Two players, Shaquille O’Neal ('00) and LeBron James ('13), fell one vote shy of unanimous selection. James’ wins in 2012 and 2013 marked the last time a player won back-to-back MVP awards.
This latest otherworldly accomplishment comes on the heels of last season’s surprise ascension to superstardom. Last year, when Curry collected 100 first-place MVP votes, there were still whispers that his performance was fluky. A fall from grace was expected.
Preseason polls had Curry projected to finish fifth in the MVP race. The league still thought of him as a novelty.
ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss explains:
It wasn't expected that Curry would validate his great 2014-15 season with a monster 2015-16 performance, even when he burst out of the gate in the preseason, looking a step faster when going at half speed. The gimmick wasn't going away. It had merely been sharpened into a deadlier device.
Curry answered his doubters by getting even better.
He scored more points (30.1 per game, up from 23.8 last year), increased his rebounds and steals, and improved his field goal and 3-point shooting percentages.
He shattered his own single-season NBA record for made three-pointers: 286 last season, 402 this year.
He became the first player ever to average more than 30 points in less than 35 minutes per game.
He joined his head coach Steve Kerr and Steve Nash in the ultra-exclusive “50-45-90” club — the only players in NBA history to shoot better than 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from three, and 90 percent from the free throw line.
Oh, and because we are talking about the “most valuable player” award, his team got better, too — setting a new NBA record for wins, 73, up from a franchise-best 67 last year.
Since the superlative machine is fired up, we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about Curry's latest exploit.
After playing just four quarters in the Warriors' first seven playoff games because of ankle and knee injuries, Curry came off the bench Monday night in Portland to score 40 points, including a record-setting 17 in overtime. (For context: the Trailblazers scored 14 points in OT; and in the other NBA playoff game Monday night, Toronto and Miami scored a total 15 points in OT -- combined.)
Through the first three quarters, Curry proved he was human by showing the rust that anyone would expect.
But, just as quickly, he got into his rhythm.
After starting 0-10 from three-point range, Curry caught fire down the stretch, hitting five of his next six threes, and once again putting the Warriors on his back and willing them to yet another victory. The final: Golden State 132, Portland 125.
He let everyone know — “I’m back.”
