New York Times names Stephen Curry the Player of the Decade

The Golden State Warriors’ two-time MVP Stephen Curry was named the New York Times’ NBA Player of the Decade.

While they called it a landslide, many of the Times’ writers said it was a marginal victory for Stephen Curry. While the two-time MVP has three championships, the Golden State Warriors superstar guard wasn’t the best player in the NBA for the bulk of the decade.

If you ask some people, he wasn’t the best player in the decade at any point, although winning back-to-back MVPs and securing three NBA titles in four seasons. Curry has been the crux of one of the league’s greatest dynasties ever.

"“It feels weird not to pick LeBron James here, what with him being the best player in the world and all, but Stephen Curry was the defining player of this decade. No one changed basketball the way he did, and no one captivated the world as he did. Suddenly, here was a player for whom there was no such thing as a bad shot. That’s not true for anyone besides Curry. He’s the one,” New York Times NBA editor Shauntel Lowe said."

The son of former NBA player Dell Curry, Steph has taken the skill of father and elevated it a few levels. He’s done things in the NBA that were seemingly unheard of. His handles, his shot, his precision– it was seen before but not at Curry’s level.

Curry’s best season of the decade came during his MVP campaign in 2016. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.1 steals. He led the league in scoring and steals.

It was truly a remarkable performance that set a high standard for MVPs throughout the remainder of the decade. While that season was eventually scarred by the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 Finals comeback, it’s important to reminisce on just how dominant Curry was.

Curry may not have been the best player for the bulk of the 2010s, but he’s elevated not only his play but the play of the entire league. The NBA can thank Curry for just how impactful he’s been to the next generation of ballers.

As Lowe noted, Curry was the first player to pull up from 40 feet with 18 seconds left on the clock and it still is a good shot.

He’s that good, and kids will forever be pulling up from deep as Curry does. Curry deserved this award, but giving it to James would’ve been just as easy as well.