One of the most celebrated dynasties in NBA history — and, for many, the greatest of all time — belongs to the Golden State Warriors, led by none other than Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, two of the best players the game has ever seen. Yet, one debate still lingers: who truly deserved those Finals MVP awards, and why Curry never claimed one during that dominant stretch.
When Curry led the Warriors to the 2022 championship and captured his first Finals MVP, he finally checked off the one missing piece from his decorated résumé. Back in the 2017 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Curry delivered a stellar performance — but Durant shined even brighter, famously burying a dagger three-pointer in Game 3 that all but locked up the Finals MVP for himself.
Former Warriors guard Quinn Cook recently shared an eye-opening story about Durant that revealed just how much the star forward valued Curry as a teammate after their first championship together.
“Kevin wanted Steph to get that Finals MVP the next year so bad. That’s all he was talking about all season, like, ‘I can’t wait until Steph gets his Finals MVP so he can shut up everybody, the naysayers,’” Cook told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Tristi Rodriguez.
“I think in Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals, that’s when Steph broke the record — he had nine threes. Then in Game 3, we were struggling, Steph was struggling, and Kevin just accidentally walked into 40 points. Then you look at the numbers statistically — I think Kevin had a triple-double in Game 4. He wasn’t even as aggressive. That’s just how good he is. He just accidentally got the Finals MVP back-to-back.”
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The two future Hall of Famers have remained close over the years despite eventually going their separate ways. Their mutual respect runs deeper than any piece of hardware — a bond that speaks louder than a trophy ever could.
Now, both stars are chasing yet another ring. Durant is leading a young, hungry Houston Rockets squad eager to make their mark, while Curry is surrounded by a mix of battle-tested veterans and ambitious young players ready to learn from a champion who knows what greatness looks like.
With both legends still capable of changing the game on any given night, the NBA may yet see them lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy once more — this time, from opposite sides of the court.
