Steph Curry stood on the stage at TD Garden after winning his first NBA Finals MVP and fourth championship on Thursday and admitted: “This one hits different.”
Curry dropped 34 points to lead his team past the Boston Celtics, 103-90, in Game 6. It was another masterful performance from the 34-year-old who answered any doubters who claimed he needed to play better in the Finals.
“It means we won,” Curry told Lisa Salters on ABC after accepting the Finals MVP trophy. “It means we took advantage of the opportunity to get back here. I hear all the conversations. I hear all the chatter. We hear all the chatter. At the end of the day, it’s about what we do on the floor. Ain’t got to talk about it. Just got to go do it and that’s what this is about.”
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And Curry did it, averaging 31.2 points in the Finals. He carried the Warriors to a pivotal Game 4 win with 43 points to even up the series at two games apiece. Curry’s teammates helped out while he struggled in Game 5, and then the superstar closed things out in Game 6 in Boston.
Before Curry accepted the trophy, he high-fived his teammates, who then chanted “MVP” as their leader hoisted his elusive Finals MVP prize.
Curry said he had doubts when the Warriors missed the playoffs for two straight seasons. He understood the hard work it took to win a championship and the level of competition in the NBA.
“Boston is a great team,” Curry said. “Every team we played in the West was a great team. But we found a way to just get it done. Everybody on this stage had a part in this. From the front office, coaches, players. At the beginning of the year what were they saying? We weren’t even on the radar. And now we’re here with two trophies and it means a lot.”
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This championship version of the Warriors was different from past teams. The veterans in Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were joined by youngsters like Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, who played key roles in getting the Warriors to the finish line.
“Just combining our championship pedigree and our experience with some fresh energy, some guys that are really hungry to take that next step,” Curry said. “But we built this for 10-11 years. And that means a whole lot when you get to this stage, because you know how to win. And everybody who’s been a part of this knows what it’s about. This one hits different. This one hits different for sure.”