Leading the Golden State Warriors to a franchise-record and NBA-best 67 wins during the 2014-15 season, Steph Curry won his first MVP award in May 2015 while averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in just 32.7 minutes per game — the fewest minutes played by an MVP in league history.
Just a month later, he delivered Golden State their first championship in 40 years, cementing his place in NBA history and kickstarting a new era of Warriors dominance — something the young point guard found difficult to psychologically compute.
“Not this,” Curry told ESPN. “I mean, I expected to be a pretty good NBA point guard and hopefully win a championship. But MVP and all this stuff? Not really. I never looked at my mantel and envisioned an MVP trophy sitting there. This is pretty crazy.”
Path to greatness
Selected by the Warriors as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, No. 30 came with an impressive collegiate portfolio. Growing up, Curry wasn’t the biggest or most athletic, even rejected by some D1 schools before settling for Davidson. But little did anyone know this would be the start of something special, and it began to manifest in the 2014-2015 season.
The 2015 NBA Finals was Steph’s big coming-out party, showcasing the talents of the league’s striking new duo, “The Splash Brothers.” Along with Klay Thompson , the point guard lit up the court with an array of eye-popping long-distance shots. There have been elite shooters in the past, but not like this.
On the floor, Chef Curry became a game-changer. His ability to drain deep threes, dish out frozen-rope dimes, and lead his team with poise and precision made him one of the most electrifying players in the game.
“When I'm on the floor,” the point guard added. “I believe I am [the best player], for sure. I don't get into why I'm better than such and such. But that's my motivation when I work.”
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More golden milestones
Coming on the back of his first MVP in 2015, Curry set the record for most 3-pointers made in a season, shattering his previous 272 mark from the 2012-13 season. He then upped it to 286 in 2014-15. But in 2015-16, he not only hit 300 threes but finished with 402 threes that season.
That same season, he won the scoring title, averaging 30.1 points per game and shooting 50% from the field, 45% from beyond the arc, and 91% from the free throw line. He joined a group of only seven players in NBA history in the exclusive 50–40–90 club.
To top it all off, No. 30 became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, earning the award for the second straight season. He led the Warriors to a record-setting 73 wins, surpassing Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 Bulls. The MVP voting that year involved 130 media members and one vote from fans, with all 131 ballots putting the Warrior’s point guard in first place. Legends like Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 and LeBron James in 2013 each fell just one vote shy of a unanimous selection, installing Steph’s distinguished seat in NBA history.
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