Stephen Curry is one of the greatest point guards and the best shooter of all time. But even though he was already a three-time champion and the only unanimous MVP in NBA history, some still questioned his legacy.
The Golden State Warriors went through hell after Kevin Durant's departure, missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons and struggling with injuries and a new-look roster. Some even thought the dynasty was done.
Some also criticized Curry for never winning a Finals MVP trophy despite winning three rings. So, he heard all the noise and used that as motivation to lead the Warriors to their fourth title in the past eight years.
NBA News: Missing The Playoffs, Not Winning Finals MVP Motivated Stephen Curry
"Well, you got to understand, the guy is a killer," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per NBC Sports. "He's a killer and people always look at him as the joyful guy. He's knocking down these half-court shots and shimmying, but he's an absolute killer ... But with Steph, if you don't really know him, you may not understand his competitiveness."
"And two years of not being in the playoffs and multiple years of people saying, well, he's never won Finals MVP," Kerr added. "He used every bit of that to motivate himself, as great players tend to do. And he was on a mission all last year, and I think once the playoffs started, he realized, we got a shot here and he was especially in that Boston series boy he was locked in."
"Having been through the injury two years ago that kept him out all season and then not making the playoffs the next year, there is no doubt part of him was, 'Hey, we got to take advantage of these opportunities when they come, because there may not be many more,'" Kerr concluded.
That's why you should never poke a bear. Curry didn't need the extra motivation to perform at the highest level, yet people continued to doubt him and his legacy. I hope you guys learned your lesson now.
