As a Detroit Lions season ticket holder, I received an early opportunity to buy tickets to any event at Ford Field. As a fan of college basketball, I jumped at the chance to watch the 2008 Midwest Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
I bought a large group of premium tickets about 15 rows from the court so I could see the action up close.
When purchasing tickets for the NCAA Tournament, you never know what teams you will get to see, which is part of the fun, but it can also result in having to suffer through watching bad teams play lopsided basketball. That was not the case in this instance.
Coming to Detroit to try to take his team to the Final Four was a skinny point guard from a tiny school most people had never heard of. The school was Davidson and the player was Stephen Curry, who at the time was just known as former NBA player Dell Curry's son.
Thank you for joining me as I detail #4 on my list of the ten greatest games I've ever attended. If you're new to this series, welcome! Please read the previous posts here:
#10. 2006 NHL Playoffs Edmonton vs. Detroit Game 1
#8. ND @ MSU Football, 9/23/2006
#5. Detroit Tigers vs. Cincinnati Reds 5/20/2006
Now let's dive into the two great days of basketball I witnessed in Detroit in 2008. I'll then briefly cover my experience.
The Games
Going into these games, I was already a fan of Steph Curry. The undersized, underrated point guard had risen above expectations to become one of the nation's most exciting players, and I couldn't wait to see him in person.
The Davidson Wildcats, the #10 seed in this region, were not expected to get very far in this tournament despite having Curry, who was just coming into his own. Prior to arriving in Detroit, Curry led the Wildcats to victories over #7 Gonzaga and #2 Georgetown.
With the school paying for students and alumni to attend the game in Detroit, Davidson, a school with less than 2,000 students at any given time, was well represented. After Kansas had easily defeated Villanova earlier in the day, it was showtime, and Curry was ready to put on a show.
Leading Davidson to large victory (73-56) over the #3 Wisconsin Badgers to make the Elite Eight, Stephen Curry put up a monster game with several highlight reel worthy plays. He ended the night with 33 points, 4 steals, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds.
This game put the Wildcats just a game away from the Final Four. But the #1 Kansas Jayhawks stood in their way.
The Kansas Jayhawks knew that if they could stop Curry, they would easily get past Davidson to reach the Final Four. That's easier said than done, but their double-teaming of Curry regardless of where he was on the court paid off. Curry went 4-16 from the three-point line, but still managed to score 25 points.
Davidson kept up their high level of play and had a final chance to win the game at the buzzer. Curry was swarmed by the defense and wasn't able to take the final shot. The Kansas Jayhawks won the game and went on to win the 2008 National Championship. This tournament for Davidson was an incredible sight to see, and now a memorable part of what will be one of the greatest basketball careers in history as Stephen Curry continues to win championships and awards in the NBA.
My Experience
Unlike the other events on this list, the action on the court is the main reason this event made it so high on my list. Stephen Curry surpassed all of my expectations in spectacular fashion.
Having premium tickets for these games came with advantages. I had a great view of the action and I also bumped into two sports legends. During the Davidson/Wisconsin game, I was getting up to go to the bathroom when a security guard said very loudly, "excuse me sir," and walked past me in front of a short older man with slick hair and a fancy pinstripe suit. It took me several moments to realize that this man was NBA coaching legend Pat Riley.
During the Davidson/Kansas game, my seat was on the aisle so I could see if anyone noteworthy walked up or down my aisle. Sure enough, I saw one of my very favorite people in all of sports -- Detroit Tigers coach (at the time) Jim Leyland.
My other memory from these games, which you can see in the video above, was the presence of LeBron James at the Davidson vs. Wisconsin game. The Cleveland Cavs vs. Detroit Pistons rivalry was in full effect during this time, and as soon as his large smile popped up on the jumbotron, you could hear boos throughout the stadium. He arrived late and left early, and I remember seeing his animated responses to Curry's highlights. It was fun to see him there in person enjoying the game.
To this day, Stephen Curry has been the most exciting single player I have witnessed in person.
Thanks for joining me on this journey. I'd love to hear your thoughts below, and stay tuned for #3 on my list of the 10 greatest sporting events I've attended in person.
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