Stephen Curry: Top 10 Moments From His MVP Season

As first reported by Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com, Stephen Curry will be named the NBA’s 2014-15 MVP. After spending the majority of the season as the MVP frontrunner, yesterday’s report confirmed that Curry will become the first player in the Golden State Warriors‘ 53-year California history to win the award.

Averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game this season (while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor, 44.3 percent from downtown and 91.4 percent from the foul line), Curry led the Dubs to a franchise record 67 wins and the top seed in the loaded Western Conference.

What’s scary is Curry’s numbers might have been even better had the Warriors not blown out their opponents on a nightly basis. Curry only averaged 32.4 minutes per game and often got to rest during the fourth quarters when the game was already out of hand.

James Harden, another worthy candidate, finished second in the voting. But between Curry’s likability, his ability to make dazzling plays and his team’s success, it would’ve been a surprise for anyone other than him to win it in the end.

But now that we know Curry will win MVP, it’s time to take a look back on his phenomenal 2014-15 season. Without further ado, here are the top 10 moments from the greatest season in Stephen Curry’s career so far.

Next: No. 10

10. Zero To 1,000

On Jan. 7, Curry dropped 21 points and 15 assists in a 15-point win against the Indiana Pacers. It was a fine performance, but the real reason this game matters is that it was the day Curry became the fastest player in NBA history to make 1,000 three-pointers. Forget zero to 100, Chef Curry went zero to 1,000 REAL quick.

Curry had a lot better games this season, and Klay Thompson was actually the hero in the win, finishing the game with 40 points. The 1,000-mark is a sort of arbitrary line to set, but in comparing him to the other elite shooters in NBA history, you start to get the picture about how special this season was.

The fact that it took him 88 fewer games than Dennis Scott to reach that mark is absurd. Curry will go down as the greatest shooter in NBA history one day, and this moment was just another important benchmark in getting him there.

Next: No. 9

9. Curry Brings The Heat To Miami

The Miami Heat should be used to getting burned by Stephen Curry. Last season, Chef Curry cooked up a 36-point, 12-assist, eight-three-pointer performance against LeBron James and company in a win that had many wondering if the Dubs could win a championship.

But with LeBron gone, all the Heat had to defend Curry in their Nov. 25 meeting were Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole and rookie Shabazz Napier. As you can expect, that didn’t go very well for Miami.

Curry finished the game with 40 points, eight three-pointers, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in the 114-97 blowout win.

As we saw many times this season, opposing teams really couldn’t do anything once Curry’s heat checks reached supernova. This was probably one of the best examples early in the season, letting the world know the 2014-15 season was going to be a special one.

Next: No. 8

8. From All-Star Snub To Leading Vote-Getter

Remember back in 2013, when Curry was improbably snubbed from the All-Star Game? Teammate David Lee may have been deserving that year as well, but if anyone from the Golden State Warriors deserved to make the team, it should’ve been Curry.

Two years later, Golden State’s star point guard is not only getting voted in by the fans, but he’s also getting more votes than anybody. LeBron James is a basketball icon and the ambassador to the NBA, but Curry’s rise to stardom reached peak levels when we found out Curry received 1.51 million votes to LeBron’s 1.47 million.

Personally, I can’t stand it when people try to define players’ legacies by counting All-Star appearances, since All-NBA selections are far more important. But for Curry, leading the entire league in All-Star voting had to feel good, and it was yet another cherry on top of his magical MVP season.

It didn’t hurt that he was so fun to watch in the All-Star Game either.

Next: No. 7

7. Don’t Call It A Comeback

The Warriors were the best team in the NBA this season by a wide margin, but they didn’t always put forth their best effort. Luckily, they had not one, but two backcourt players capable of bailing them out with one prolonged heat check. On Mar. 1, the Boston Celtics became yet another victim to a Steph Curry heat check.

Trailing by as many as 26 points, it would have been acceptable for the Warriors to fold up shop and admit defeat. Golden State was in their fifth game of a six-game road trip and nobody really looked like they had it. And then suddenly, thanks to Curry and Draymond Green, they did again.

In a total team effort, the Dubs pulled off the major comeback on the road. Curry wasn’t the only one who contributed in the come-from-behind victory, but he spearheaded the effort with 37 points and five threes, icing the game from the foul line with the Warriors’ last four points.

Next: No. 6

6. Winning The Three-Point Contest

What kind of “greatest shooter of all time” would Steph Curry be without finally adding a Foot Locker Three-Point Contest trophy to his name? This award really isn’t all that prestigious, but for a sniper of Curry’s caliber, winning it during his MVP season must have been special.

That’s especially true when you consider the field of participants in this year’s Three-Point Contest was about as loaded as it’s ever been. Competing against Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver, Wesley Matthews, Kyrie Irving, J.J. Redick, James Harden and defending champion Marco Belinelli, Curry had his hands full.

Fortunately, Curry brought his A-game. He scored a 23 in the first round, tying Irving for the second-best score (Thompson was first with 24). But in the final round, he blew the competition away with 27, making 13 shots in a row at one point to close it out. Irving (17) and Thompson (14) didn’t even get close.

Again, this may seem trivial, but this was yet another accolade that we’ll be able to add to Curry’s resume as the greatest shooter of all time when all is said and done.

Next: No. 5

5. Game-winning Magic

The Golden State Warriors had a nearly immaculate 39-2 record at home this season. They just didn’t lose at Oracle Arena with the NBA’s loudest crowd cheering them on. They came close a few times, however, and in one memorable instance in December, it took a little Steph Curry late-game magic to prevent it from happening.

With the Dubs trailing the Orlando Magic 97-95, Curry grabbed a rebound on a defensive stop with less than nine seconds to go. But rather than call a timeout, head coach Steve Kerr trusted his point guard to make a big-time play. It’s a damn good thing he did:

Curry hit the game-winner and the Dubs held on for the final 2.2 seconds to win the game. Aside from the fact that he went for the kill with a three-pointer instead of a two, and aside from that fact that it was a clutch game-winner, Curry’s final play of this game was also impressive because of HOW. BAD. HE. SHOOK. TOBIAS. HARRIS.

That play would’ve been gold no matter what point it came during a game. The fact that it was to seal the deal and send Roaracle into a frenzy made it 10 times better.

Next: No. 4

4. The Night That Sealed The Deal

Stephen Curry was the MVP frontrunner for the vast majority of the season, but plenty of differing opinions could be found. That is, until Apr. 9, the night that Curry put the conversation to bed. James Harden was a deserving candidate too, but Curry’s 45 points against the Portland Trail Blazers convinced pretty much everyone that the race was over.

Curry was at the height of his efficiency in that game, knocking down an outrageous 17 of his 23 shots, including eight of his 13 threes. He also added in 10 assists and single-handedly carried the Dubs down the stretch to put the game away.

But on Curry’s fifth three-pointer, he also set a new landmark for himself and for the NBA. Entering the game, Curry needed four three-pointers to tie his own single season record for made three-pointers (272). He had made six before halftime and finished with eight in the game.

By season’s end, Curry had demolished his old record with a final tally of 286. Not only was it a shining example of what happens when Curry turns into the Human Torch, but it was also the crown jewel of another record-breaking season.

Next: No. 3

3. Stephen Curry, Lord Of The Vine

I’m cheating a bit here, because this isn’t one specific moment. But we can’t talk about MVP Steph Curry without mentioning that on a nightly basis, he was good for at least one or two jaw-dropping plays. Between his shooting, his ridiculous layups and his playmaking ability, Curry was like some wicked combination of Steve Nash, Ray Allen and Bob Cousy.

Bearing that in mind, we have to pay tribute to some of the best individual plays of the season by Stephen Curry, the Lord of the Vine and Master of YouTube Clips.

First up, a taste of Curry’s ridiculous shot-making ability, which isn’t limited to the area behind the three-point line:

That wasn’t the only time the Bucks fell victim to Curry’s highlight reel potential, however. Leading the Dubs to another win at home via devastating three-ball wasn’t enough; Curry had to make it that much sweeter by not even watching the damn ball go in the net:

Funnily enough, that wasn’t even the best three-pointer Curry made during the regular season. Just ask Steve Kerr or the Los Angeles Clippers, who had to watch in disbelief as Curry dribbled his way through three defenders, freed up some space and randomly launched a fadeaway three-pointer.

What was great about this play — other than the unbelievable dribbling, the fact that the shot went in, and Steve Kerr’s priceless reaction — was that there was still plenty of time on the shot clock. This wasn’t a desperation heave; it was free-flowing, unadulterated basketball brilliance.

Speaking of Chris Paul, you can’t put a Stephen Curry highlight reel together without including the time he destroyed CP3’s ankles forever.

Technically speaking, CP3 may have slipped because he stepped on Curry’s foot. Paul is one of the best defenders in the league for his position and he deserves respect, especially after a transcendent Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs where he made the game-winning shot and basically played on one leg.

But come on. CP3 was going down before he stepped on Curry’s foot and this infamous ankle-breaker has every right to be played on repeat.

Curry’s penchant for making it on Vine on a nightly basis didn’t just stem from plays where he scored, however. Just ask Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, who STILL probably aren’t sure where the hell the ball went on this gorgeous fast break:

The reason the comparisons to Cousy and Nash are so well-grounded is that even though some of his more extravagant passes turn into turnovers, when Curry goes for the highlight reel assist, it’s usually on the money. He has the ability to work magic in flashy, unforgettable ways you just don’t see very often.

For example, please refer to this ridiculous no-look pass to Harrison Barnes against the Washington Wizards that’s equal parts accuracy, ingenuity and instinct:

But before we wrap things up, we also have to note that Curry was a tremendous teammate as well — not only because he could shoot, not only because he was a leader, but also because of how much he genuinely wants his teammates to succeed.

So much, in fact, that he has been known to break out the salsa dance on the bench for Leandro Barbosa:

As if that weren’t lovable enough, Curry was also prone to breaking out the three-point goggles when his teammates would make big shots:

If we were to compile a list of his best plays from this season, it might reach into the 40s or 50s. Since we don’t have that much time, let’s just chalk it up to these unbelievable plays and agree that nobody lit up the highlight reel this season quite like Chef Curry.

Next: No. 2

2. A Season High

On Feb. 4, Stephen Curry put up a season-high of 51 points against the Dallas Mavericks. The Dubs had trailed 40-18 early on and it looked like Golden State just hadn’t shown up to play. But then Curry came to life and everything changed.

To be fair, the Dubs had chopped their early deficit down to four just before halftime. But the Mavs could’ve fought to keep their lead. Instead, Curry took matters into his own hands in the third quarter, leading the Warriors to a 43-point period with 26 points in the quarter.

The look on Mark Cuban’s face pretty much said it all:

He made eight of his 11 shots in the third, he drilled six of his seven three-pointers and as if that weren’t enough, he buried the Mavs in the final period with a number of backbreaking threes off the dribble.

In that 128-114 win, Curry finished with 51 points, four assists and four rebounds. He made 16 of his 26 shots and knocked down a season-high 10 three-pointers on 16 attempts. That kind of scoring ability is just unbelievable and it’s one of many reasons the Warriors should feel comfortable about their title odds.

Next: No. 1

1. Steph Curry With The Shot

Technically, this moment didn’t come during the regular season. But since it happened before Curry was announced as the MVP winner, I’m counting it anyway. People who wonder if a jump-shooting team can win a championship haven’t seen Steph Curry play.

In Game 3 of the first round, the New Orleans Pelicans had built a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The victory was all but assured. Slowly but surely, the Dubs climbed their way back into the game. Somehow, the Warriors only trailed by three points on the game’s final possession. Then this happened.

Curry only went 10-for-29 from the field, but he made seven threes en route to his 40-point night. I don’t care if it was the first round; it was the biggest shot of his career, it sent the game to overtime and in the first play of that overtime, Curry drilled a three to set the tone right away.

He also added in nine assists and five boards, but that shot he hit in the corner over Anthony Davis pretty much sealed the series. The Dubs went up 3-0, they beat a demoralized Pellies team handily in Game 4 and they crushed all hope for Monty Williams‘ squad. What’s crazy is he was clobbered on the play and still managed to drain the shot.

This is a pristine example of how Curry can singlehandedly demoralize teams, and it’s the top moment of Curry’s 2014-15 MVP season…so far.

Next: 2015 NBA Playoffs: First Round Winners And Losers

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers