After an improbable comeback in the Conference Finals, is it time to allow Stephen Curry into the NBA’s Mount Rushmore?
Michael Jordan. LeBron James. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic Johnson.
These names not only make for great alliteration but are also the names of some of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. Stephen Curry is officially here to crash that party.
With the completion of the Golden State Warriors’ improbable comeback over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals (after falling behind 3-1), we now have a defining moment for the NBA’s only unanimous MVP.
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Looking back to Game 7, wit his team down three in the third quarter, Curry pulled up and hit a three over Steven Adams. It tied the game. Next Warriors possession, the same result. Now they were up three and the Thunder never regained control of the game again.
Curry finished the game with 36 points and eight assists. He hit 7 three-pointers in the game – each of them destroying a little bit of a Thunder fan with each swish of the net. He closed out the game the way only the greatest players do. The expectation that every time the ball left his hands, that it would go through the basket.
This conversation should not be one that surprises people. Curry is now a back-to-back MVP and led the league in scoring this year. He set the record for most made three pointers in one season (402).
Westbrook may have laughed about his defense but he averaged two steals a game this year. Did I mention the 50-40-90 that he averaged this season? He is only one of seven to ever accomplish this feat.
While his numbers should be enough to persuade you, let’s look at the impact he has on his teammates.
The Thunder thought that the best defense against Curry was to double him. They must have forgotten that he averaged just under seven assists this year. Doubling Curry just leaves open shots for Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, and Andre Iguodala.
Are these names you want left wide open?
Sure, he has a great supporting cast, but part of the reason the cast is so good is because they know that Curry is the main focus of the defense. It certainly doesn’t help that Curry seems to have limitless range on his three. He also has some of the best handles in the entire league. Just ask Andre Roberson, who might be looking for a new pair of ankles after Curry left him on the floor last night.
When you are watching Stephen Curry play basketball, you are watching history take the floor each and every night. So bask in the fact that you are privileged enough to watch greatness for 82 regular season games and the postseason.
Never take for granted what he does each and every night. Curry will be a name that you are telling to your grandchildren or great-grandchildren. His name will be synonymous with the phrase “greatest shooter of all time.”
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It all started with, “with the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select Stephen Curry from Davidson College.”