Kendrick Perkins is not known for mincing words, and after Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets in a grueling seven-game series, the former NBA big man made a bold proclamation on ESPN’s Get Up. In his eyes, Curry is now one championship and one Finals MVP away from truly entering the GOAT conversation.
“Well, two things. Number one, we have to give him more credit about, you know, his conditioning and how much he puts into his body. That was a tough-ass series he just went through. You’re talking about Amen Thompson, who was physical with him. We’re talking about a 6’7″, bigger guy.”
“You know, they were face guarding him at times, trapping him. And like Chiney said, damn, they ran two miles, but it was through two miles of physicality. It was like running two miles with a 15-pound weight vest. Here’s the thing.”
“Steph Curry is one championship away and one Finals MVP away from entering the GOAT conversation. Real talk. He’s one championship and one Finals MVP away from entering the GOAT conversation. And I would dare somebody to try to argue or make me seem like I’m saying something ridiculous.”
“What he has done for the game, he has changed the game forever, forever. He’s given life to all the guys that are under 6’3″, right? Not just because of his shooting ability, but because of what he brings to the table night in and night out on a day-to-day basis as a true professional.”
“And now he’s getting it done on both ends of the floor. Well, he’s been getting it done on both ends of the floor because in his fourth championship against the Boston Celtics, they were trying to pick on him. And I thought that’s when he leveled up and took it to the next level defensively.”
Curry just came through a physical war zone in the first round, facing off against the second-seeded Rockets and their elite young defender, Amen Thompson.
The 6’7″ guard hounded Curry full-court, face-guarded him off the ball, and forced him to navigate what felt like two miles of movement each game, except with constant contact and physicality that tested both Curry’s durability and will. All of this while the 37-year-old veteran was dealing with a sore right hand.
Still, Curry delivered. He averaged 24.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field and nearly 40% from deep. Those numbers may not leap off the page, but context is everything. The defensive attention Curry drew opened up the floor for teammates like Buddy Hield, and his poise in crunch time, especially in Game 7, was a reminder that he remains one of the most feared closers in the game.
Now the road only gets harder. The Warriors are set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, a team that dismantled the Lakers in just five games and looks like a legitimate title contender.
Led by a rising superstar in Anthony Edwards, the Wolves present a different kind of challenge: youth, size, and physicality at nearly every position. This will be another massive test for Curry and the Warriors’ aging core.
Yet, if Curry can somehow push this team to another championship and capture that elusive second Finals MVP along the way, Perkins may have a point. He may not leapfrog LeBron James or Michael Jordan in most people’s rankings, but he’d undeniably force his way into that sacred top-tier GOAT conversation.
