Wanting badly to make a good impression, the questions raced through Riley's head. Is he even interested? Does he even know who I am or how good we can be together?

"I did a sales job," Riley said. "I was concerned that he might not be as interested in us as he should be. ... All the other guys we interviewed, I was asking a lot of questions. We did do a lot of questions (with Curry), but I went in and I made statements. I felt like I was recruiting a college kid for a college team."

Curry is used to people falling all over him. The Warriors' pick at No. 7 overall in Thursday's NBA draft is by all accounts comfortable with stardom. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound combo guard can bench 185 pounds 10 times, but that's nothing compared to the weight he's aptly carried the past year and a half.

Since guiding his small North Carolina college to the Elite Eight in the 2008 NCAA tournament, he's had people clamoring for his time and attention. Television and radio interviews. Hanging out with celebrities. Photo shoots. People expecting him to come through.

And now his celebrity status is about to take another leap, and the pressure is about to clamp down harder.

But one of the reasons the Warriors love him and one of the reasons those close to him aren't the least bit worried is that Curry seems unfazed by it all. On the court and off, he isn't bothered by the popularity or expectations or the challenges.

"That run in the NCAA tournament, that's big stuff," Riley said. "I understand, you're only playing in front of maybe 6,000 at the Davidson games. But he steps on the big stage at the NCAA tournament and handles it. Then he goes to Madison Square Garden this year and handles the Garden. He can handle it."

Curry grew up around the big stage. His father, Dell Curry, played 16 seasons in the NBA and was the 1993-94 sixth man of the year. He watched his parents juggle the highs and lows of adapting to life as a millionaire in the spotlight.

"I'd say its innate just watching my dad," Curry said. "I've seen media exposure, following him, shadowing him. You see the cameras coming and how he handles it."

He also had parents who gave him a sturdy foundation. His mother, Sonya, always told Curry and his siblings that their father's money belonged to their father: Meaning they had to start their own career one day. They constantly heard words such as "responsibility" and "accountability."

Getting a "B" wasn't celebrated when an "A" was possible. They didn't have to get summer jobs, but they had to do something. Usually, it was sports, but they had chores as well.

The Currys, who hail from Charlotte, N.C., are the typical Southern family massive and down-to-earth. Curry has no shortage of aunties and uncles, cousins and family friends to keep him grounded.

To them, he isn't the baby-faced Davidson rock star, or the answer to the Warriors' troubles. He's just Wardell Stephen Curry II.

"He ain't changed one bit," said Warriors second-year guard Anthony Morrow, who has been friends with Curry since the two played against each other while at rival Charlotte high schools. "Not even exaggerating. He is the same Steph from when he was in high school. Great kid."

His mom kept expecting Curry's hat size to increase, expecting the influence of his growing stardom to surface. But the flock of girls never arrived. He never adopted the flashy style and swagger, and still hooked on the comfortable khakis.

"I've been around the NBA," Sonya said, "so I kind of expected at some point for him to give us something to get on him about. And he never did. I think that's when I looked at him and said, 'Wow, he's making it.' That was my barometer of how well can he handle this. And if he didn't handle it well, then we need to pull out, pull back, figure out something."

No doubt, Curry will need to draw from that foundation. Expectations will be high.

He's about to be a millionaire he'll likely get the maximum $5.6 million guaranteed over the first two years, followed by two team options worth $7.1 million total.

The Warriors will likely have turned down a chance to get All-NBA power forward Amare Stoudemire so they could keep him. Coach Don Nelson who is reputed for being tough on rookies has predicted Curry's immediate contributions.

"I'm no stranger to pressure," Curry said. "I'm up for the challenge."

Riley has no doubts. He was convinced after seeing Curry play against a stifling Purdue defense during a Dec. 20 game in Indianapolis. Curry finished with 13 points on 5-for-26 shooting, including 2 for 12 from three-point range in an 18-point Davidson loss. Riley walked away sold on Curry.

"He never dropped his head through the worst of adversity and did everything he could to try to keep them in it," Riley said. "Some guys go out and make a double-bogey, it ruins their day. Not this guy."