Steph Curry’s NBA title in 2022 puts him on the Mt. Rushmore of basketball

“He didn’t let us lose. That’s all it comes down to. I could tell by his attitude,” said Curry’s longtime Warriors teammate, Draymond Green, after the Game 4 win.

On Thursday, the Warriors took the 2022 NBA title with victory over the Celtics in Game 6 of the Finals, securing another ring and Curry’s legacy as an all-time great.

The title is his fourth in eight seasons, but it is arguably the 34-year-old’s most impressive and – with his first Finals MVP award – confirms his legacy as one of the top 10 players in league history at a valued company.

“But to have the chance to go for a fourth (championship) and also achieve this goal, God is amazing,” said Curry of the Bill Russell trophy. “I’m just glad I got to do it.”

Changing the game

Since joining the league in 2009, Curry has almost single-handedly changed the way basketball is played. Teams are now increasingly prioritizing their three-point shooting as potential NBA players arrive in the draft with well-formed long-range shooting.

But for the master of the trade, Curry showed against the Celtics – the league’s No. 2 defense – why he is still the epitome of the three-pointed, fluid attack that the Warriors and head coach Steve Kerr have become known for. .

Unlike other heliocentric offenses – Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, for example – Curry doesn’t have every possession in their hands, but don’t be fooled, the Dubs offense all works thanks to Curry.

He is the sun in the Warriors’ solar system. His teammates revolve around his offensive threat and open spaces even though he may not even have the ball and yet, even with all the defenses aimed at him such is his threat, Curry still finds ways to score.

Although Game 5 ended his NBA record of 233 games with at least one three-pointer, his presence on the field is enough to terrify defenders.

Curry isn’t satisfied with staying in one position on the floor, but he can often be seen sprinting around without trying to move the ball to where he can get a shot. And this move, and Green’s accurate passing, has not only brought huge success for the Warriors, but it has also transformed the competition.

For the Warriors core – Curry, Green, Klay Thompson and head coach Steve Kerr – it is their fourth title and arguably their most impressive.

‘I don’t want to write this’

November 19, 2020 brought the news that Warriors fans didn’t want to hear.

It would be the second season in a row that the star shooting guard has been missing after tore his left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals.

In the two seasons he missed, the Warriors went 54-83, including missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Between Curry and Green’s injuries and the passage of time, it seemed the unthinkable would could happen: The Warriors dynasty could come to a halt.

However, like the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs Kerr played for, the Warriors rebuilt.

Through some clever trades and clever design choices, the previously bare-looking core was suddenly surrounded by a slew of talented and skilled energetic players.

With the return of Thompson and the joining of some of the youngsters, such as Jordan Poole, the team has made an unlikely return to the finals, with a cast of All-Stars in their wake.

But without the offensive magnetism Curry provides, it might never have happened.

Legacy

For someone who has transformed the NBA so profoundly, the past two months have been a clinic for Curry.

He averaged over 27 points and approximately five rebounds and six assists, while consistently being the focus of the league’s most powerful defenses.

And while he is certainly one of the league’s best players, given the uniqueness and success of his style of play, this 2021-22 season was the icing on his future Hall of Fame career.

Though he’s still a long way from the league record for championship rings — Bill Russell has a remarkable 11 from the legendary Boston Celtics team of the 1950s and ’60s — he is now on par with celebrities like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Robert Parish on four titles.

The debate over who is in the top 10 NBA players of all time has been going on for years and will continue for many years to come.

But, as was his impact in the playoffs and the season as a whole, Curry should be placed under those elite names.

Despite having an illustrious career ahead of this season, with three championship titles and two league MVP awards to his name, this year’s triumph could be his crowning jewel.

Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas said Curry’s Finals MVP is “helping” his legacy.

“As (Boston’s) Cedric Maxwell said to me the other day, he says, ‘There are 32 NBA Finals (MVPs). I’m one of them,'” Thomas told ESPN.

“I’m one of them too. Ultimately, it matters. It helps. Steph’s legacy is already cemented, in terms of what he’s done for the game, how he’s improved the game, and what he’s done to make all the kids want it.” play the game (as he does). He has moved the game forward.”

Curry joined some esteemed company with his Thursday night trek. Before Game 6, only five players had four rings, multiple league MVP awards, and an MVP in the finals: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Tim Duncan.

Now there are six players with Curry.

Jordan and James are, by consensus, the two best players in NBA history. But could Curry be No. 3? Is Curry the best point guard ever in the league?

They’re not crazy suggestions to make — and they’re conversations that will be had.