Ever since the Golden State Warriors punched their ticket to the NBA Finals, questions about Steph Curry needing a Finals MVP to secure his legacy have lingered.
Curry’s team is currently trailing the Boston Celtics 2-1 in a best-of-seven NBA Finals series after Wednesday night’s 116-100 loss, but it’s not Chef’s fault. He posted another 30-plus point game and was rolling before his ankle got rolled on by Al Horford jumping on top of him going for a loose ball.
Curry sits on the fringe of most top ten lists you see, but Pro Football Hall of Famer and FS1 personality Shannon Sharpe says a Finals MVP would solidify his spot in the NBA’s all-time hierarchy.
During a recent segment on “Undisputed,” Sharpe expounded on his thoughts about this topic, although not without slighting two Hall of Fame players.
“I don’t know how you’d keep him out of it. He’ll be one of a handful of players. He’d join Kareem, Jordan, Magic, LeBron, and Duncan as the only players to win multiple regular season MVPs, multiple titles and a Finals MVP.”
.@ShannonSharpe on Steph Curry's legacy if he wins his first NBA Finals MVP:
"I don't know how you'd keep him out of the Top 10. He'd join Kareem, Jordan, LeBron, Magic and Duncan to win multiple regular season MVPs, 4 titles and a Finals MVP." pic.twitter.com/OVzMYgquWC
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 7, 2022
Sharpe seemed to be unaware that Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird also meet the criteria for his elite list. But media pundits need something to delve into daily, and this theme seems to be one subject everyone has an opinion on as Curry inches towards a possible fourth ring, tying LeBron James in that category.
Curry has done some magical things during his NBA career, like becoming the only unanimous MVP in league history and breaking the all-time three-point record. The only thing that has eluded him is a Finals MVP, but — don’t get it twisted — he doesn’t need it to solidify his legacy. And if we’re going by position in the top ten all-time, he’s firmly entrenched as arguably the second-best point guard.
Has Curry’s Lack Of Size Caused Him To Be Overlooked?
They say Curry stands 6 feet 3, but his slight build has often caused him to be “short-changed,” in Sharpe’s opinion.
“I think that’s why people short-changed him. He’s not 6-9 LeBron. He doesn’t have the physicality of a Shaq. He doesn’t have the athleticism of Jordan or Kobe. … Kids now, I can really be like Steph. I can shoot the three. I might not take off from the free-throw line, but I can shoot that three ball. He’s changed the game.”
Curry’s size has always been a topic, mainly on the defensive end, but this season he’s shown improvement defensively. While Steph’s always had a knack for getting into passing lanes and getting steals, teams have long targeted him in the pick-and-roll. But this season more often than not he’s been up to the task.
Curry Is Favorite To Win Finals MVP
After the first three games of the series Curry is in a strong position to win MVP as long as Golden State is still alive. While he says winning it isn’t his motivation, he also understands that it’s his to lose.
In an interview with Malika Andrews of ESPN, Curry opened up about possibly winning the award.
“It would mean everything. … You think about when Andre won, when KD won his 2, there’s just so much joy in that moment, no matter who wins it, there’s just so much joy in that moment.”
“You want to be able to experience it, and I think the context of every series changes in terms of what it’s going to take to actually win.
“I think for us to win this championship, get three more more wins and hold that Larry O’Brien Trophy, like, I’m gonna have to keep playing the way I am and hold myself to that standard.
“That smaller trophy isn’t the motivation at all. But you know what comes with winning the big one and what it takes to do that, so we’re focused on that,” Curry explained.
Steph is back on top after the @warriors tie up the series 🍿@mikecwright | https://t.co/x9HYOKxbAI pic.twitter.com/0Hjasr47Vv
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 7, 2022
Curry’s sole focus is getting to four wins before the Celtics. If he does that then the rest of it will take care of itself.