A look at Stephen Curry's 3 NBA Championship performances and why he has never been named Finals MVP
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has changed the game of basketball with his incredible shooting ability. There's simply nothing as exciting as when he starts taking and making shots from anywhere on the court. When Curry is on, he's one of the most dangerous players in the NBA. Still, there seems to be some debate about the greatness that Curry brings to the table.
The 33-year-old guard has collected an impressive resume of accolades throughout his career. He's a 7-time All-Star who's been voted league MVP twice and has also won three championships. And that's where the discussion heats up, as Curry has never won a Finals MVP despite winning multiple times on the biggest stage. Strangely for Curry, it hasn't been due to the lack of production. Let's take a look at three times in which Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry didn't win the NBA Finals MVP award.
3) 2014-15
This should go down as one of the best chances Stephen Curry would have of winning the Finals MVP. If you look at the numbers, it's pretty clear that Curry had a stronger NBA Finals than teammate Andre Iguodala. The problem was, Iguodala's impact in the Finals was so great that it deserved recognition at the highest stage.
Throughout the season, Iguodala averaged just 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 46.6% from the field and 34.9% from downtown. Not only did he increase his production on the biggest stage, but he was also called upon to defend Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James for the entire series. Although LeBron would still average 35.8 points per game in the Finals, Iguodala gave him all he could handle. LeBron would finish the series shooting just 39.8% from the field and only 31.0% from downtown. Curry may have had better stats, but the Warriors wouldn't have been able to win the Championship if it wasn't for Andre Iguodala.
2) 2016-17
When Kevin Durant joined Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the Golden State Warriors, the team was guaranteed to have lethal firepower. The Warriors were one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA on a nightly basis, and they were a dominant force throughout the NBA Playoffs. When it got to the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry still put up great numbers averaging nearly a triple-double.
The problem for Curry that year was his new teammate Kevin Durant, who went on to give an eye-opening NBA Finals performance. Durant would average 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. He also went on to shoot nearly better than 50% from the field and from downtown. Curry's performance was fantastic, but Durant's was simply too good to ignore.
1) 2017-18
Although Curry's numbers weren't as impressive as the year before, many would go on to argue that he deserved to finally get his first NBA Finals MVP recognition in 2018. Curry went on to post great numbers averaging 27.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game while shooting an impressive 41.5% from three. The problem this time? His teammate Kevin Durant stepped up his game in a big way yet again.
Stephen Curry was trending as a potential MVP of the Finals until Durant quickly shifted that conversation with one of the best performances of his career. In a tightly contested Game 3 on the road, Durant went on to score 43 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers that changed the momentum and put the Warriors one win away from another NBA Championship. Not only did Durant dominate on the offensive end, but his numbers across the board were jaw-dropping. If not for that brilliant performance by Durant, Curry might have had an argument for the award. Simply put, Kevin Durant was the best player in the world throughout those NBA Finals.