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Following their fourth-quarter collapse during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, the Golden State Warriors became the subject of widespread criticism from the hoops pundit collective. That’s what happens, though, when you allow an opponent to shoot 51% from three and/or erase a 15-point deficit late to steal the win.
Not everyone is jumping off the Warriors’ bandwagon, however. And it’s probably a safe bet that Jeremy Lin — who began his pro career with the Dubs in 2010 — continues to sit in their cheering section.
While Game 1 was still underway, the man who brought “Linsanity” to the Big Apple (after his brief Bay Area run ended) fired off a tweet in support of the Warriors and, more specifically, former teammate Stephen Curry.
“I hope Steph Curry wins the championship and Finals MVP,” Lin declared. “But make no mistake about it, he does NOT need a Finals MVP to validate his career by any means.”
The Finals MVP Discussion
Lin’s focus on the Finals MVP situation wasn’t random or off-handed by any stretch. Curry may be in the top .01% of the top .01% in terms of his career accolades, but that particular honor has famously eluded him to this point.
When the Dubs won their first title of the modern era and officially tipped off their dynasty back in 2015, it was Andre Iguodala who was given the award. Then, at the culmination of their title runs in 2017 and ’18, Kevin Durant was given the nod.
Both players were deserving when they were honored, of course, but one could have easily made a case for Steph on all three occasions.
Golden State may be in an 0-1 hole as of this writing, but Curry’s Finals MVP candidacy this time around is looking strong so far. The baller dropped a 34-5-5-3 line during Game 1 and also shattered a Finals record with six first-quarter threes. Per FanDuel, Steph was second to Jayson Tatum (+130) as a +145 bet to win the award ahead of Game 2.
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The Latest in Lin’s World
It’s hard to believe that more than 10 years has passed since Linsanity, but the 33-year-old floor general is still plying his trade. He spent the majority of the current campaign with the CBA’s Beijing Ducks, with whom he also played during the 2019-20 season.
In 25 games with the club, Lin averaged 13.7 points, 4.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per outing. The line represented a sizable backward step from his previous form with the team as he struggled with the effects of COVID-19. That said, he played much better as the season wore on.
Lin previously attempted an NBA comeback in 2020-21, returning to the Warriors organization via the club’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. In the end, though, he made just nine appearances with the Sea Dubs, averaging 19.8 points, 6.4 assists and 3.2 boards. He also shot over 50% from the field and just under 43% from deep.
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Former Warrior, ‘Linsanity’ Makes Major Steph Curry Declaration