Stephen Curry is the People’s MVP

May 3, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after making a three point basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the third quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 101-86. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Curry’s Journey to Superstardom

How did it happen? How did the smallest, most unassuming player on the basketball court turn into the biggest threat with the hardware to prove it? Simple — he did everything people said he couldn’t do.

As the graphic above shows, Curry’s numbers were pretty darn impressive. What stands out is his efficiency. Curry scored 23.8 points on 49% shooting from the field, 44% from beyond the arc, and 91.4% from the charity stripe in just 32.7 minutes, lowest of any MVP. Curry’s offense is well-documented, but his defense dramatically improved. His defensive rating (97.2), according to NBA.com, was only .1 higher than Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard‘s (97.1) and he averaged 2 steals per game. He saved the best for nationally televised games; showing the world what he could do and silencing any questions over who the MVP really was time after time. Oh, and 67 wins didn’t hurt either. Curry set the internet and the league on fire. And he made it look easy.

Curry is unlike anything the NBA has seen before. He shoots better off the dribble than most spot up specialists do in catch-and-shoot situations. He has unlimited range. He can fill up a highlight video with just dribble moves. He can whip no-look, behind-the-back passes with either hand effortlessly. There have been plenty of great undersized point guards and some have even won MVP, but Curry is unique. Curry has Nash’s skill set, Magic’s flair, Kobe’s killer instinct, Duncan’s demeanor, and so on and so forth. He’s an unprecedented mixture of flash and substance. He is a combination of his peers and, through practice and experience, has mastered everything that they’re good at.

In what was supposed to be the tightest Western Conference ever, Curry separated his team from the rest of the pack and stood alone atop the standings. In what was supposed to be the tightest MVP race in years, Curry separated himself from the rest of the pack and stands alone with the Maurice Podoloff trophy. With 100 first place votes, Curry ran away with the MVP.

Next: A Bonafide Superstar