Stephen Curry has just been announced as the winner of the Kia Clutch Player of the Year award. In a career that has spanned being teammates with Monta Ellis all the way to Brandin Podziemski over a decade later, Curry has amassed a wealth of awards and acknowledgment of his hard work and greatness.
This clutch one hits a little different though!
What’s funny for Golden State Warriors fans and Curry fans (shocking that there can be a difference between those groups, I know) is that we’ve spent over a decade doing our damndest to defeat the Curry isn’t clutch allegations.
Remember back in the 2016 NBA Finals where the Dubs blew a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Curry was designated as a choke artist?
Steph Curry is one of those guys who needs EVERYTHING to be right in order for him to win. Name me another great player who has won multiple championships who has never won a Finals MVP?? I don’t care about empty and hollow stats, I want him to actually make shots when they need it. He’s not that good and not THAT GUY. You keep telling me he’s ‘changed the game’ but he doesn’t make those 30-footers when it matters so he DIDN’T change the game. When I think of Steph’s career, I think of that 3-1 CHOKE JOB in 2016.
— Rob Parker of Fox Sports
That narrative led to this hilarious segment on First Take where ESPN pundit/troll Max Kellerman chose Andre Iguodala over Curry as the guy he’d want to take the last shot in a game.
Four years ago ESPN ran a presentation called, “Steph Curry’s history of falling short in clutch playoff moments.” The audacity!
Even up to last year there was plenty of argument about Curry being an All-Time great who should not be referred to as clutch. Just ask longtime Warriors hater Nick Wright, who pulled up stats to show that Curry is Westbrookian when it comes to clutch postseason shots.
Well now with four rings, two MVP’s (one Unanimous), hella All-Star appearances and All-NBA teams, and a Finals MVP, we can add the Clutchest Player in the League award to his trophy case.
Maybe that will finally silence the doubters?
