In the world of basketball, three events are the most important to any player. Olympics, FIBA World Cup, and the NBA Finals. Every player dreams of playing at the highest stage and making their team proud. Stephen Curry has seen two of these three moments. He’s won two FIBA World Cups and four NBA Championships.
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The Warriors’ star has redefined how the game of basketball is played, and he’s changed it for good. From 2015 to 2019, the Warriors and Steph saw a level of success only a few teams have ever seen. The Dubs went to five straight NBA Finals, winning three championships.
During the 2018 NBA Finals, the Warriors had a special guest in town. Soccer superstar Neymar Jr. was in town and courtside for the Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry. The Dubs made short work of the series as they handed LeBron James and the Cavs a gentlemen’s sweep.
Later in the summer, Curry and Neymar linked up again.
Stephen Curry described what it’s like to play in the NBA Finals
After winning the NBA championship, Stephen Curry went on a little break. He was in Brazil, and Players Tribune got him together with Neymar Jr for a special interview. Fresh off his third championship in four years, Steph was over the moon, and his happiness reflected in his voice.
Steph started by talking about the morning of one’s first NBA Finals practice. He talked about the anxiousness and the adrenaline that comes with the same. Talking about the same he said,
“You know you’re so close to the ultimate goal that everything just kinda slows down a little bit. The lead-up to the game is 100 times crazier than the regular season and even the rest of the playoffs.”
Steph then talked about what it does to one’s focus and how everything becomes heightened because of how big the moment is. He shared that he dreams about it all the time. Steph then said,
“Once you get that first taste of it, every other game is kinda really hard to get excited about because you’ve already tasted the ultimate adrenaline rush of playing in the NBA Finals and winning the championship!”
Neymar then talked about the same and compared it to the Champions League Finals.
Steph and his NBA Finals journey
Stephen Curry went to his first NBA Finals in 2015. He was a 27-year-old with the load of the team on his shoulder, and he went up against one of the GOAT candidates, LeBron James. Steph led the Dubs to a 4-2 win for their first championship. LBJ and gang got back at them the next year, pulling themselves out of a 3-1 hole and winning the 2016 Finals.
After that, the Warriors got Kevin Durant, and Steph enjoyed back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson suffered Achilles and ACL injuries. This led to the Raptors winning their first-ever title.
After a 2-year hiatus, the Dubs returned to the Finals in 2022, where Stephen Curry led the team to a 4-2 win over the Celtics. While doing so, he won his first-ever Finals MVP honors. As the 2022-23 season progresses, the Dubs will try their best to make their way back to the promised land and defend their title.
