Video: Stephen Curry, James Harden high school highlights

Video: Steph Curry vs. James Harden - High School Highlights
Watch the top two finishers in the 2015 NBA MVP race as high school players.

Stephen Curry received 100 first-place votes when the final tabulations were announced for the NBA's MVP award earlier this month. James Harden nabbed 25.

But most would agree the margin between contributions for their respective teams was much slimmer.

The two will be on center stage battling mano-a-mano starting Tuesday, when the Warriors host the Rockets in the first game of the Western Conference Finals best-of-seven series.



Coming out of high school, there was no comparison who was the top recruit.

Though Curry had a fine high school career leading Charlotte Christian (N.C.) to three conference titles and three state playoff appearances, he did not receive any scholarship offers from major-conference schools — largely because his lack of size (6-foot, 160 pounds).

He wanted to play at Virginia Tech, where his father Dell played, but he was offered only a walk-on spot. He chose Davidson instead, grew three inches, led the Wildcats to the Elite 8, led the nation in scoring and was a first-team All-American before being selected with the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA draft — not bad for three years' work.

See photos of James Harden in high school without the beard

Harden was the third pick of the same draft, was a first-team All-American and the Pac-10 Player of the Year. But that was no surprise.

He led nationally ranked Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) to two straight California state titles, a combined 65-3 record and was a McDonald's All American. He averaged 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a senior.



Unlike Curry, just about everyone wanted the 6-5 shooting guard. He was a 5-star recruit, the No. 15 player overall in the Class of 2007 according to 247Sports and he picked Arizona State, which made NCAA tourney in 2008, winning two games before losing in the Sweet 16 to Florida.