Getty Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors look on during Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Entering the Golden State Warriors‘ Finals showdown with the Boston Celtics, Stephen Curry was carrying an albatross or two around his neck. Despite the fact that he was a multi-time title winner who quite literally changed the game with his shooting, there were some who had looked to discount his accomplishments.
“Steph has never been Finals MVP,” they would say. Or “Kevin Durant hand-delivered two of his three championship rings,” or “He’s not a clutch player,” et al.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has never been one to engage with that kind of chatter, though. And now he looks to be more bullish on his star player than ever.
In the wake of the Dubs dropping the C’s to win their fourth championship in eight years — and Steph earning MVP honors with a 31-6-5 line — Kerr made a big-time declaration about the baller from a historical standpoint during an appearance on Tim Kawakami‘s podcast.
Kerr Sounds Off on Steph’s Place in the Dubs’ Dynasty
Contrary to what the vocal minority would have us believe, Kerr made it clear that Curry has always been the straw that stirs the drink; the beating heart at the center of Golden State’s modern-day dynasty.
“There’s no doubt that Steph is the fulcrum of all of this,” Kerr said on The TK Show. “I guess maybe the analogy I would think of, especially growing up as a Laker fan, Steph is Magic. And Magic was the face of the Lakers. Steph is the face of the Warriors.”
Invoking Johnson’s name is no small thing. From his rookie year in 1979-80 to his first retirement in 1991, Magic played in no less than nine NBA Finals and won five championships. Along the way, he emerged from a gaggle of hoops legends to become the Lakers’ floor leader and an all-time great.
Kerr believes that the same thing has happened with Steph.
“Those Laker teams had Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and James Worthy, incredible talent around Magic. Just like we’ve had with Draymond [Green] and Klay [Thompson], and Kevin [Durant] was just so dominant while he was here — two Finals MVP awards. Just an incredible run for him. But he was only here for three years.
“Steph is the face of the decade-long run with a lot of amazing talent that supported him along the way.”
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On Kenny Atkinson’s About Face
Outside of winning the championship and Steph finally claiming Finals MVP honors, the biggest story hitting Dub Nation over the weekend was Kerr assistant Kenny Atkinson reneging on an agreement to become the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.
While pundits and fans alike have served up a myriad of hot takes on the sudden reversal, Kerr believes that his staffer just came to realize that the new gig simply wasn’t it for him and his clan.
“I think it was just more a matter of realizing what was best for his family,” Kerr told Kawakami. “I know they love it here. It was just really on a personal level I think he felt like he rushed into it and he’s excited to be back. And we’re thrilled to have him back. He’s a big-time coach. And especially losing Mike Brown, I think it’s huge that we can keep Kenny on our staff.”
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