Ranking Stephen Curry's 5 NBA Finals performances
Stephen Curry has established himself as one of the greatest shooters of all time. With his pathbreaking approach to the game, Curry has become one of the most influential sports figures in the last decade.
Spearheading the new wave of basketball, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA for the later part of the 2010s. The Warriors had a roster built with key pieces like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. They also had major role players like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, which made the Warriors serious contenders every season between 2014 and 2019.
Making five consecutive NBA Finals appearances, Stephen Curry emerged victorious in three. With the addition of Kevin Durant in the 2017-18 season, the Golden State Warriors became one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Despite a long list of awards and honors to his name, Stephen Curry is yet to win the Finals MVP award, though.
The Golden State Warriors are all set to return to championship contention this season with a healthy roster. On that note, here's a look at Stephen Curry's top five NBA Finals performances:
#5 2016 NBA Finals vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors seemed invincible during the 2015-16 NBA season. Having won their first title in the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors were looking to establish their dynasty.
The franchise followed up their postseason success with one of the greatest NBA seasons of all time. With a 73-9 record in the regular season, the Golden State Warriors broke Chicago's longstanding 72-10 regular-season record.
Stephen Curry also enjoyed one of the best individual seasons after winning his unanimous MVP award, and the Warriors seemed like title favorites. Steamrolling through the first two rounds, the Warriors were only extended to Game Seven against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
In the Finals, Golden State took a commanding 3-1 series lead heading into Game Five. The rest is history. A stellar combined performance by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving saw the Cleveland Cavaliers snatch victory from the Warriors in seven games.
"That was a shot where I was not under control. And it cost us a championship."
Steph Curry opens up about the pressure he felt during Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals bit.ly/2HIOuGh https://t.co/uf7IYay7Yr
Stephen Curry had a disappointing series. Although he was not poor enough to be termed a disappearing act, the Warriors needed Curry to step up, but he failed to do so. For the series, Curry averaged 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He also averaged a costly 4.3 turnovers a game for the series.
#4 2015 NBA Finals vs Cleveland Cavaliers
In their first-ever run to the NBA Finals, the young Golden State Warriors squad faced up against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stephen Curry took over the series, establishing himself as one of the best players in the league.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors tore through the NBA playoffs on their way to the Finals. Curry stepped up big time for the Golden State Warriors on the biggest stage.
Game 5, 2015 NBA Finals. Mike Breen: “Curry for 3 ... BANG! Exclamation point.” This 29-foot dagger gave Steph 33 points ... https://t.co/MVDmlm0Wkh
Beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games, Stephen Curry averaged 26 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He also shot 38.5% from beyond the arc to get the Warriors over the line.
However, Stephen Curry was not awarded the NBA Finals MVP award. The honor went to Andre Iguodala, who was given the task of guarding LeBron James during the series.