The Golden State Warriors had a magical run from 2015 through 2019 before taking a 2-year break from playing in the Finals. From 2016 until 2019, they had Kevin Durant on the squad, winning two championships in three trips to the Finals.
Durant’s tenure in the Bay started very smoothly, but things went south during the last two seasons. Rumors suggested he was unhappy playing under Stephen Curry’s shadow, even though he was the best player on the team. The relationship ended in 2019, when KD signed with the Brooklyn Nets, ending his time with the Dubs.
A lot has been said about that time, and even though now things are cool between KD and his former team, every now and then we learn about things that could spark the old feud between Durant and the Warriors.
Recently, during an edition of the Colin Cowherd Show, Draymond Green explained Stephen Curry’s impact on the NBA Finals, which was bigger than a lot of people think, raising a lot of eyebrows in the process. One fan shared an excerpt of the interview, where Green broke down Curry’s impact:
“They need those shiny objects for them to be able to analyze what’s going on… Steph Curry got double teamed 7X the amount KD did…the impact he has on a game, if you don’t understand basketball, you’re going to say he needs a FMVP to validate who he is.” – Dray on Steph/FMVP pic.twitter.com/G5fY0olGLR
— (3-0) 🇵🇭 (@ISAAC4O8) May 31, 2022
“If Steph Curry comes down, and he calls for a pick and roll every play, nobody is going to say a word, including Kevin Durant. Nobody is going to say anything, but that’s not who he is, that’s not what he does. Kevin Durant was absolutely incredible during those Finals, we all watched it. Kevin Durant was absolutely insane. Steph Curry got double-teamed, probably seven times the amount that KD did in a given series. So when you watch those games, and you say, ‘his numbers could be a little down’, he’s facing a double team. And by the way, this isn’t a double team from the Orlando Magic, this is a double team from a team that’s playing in the Finals, and if you’re in the Finals, you’re gonna have a good defense. …This is elite teams throwing elite defenders at guys.”
“The impact he has on the game if you don’t understand basketball, thoroughly understand, not understand the stat sheet. If you don’t understand basketball, which most people don’t, then you’re going to come out and you’re going to say, ‘he needs a Finals MVP to validate who he is.'”
As usual, fans reacted to these words, and one of them dared to ask Kevin Durant if it was true:
https://twitter.com/BTrail7O7/status/1531678167777153024
The player sent a short but direct response, saying it was false from his perspective:
From my view of it, this is 100% false… https://t.co/of6pFJUfvi
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 31, 2022
“From my view of it, this is 100% false…”
Stephen Curry has been heavily criticized for not winning a Finals MVP award. He has won three championships and not a single one came with a trophy for him. Many people think he deserved it over Andre Iguodala in 2015, but Iggy’s incredible defense against LeBron James earned him the award. Durant took the other two, and if the Warriors managed to beat the Raptors in 2019, perhaps Curry would have had a bigger chance to take the prize.
This season, the Chef is playing in the Finals again, hoping to make a statement and get the elusive trophy once and for all. He has already cemented his legacy as an all-time great, but adding another championship and the Finals MVP trophy could be very special for Curry.
