Before he became BFF with LeBron James, before he was ignored by college coaches, before he even entered kindergarten, Curry's exuberant presence merited the watchful gaze of Don Nelson at the 1992 NBA All-Star Game. (The guy's got an eye for talent.) NBA.com's John Schuhmann unearthed this photographic gem this morning, but we're here to add context to these 1,000 words with some intrepid reporting of our own. Here's what really went down:

"The Timberwolves are going to draft this hombre with floppy hair with the No. 5 pick," said Curry, who had just learned to count and was looking for opportunities to show off. "Then they're going to trade for the No. 6 pick and take another point guard and finally, the gray-haired dude behind us is going to pick me with the No. 7 pick. So, yeah, that's how I'll be playing in Golden State in 17 years."

"You for real?" Mitch Richmond asked.

"I'm going to be a better shooter than you and my pops, you just wait. Also, check out my sweatsuit."

"Not that," said Richmond, ignoring the tyke's threads. "You're telling me that in 2009, Nellie's still going to be in Golden State?"

*****

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Jennings, who opted to play professionally in Italy last year rather than serve an unpaid internship in Arizona's backcourt, was last seen on Draft day making one of the more memorable sporting entrances not involving a paraglider. A few weeks ago, he lamely tried to play the dozens on Ricky Rubio's head. Many questions remain about him. Foremost among them now is whether he'll get John Hammond or Scott Skiles fired first.

Consider Jennings' exchange with a friend of his, rapper Joe Budden, about whom I know nothing but whom BlackSportsOnline helpfully describes as most famous for "putting his girl's ass on camera." BSO has the video for now. The Baseline's Chris Littmann has the heavily starred transcript:

On next season in Milwaukee ...

Budden: You better worry about Ramon Sessions, diggin' in your a**, pause.
Jennings: He's not going to be here. [inaudible] That money is going to Charlie.
Budden: N****, Ramon Sessions is gonna be there.
Jennings: I doubt it.
Budden: They ain't go no other guards.
Jennings: Ridnour.
Budden: N****, get that bum-a** n**** outta here.
Jennings: He's going to be a backup.
Budden: To who?
Jennings: To who? Who else n****?

On what happened on draft night ...

Budden: Who was hatin' on you?
Jennings: Jay Bilas.
Budden: What happened? You ran in the draft late or some dumb s*** like a loser?
Jennings: No, I was at the hotel. This is what happened right. My agent is like "Well, we ain't hear nothing .We ain't have no guarantee." So we makin' phone calls and s*** and n***** is saying like "The workouts is great and everything and he's the best point guard but we don't know yet, we just don't know."
Budden: They didn't say that about Rick Rubio, number one, and number two they didn't say you the best point guard. They said your jump shot is shaky, you got some potential, but your work ethic is bull****. You averaged 3 points.
Jennings: You're a liar. I know you're lying now.
Budden: I'm just telling you what they said.
Jennings: That ain't nothing but a college person.
Budden: Just tell me what happened. You end up running in the draft? I tunred it off after that.
Jennings: No, n****, I came out there and made my appearance n**** and I had the best appearance out of all them n******. And I was the best dressed, they said, by the way. I was the best dressed.

On whether he'll start next season ...

Budden: You think you gonna start for real though?
Jennings: I don't know, actually, I really don't know.
Budden: I heard that n**** Scott Skiles is an a**h***.
Jennings: That n**** tough, that n**** tough though. There must be a reason he liked me. There must be a reason.

On Ricky Rubio and the Knicks ...

Budden: Let me know when Minnesota get there. So I can watch Rubio light your f****** a** up. I never seen a n**** hate on Rubio so much.
Jennings: [inaudible]
Budden: You know what's funny? You're the only guard in the draft talking s*** about Rubio.
Jennings: The other n***** are scared.
Budden: What are you going to do when Rubio comes to the Knicks?
Jennings: Rubio is not coming, they are not giving up Rubio. You got Jordan Hill, you happy with that?
Budden: I don't really know enough about Jordan Hill to be happy ... I'm happy with Toney Douglas.
Jennings: I know they were booing this n****.
Budden: What does that mean? They boo everybody n****.
Jennings: If it was Stpehen Curry, them n***** would've went crazy in there.
Budden: Shut the f*** up, you don't even know nothing about New York basketball.
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** skipped out on me.
Budden: Oh man, you feel to the Knicks like I do about Jay-Z? [Laughs] Yo, the Knicks is your Jay-Z?
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
Budden: This is where I f****** hang up on your f****** ass for talking stupid.
Jennings: Duhon ain't gonna get it done.

I know we're all supposed to be deeply appalled at the immodesty of our basketball youth, but you have to marvel at the sheer ballsiness of a 19-year-old who puts himself in his GM's shoes and non-tenders one player and demotes another, all on his own account. Jennings, I fear, is doomed to spend a long year in Coach Tough N****'s crowded doghouse.

Brandon Jennings & Joe Budden Prove Why They Both Are Potential Busts [BlackSportsOnline]
Social Media Biting Back at Brandon Jennings? [The Baseline]

It is nothing less than the distilled essence of the Draft. There's Grandma, just proud as she can be. There's Wayne, dressed to the nines, sipping on some iced tea. There's some champagne. There's a Chinese-character tattoo. And there is the woman herself, Amanda, Our Lady of Pneumatics. Family. The accoutrements of wealth. Young love. The breast of the new world flowering before our sailor's eyes, as Fitzgerald sort of wrote.

Years from now, when the aliens are sifting through our cultural detritus, they will ask us about this bizarre annual ceremony known as the NBA Draft and what it all meant. And, my friends, we will show them this photo. And they will understand.

*******

Thanks for your continued support of Deadspin. Tomorrow, Bentern. Sunday, dog enthusiast Barry Petchesky, whom you've seen around these parts before.

Blake Griffin, No. 1

Patti says: "He's not even really wanting to shake hands with the commissioner. He's not turning his body or extending his arm out. The commissioner has to do all the work. It ends up looking like Blake Griffin is holding a baseball bat rather than shaking a hand."

Hasheem Thabeet, No. 2

Patti says: "Hasheem looks like a parent looking at a child. His facial expression, his smile is not, 'Ooh, this is an honor.' It's, 'Oh, you're a little boy, commissioner.' His outer hand is on the commissioner's arm. That's a power handshake. That shows he feels powerful, in control. He's literally making him move the way he wants him to move."

Tyreke Evans, No. 4

Patti says: "Tyreke has his shoulders back and away, but his head is down. This is a conflicted movement. He's not comfortable and happy and in the moment. He's just kind of awkward. The commissioner looks much more confident, sure of himself. But Tyreke looks like he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. That index finger is really significant. You put out that finger when you're a little bit fearful."

Ricky Rubio, No. 5

Patti says: "He's shy. Even though he has a nice smile on his face, there's some stiffness to it. He's happy, but there's tension in this moment for him. The one thing that he is doing: He's giving a really nice, full handshake. He's connected to the commissioner. The other guys, it was more for show."

Jonny Flynn, No. 6

Patti says: "This is my favorite. He's not only joyful, but his whole body is leaning in toward the commissioner. He's actually putting weight on the commissioner, letting go of some of his power with that huge slant. He's lifting the commissioner's hand up a little bit as he's doing this. This is a totally different level of warmth."

Stephen Curry, No. 7

Patti says: "He's totally off-balance in this moment, and you see that throughout the whole body. His left arm is out to his side, reaching in the other direction — it's like he wants to be someplace else. There's a lot of tension around the head. He's not happy. He's feeling very awkward and doesn't want to be in this place."

Tyler Hansbrough, No. 13

Patti says: "This is the first one where we've seen a lot of stiffness around the commissioner's mouth. He's forcing a smile. Maybe he's been doing handshakes for awhile and has to fake it. And Tyler is just kind of, 'Uhhhh, God.'"

Jrue Holiday, No. 17

Patti says: "Wow. His posture is so different. That's the posture of somebody who was in the ROTC or the church, or who was raised by someone religious. Very erect, very proud bearing. His clasp on the commissioner is very warm. It surrounds the hand. He's not mad. He's not upset. He's not super-happy. He's just more self-contained and just very respectful."