler University instead of VT?" a blonde reporter asked Curry.
But Liam had imposed a strict rule for the team—no player could answer reporters' questions without his permission during March Madness. Curry glanced at Liam, who gave him a nod, signaling it was okay to answer.
"I actually went for a tryout at VT first but was rejected, so I came to Butler. Not just VT—many schools wouldn't offer me a full scholarship," Curry explained.
There was a collective gasp from the gathered reporters. Many of them had no idea that Curry, now the NCAA's scoring leader, had faced rejection from so many schools.
The blonde reporter, however, had done her research and was well aware of Curry's journey. Her initial question had just been a warm-up.
"Now that you've proven yourself, do you think those schools, including VT's coach, regret not recognizing your talent?" she pressed.
Curry paused to think before responding, "I don't think so. Maybe they felt I wasn't a good fit for their team. Back then, I was a bit skinny. If it weren't for Coach Gonzalez, I might not even be playing in the NCAA today."
The reporters clamored for more, but the Bulldogs' staff cut the interviews short and hurried the players into a bus headed for their hotel.
The next day, the reporters descended on Virginia Tech's rented practice facility, eager for interviews. The blonde reporter seized the opportunity to ask head coach Seth Salingborg a pointed question:
"Coach Salingborg, yesterday Stephen Curry mentioned that only Coach Gonzalez recognized his potential, while other coaches, including yourself, overlooked it. Do you have any response to that?"
Salingborg's smile froze for a brief second. Although he'd anticipated the question, hearing it out loud still stung.
Every time he watched his guards struggle to penetrate the defense, desperately driving into the lane for a contested layup, he couldn't help but imagine Curry strolling effortlessly to the three-point line and sinking shot after shot.
If only he had listened to Dell Curry's advice and recruited Stephen. Butler University wouldn't be on this run, and Virginia Tech could have had the star of the NCAA.
But now, all of that was just a dream. Salingborg deeply regretted his decision.
However, he wasn't about to admit that to the press. Clearing his throat, he said, "Curry does have great potential. I'll admit I misjudged him at the time, but Zabian and Hammon are also great players. They were a better fit for our program."
Zabian and Hammon were the two guards who had received full scholarships over Curry. Now, one was a starting point guard averaging 10.7 points and 4.3 assists per game, while the other was a backup guard averaging just 5.4 points—both falling far short of Curry's current numbers.
Time truly changes things. Never underestimate a young player just because he's thin.
"Do you regret it now?" the blonde reporter pressed.
"Not at all," Salingborg replied quickly. "Actually, we've developed a plan to contain Curry in the upcoming game."
"Could you share more details?" the blonde reporter asked, intrigued.
"That's a team secret," Salingborg said with a smile, ending the interview.
But deep down, he knew he was bluffing. If Curry were that easy to stop, he wouldn't have become the NCAA's scoring champion.
End of this chapter
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