Cards of the Two Point Guards Drafted Ahead of Steph Curry
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors are facing off in the Western Conference Semifinals, and the two teams have a weird connection dating back to the 2009 NBA Draft.
The 2009 NBA Draft was headlined by high-flying Blake Griffin, who went No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. He was one of six first round picks to be voted an All-Star. But as time went on, it was clear he wasn't the best player in the draft. It was Steph Curry, who went No. 7 overall to the Golden State Warriors.
That pick has to live in infamy for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Why? Because with the No. 5 and No. 6 pick (just ahead of the Warriors) they drafted not one, but two point guards ahead of Curry.
Ricky Rubio, PG - DKV Joventut (No. 5 overall)
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The baby-faced 18-year old from Spain was the talk of all the pre-draft conversations, after Blake Griffin of course. The youngster was dishing it out left and right in Spain and his elite passing skills lit up the highlight reels across the internet. Some pundits even having him drafted as high as No. 4 to the Kings.
When he was there at No. 5, the Timberwolves picked him. Just a year before, Minnesota made a draft day trade to acquire Kevin Love. And after the Rubio pick, visions of dominant pick-and-rolls filled the dreams of Wolves fans everywhere. But it would be two years before Rubio came to the NBA, choosing instead to continue his development in Europe.
While he ended up having a more-than-servicable career, Rubio never ended up as the All-Star point guard Minnesota envisioned. He was dealt to the Utah Jazz in 2017 for a first round pick. And after bouncing around a few teams (including a second stint in Minnesota), he ended his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rubio really has two well-known rookie cards.
The first one is a triple rookie card. The 2009 Upper Deck Draft Edition, card number D-HRC featuring James Harden, Ricky Rubio, and Steph Curry. It's a great card, featuring All-Stars James Harden and Steph Curry along with Ricky Rubio. It's surprising that this card's value is where it's at, considering Curry is on it. According to eBay sold listings, this card can be bought, raw, for around $50. With some going as high as $75 and some as low as $25. The same sold listings show a PSA 10 sold for $175 on March 25th.
The other card to have as a Rubio collector would be his 2009 Topps Chrome Rookie Refractor. Produced shortly before Topps lost the NBA license, this simple and clear design portrays Rubio as he was on draft day. Young and a face clear of any semblence of facial hair.
This card's value bounces around quite a bit. The paper base version goes for as little as $2.60, according to eBay sold listings. That sale was on March 5th. As you get to the chrome versions prices can be around $15 for the base. He still holds some decent value when it comes to the parallels. A BGS 9.5 Gold Chrome #/50 went for $2,000 on March 20th, according to eBay sold listings.
Johnny Flynn, PG - Syracuse (No. 6 overall)
An odd choice for the Timberwolves at No. 6, considering they had just drafted Rubio one pick ahead. But Minnesota must have anticipated Rubio delaying his NBA arrival.
There were high hopes for Flynn, that he would be a cornerstone in the Wolves' game plans for years to come. He had a good rookie year, averaging more than 13 points and just over 4 assists per game. But those numbers and his performance were short lived. In the 2010 offseason he had hip surgery, and he wasn't the same again, with his averages dipping to 5.3 points per game and 3.4 assists per game.
He was dealt to the Rockets during the 2011 NBA Draft and after a brief stop in Portland with the Trailblazers he was out of the NBA.
Flynn also has a trio rookie card, featuring him, Ricky Rubio, and Steph (referred to as Stephen) in the order they were drafted. This card is also reasonably priced, considering it features a young Steph Curry. According to eBay sales this card raw is anywhere between $25 and $40. The PSA 10 version sold for $127.50 on March 10th.
His 2009-10 Panini Court Kings autograph is a neat one for collectors. It has the textured Panini Court Kings surface and features a clean sticker autograph. You can add this collection for a very reasonable price. Currently one is listed on eBay for $9.99.
It's interesting to think about would have been for the Minnesota Timberwolves and their fans had Steph Curry been sent to the snowy state. Four NBA titles, a Finals MVP and two league MVPs later, Curry has become one of the greatest players in NBA history. He certainly revolutionized the game with this deep 3-point buckets.
And in another twist of irony, after drafting two point guards back to back (neither of which being Curry), the Timberwolves took Ty Lawson, another point guard, with their pick at 18 in the first round.
After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz