Why Davidson won’t honour the 2015 MVP

EVEN with his current status as one of the most revered stars in the NBA, Steph Curry’s past is refusing to honour him in the most conventional way.

Stephen Curry,

HE is the most high-profile basketball player to come out of Davidson College, and broke numerous school records during his three years at the North Carolina institution.

After winning the NBA MVP and championship in 2015, retiring Stephen Curry’s No. 30 seems like a foregone conclusion, right?

Well, as it turns out, Davidson has a policy that it will not retire a jersey number if the player has not graduated from the school. The school isn’t willing to make an exception for Curry, who went pro a year early.

Curry has spoken of his desire to finish his degree, but he hasn’t done it yet.

“I knew what I signed up for when I went to Davidson,” Curry said, via ESPN’s C.L. Brown.

“I made a promise to coach [Bob] McKillop and my family that when I left school back in ’09 that that would be accomplished — and it will be soon. Hopefully sooner than later.

“It’s still a priority for sure; obviously there’s a lot going on right now. Taking advantage of my career right now on the court in the NBA, it’s only a very short window, so you want to give all the attention and effort. But to be able to finish out that part of my life, whenever it does happen, will be huge.”

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 02: Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors makes a no look pass as he is defended by Jeremy Lamb (3), kemba Walker (15) and Cody Zeller (40) of the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena on December 2, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 116-99. Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Davidson doesn’t offer summer classes, which complicates Curry’s situation, but he said he’s “researched a plan of attack of how to get it done.”

“There has not been an exemption for it, to my understanding, for anyone,” said Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy.

“The policy itself speaks a lot to what Davidson is all about. It’d be an interesting discussion, but it hasn’t been started yet.

“It’s one of those things where I’m not even sure who would make that decision, to be honest with you, just because it’s never come up before. I assume it would be the board of trustees.”

Principles are principles, and it sounds like Curry wants to get his degree soon, so this should become a moot point in due time if all goes according to plan.