Warriors’ Stephen Curry Named NBA MVP In Landslide Vote

It came down to James Harden and Stephen Curry. Curry was just that much more valuable.

Fox Sports is reporting that Curry, who led the Golden State Warriors to a 67-15 regular season record and the No. 1 seed in the NBA Western conference, outpaced all other potential MVP candidates in winning this years’ award. During the press conference, Curry let out some tears and then some laughs. It was all over, now he can concentrate on the playoffs.

“There were obviously good times and bad times. Times I wanted to shut it down,” Curry said. “It just made me feel like how blessed and thankful I am to be in this position.”

Curry received 100 of the possible 120 first-place votes, totalling 1.198 points total. James Harden, forward for the Houston Rockets, received 25 first-place votes for a total of 936 points. Four-time league MVP LeBron James received the final five first-place votes, totalling 552 points.

Filling out the top five candidates are Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook with 352 points, and New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis with 203 points total.

Curry thanked almost every team employee, then each of his fellow players individually, at the press conference. When he began speaking about his pregnant wife, Ayesha, their two-year-old daughter, Riley, and his father, Dell, who played in the NBA for 16 seasons with various teams, Curry would begin getting quite emotional, oftentimes pounding the podium to regain his composure before continuing.

The Washington Post is reporting that Curry, coming out of high school at 6 foot even and 160 pounds, did not receive much attention from major college programs. Virginia Tech, his father’s alma mater, said he could try as a walk-on. The one school that gave him any chance, and a scholarship, was tiny Davidson University. Curry took full advantage of that situation. After only three weeks in practice, Davidson’s head coach, Bob McKillop, began telling boosters that Curry would be remembered at Davidson.

“He’s a got a magnetic capacity about him that endears him to teammates, to fans,” McKillop said. “He makes it so easy to coach him. There are so many people who live in this word, when they see someone achieve great success, they’re jealous of them. LeBron James. Kobe Bryant. I don’t think anyone is jealous of Stephen Curry.”

McKillop saw in Curry qualities other than size and speed. He saw Curry had the ability to lead his teammates, incredible coordination, and fearlessness that all sharpshooters, such as his father, possess in great quantities.

“He was a scientist,” McKillop said.

If there is one statistic that exemplifies Curry’s value to the Warriors, it’s that when Curry is playing, the Warriors outscore their opponents by 820 points. When the Warriors rest Curry, the Warriors get outscored by 100 points. That, and his ankle-breaking, stellar highlight reel tells you all you need to know. Curry is deserving of the MVP award this year.

[Image courtesy of Bleacher Report]