Steph Curry has edged his way into the NBA GOAT discussion one 30-foot jumper and NBA championship ring at a time. Like all potential GOAT candidates, Curry has tons of notable accolades under his belt.
Curry is a multiple-time MVP winner, he snatched that elusive Finals MVP award, and he now has an award that only a few basketball greats can say they have as well.
Steph Curry has been named Sports Illustrated’s 2022 Sportsperson of the Year, and after the year he’s had, this selection was as unanimous as his second MVP award that he won in 2016.
The announcement was made along with Curry blessing the cover of the iconic magazine.
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While this may be weird to say, even in basketball terms, Steph Curry has entered foreign territory upon winning this Sports Illustrated award. Only a handful of other professional basketball players have won this award since its inception in 1954.
Not to mention this award isn’t basketball-exclusive, which means that this year Curry was considered the most revered athlete in the world. It’s not uncommon for SI to announce multiple winners in the past, but Chef didn’t share his podium with anyone.
This is Curry’s first time winning the award for his person achievements, making this occasion even more special for the greatest marksman alive.
Stephen Curry has had a remarkable 2022 ⚡️
▪️ All-Star Game MVP
▪️ Western Conference Finals MVP
▪️ NBA Champion
▪️ Finals MVP
▪️ ESPYS Host & "Best NBA Player" winner
▪️ Graduated from Davidson
▪️ BET Sportsman of the Year
▪️ Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year pic.twitter.com/oyvBJRrNfL— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 6, 2022
This is well deserved for Curry, as his revenge season was absolutely perfect. He led the Golden State Warriors to another NBA Finals championship after having missed the playoffs the previous two years. He also finally got his elusive Finals MVP, discounting any notion that he can’t be the best player on the court during an NBA Finals series. Curry averaged a whopping 31.2 points per game to capture his fourth ring and second without Kevin Durant.
This Sportsperson of the Year award is an example of how the all-time three-point king, eight-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion transcends the game and strongly influences the culture and future of hoops. The perfect role model for the NBA, he’s married, drama-free and when you hear his name in the media its usually because of something historic he did, whether it be on or off the court, within the community. He’s dabbling in film and fashion and never hesitant to give his opinion, when necessary, on social issues affecting the country.
WATCH: Full Steph Curry Interview With President Barack Obama
Sports Illustrated normally has a specific reason for why an athlete wins Sportsperson of the Year. Some have won for their humanitarian efforts. Others for bravery and sacrifice. A great example is Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the award for sitting out in the 2020 pandemic season to serve as an orderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also they give awards out to players for sheer dominance, which is what has elevated Curry to this award.
Though this is his first time winning the award individually, he won the award with the Warriors back in 2018 as a team.
“And now we name him Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year,” the publication said in a release. “Curry, who also shared the award with the 2017-18 Warriors, joins LeBron James, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods as the only multiple-time winners. We salute him this year not just for what he did, but for how he did it.”
Curry received his award on Thursday, presented by Chase at the Sports Illustrated SportsPerson of the Year awards ceremony, and Steve Kerr was there to pay tribute.
Plenty of other awards will be presented at the award show, but Curry’s acceptance speech was much anticipated.
