Steph

A few years ago, my friend Jonathan Klein asked me to come speak to a strategy offsite for his company Getty Images. A few days later, I got a thank you note and he asked me to pick any image from their website for a thank you gift.

I picked this one and he was shocked. He asked me, “of all the famous and important images on our website, why would you pick that one?” I told him this story.

On March 23, 2008, our beloved Georgetown was playing in the NCAA regional finals against Davidson. My son Josh and I were certain this was going to be Georgetown’s year. We had big Roy Hibbert in the paint and a bunch of scoring guards and a tenacious defense. We sat down for the big game expecting a win and a trip to the final four.

Instead we got our first glimpse of Steph Curry. He pretty much singlehandedly beat Georgetown that game and by the second half Josh and I were rooting for him. He was that good and that fun to watch. We knew then that he was going to be something special.

Then in 2009, we watched with horror as the Warriors picked Steph with the 7th pick when we were sure our Knicks were going to get him with the 8th pick. MSG would be a different place with Steph on the floor every night in a Knicks uniform.

I missed last night’s game. We are in Berlin and I had to be up early for a board meeting. So when I got up and checked my phone and saw that Steph and his Warriors teammates had won game six and the NBA title, I was pleased.

LeBron may be the best player in the game right now, and he showed why in this series, but Steph and KD are my favorites. They play the game with an elegance and beauty that I appreciate.

I am really happy that Steph got his ring last night. Josh and I saw it coming 7 years ago when we first saw him in action.

#Sports

Comments (Archived):

  1. Gary Chou

    I feel like everyone has been looking for a player in the post-Jordan era through the lens of what MJ was. Steph’s game is so fresh and different, and that is what has made him special.

    1. fredwilson

      for sure. and he’s so damn fun to watch

    2. JaredMermey

      Steph’s game is fresh and different — he as a player and the Warriors as a team are the epitome of what the NBA wants the game to look like. I do wonder how he and the Warriors would fare against the Riley Knicks or Bad Boy Pistons with hand-checking allowed.That being said, thank goodness basketball is played the way it is today. The skill and athleticism the new rules promote lead to a much more enjoyable viewing experience.

      1. Drew Meyers

        I wouldn’t say it’s MORE enjoyable; just different. Watching the NBA 15 years ago when I was younger was damn enjoyable if you ask me..

        1. JaredMermey

          I find myself able to watch any two teams at any time these days. League Pass is well worth the cost — perhaps bringing back to tech! Throw on Sacramento-Portland at 11PM on a Wed and I am highly entertained.Back 15 years ago, if it wasn’t the Knicks, a game that influenced the Knicks, Jordan or the playoffs then it was hard to watch.

          1. Drew Meyers

            All I really watch now is the playoffs.

  2. William Mougayar

    7 years is also a good number for seeing a VC fund returns. Why wait 10. 7 is the new 10.

    1. awaldstein

      Wish that were so my friend.Good for everyone if it is indeed becoming true.

      1. William Mougayar

        Well, the innovation and adoption cycles are getting shorter, and a few good companies have gone public or gotten acquired withing 7 years already.

        1. awaldstein

          I’d like to think this is a trend. Trust me.Of course funds work on the exceptions that rise to the top, entrepreneurs work to make themselves the exception and more often than not, aren’t.As investors we invest like we manage our financial portfolios. And entrepreneurs, everything is in one big life defining basket.

          1. Richard

            i did some work in grad school to see if portfolio theory applies to VC, VC needs is own model

          2. awaldstein

            I’m not the expert here for certain.

          3. Richard

            Each year I attend the fancy food shows and natural expo shows, Food startups share a lot in common with tech startups, a Sagaciousness and Good Eye for talent will beat any portfolio approach.

          4. awaldstein

            Yup but there is uniqueness and unique challenges to the food biz.My four core food business beliefs:1. Figuring out how to disrupt distribution when your supply and distribution chain is perishable is not an option. You simply must.2. Your brand is what your customer holds in their hand. You need to put all of your beliefs and character and community in that bottle or package. It’s way-way!- more than label deep.3. If you sell on price you will loose. The majority of highly funded food startups are racing towards the bottom, buying facings at a loss per transaction. Almost every one will lose. Stupid costly game.4. If you think you have a business at a couple of hundred thousand units, you had better have a plan with capital to 10X that number and still have artisanal quality at industrial numbers.There are more. These are the ones etched in steel.

          5. LE

            All nice thoughts (would like more when you have the time).With respect to this:You need to put all of your beliefs and character and community in that bottle or package. It’s way-way!- more than label deep.The community and beliefs are what keep customers from leaving for the next shiny ball you are saying, right?I remember Samuel Adams from back in the 80’s with “the story”. [1] And I am not a beer drinker (many years since I have even had a beer) but I still remember how Sam Adams was positioned and specifically Jim Koch with his “try my beer”. Jim Koch in the ads.The logo and art actually suck. [2] If I look into the beer case at the liquor store I can see labels that are way more appealing and that would motivate me to purchase. However Sam Adams has survived. That said correlation is not causation or however the saying goes but I 100% buy into the meat or the argument.[1] From a beer family but went to Harvard (BA, MBA, JD) and worked at Boston Consulting Group. So this is no unshaven farmer we are talking about here either.[2] Not appealing to me but then again neither is Budweiser.

    2. Richard

      Present value like an athletes performance ramps up quickly. Anyone who doubts how importance execution is need only look at the present value calculation.

    3. JLM

      .It takes a long time to become an overnight success.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

  3. Rick Mason

    Curry was amazing but don’t forget the efforts of one Draymond Green, as Reggie Jackson used to say he was the ‘straw that stirs the drink’. My mind is a little hazy but I believe that the only players to get a triple double in the championship series are either in the hall of fame or headed there.

  4. David Fleck

    Steph is ridiculous. I was talking to an old friend last night (we played ball together from age 6 months to 18 years) and we were both just laughing at how damn good he is at making his own shot. By making his shot I mean the whole thing – busting around screens, quick catch and release, always eyeing the basket. Straight up hustle.It also got me to thinking about how this is also life, too. Life throws some crap at you, but it’s amazing what happens if you stay cool and hustle your ass off.

    1. fredwilson

      He is the master of the step back

      1. kirklove

        Careful… That’s AI territory ๐Ÿ˜‰

        1. Mike M.

          No offense to AI’s better explosiveness there, but Steph has taken it next level with his balance and release.

          1. kirklove

            No offense taken. AI is just one of my all-time favs. Steph > AI from a shooting perspective no doubt. Was joking really.

      2. Ana Milicevic

        Soon to be renamed the Steph-back ๐Ÿ˜‰

        1. Drew Meyers

          +5

  5. creative group

    I can understand why casual sports enthusiast would jump on the Warriors and Stephen Curry’s band wagon. It is a feel good story. The Warriors without a doubt have character people on that team.That being said I am a true Knick, Giants, Yankees and Rangers man. No other teams matter. I can respect individual players and still have a dislike for the team they play. My team then Eastern conference. (With exception of anything Boston or team from Massachusetts)I have attended camps of all my sports teams except the Rangers.No matter where I relocate (Scottsdale now) I will always support the aforementioned teams.The Knick ownership is pathetic but I will still support the team regardless. It makesit that much special when they win it all. Bandwagoners be damned.

  6. Jason Tan

    Love Steph, but I do think Anthony Davis is The Next Big Thing. Literally.

  7. steve nson

    Steph is a great player, but LBJ is a beast, and with Kyrie and Love next year they will clean everyone’s clock in the league.

    1. Lil Pong

      If LBJ were a beast why would it need Kyrie and Love.Even with Wade and Bosh on his side , LBJ lost 2 finals. You think Love and Kirk add more value to the Beast.

  8. Salt Shaker

    I rooted for GS but it would have been a diff series had Kyrie and Love not been injured. Not saying the outcome would necessarily been diff, but the playing field would have been a bit more level. I think Steve Kerr deserves some credit here too by mixing up the line up and substitution patterns. Feel a tad sorry for Mark Jackson…he kind of got hosed in all of this.

    1. creative group

      Agree with statement regarding Mark Jackson. That is why for the life of me can’t see any New Yorker rooting for the Warriors.Individual player(s) but not the organization. (Jerry West is a class act from outside looking in)

    2. Mike M.

      I no longer feel sorry for Jackson at all. His behavior and remarks have been nothing but whiny and petulant.. From Scott Ostler on SFGate…”Itโ€™s still bizarre โ€” and wrong โ€” that Mark Jackson is doing color commentary on this series. What, heโ€™s the only guy in the world who could fill that third ABC chair? Even if Jackson is totally unbiased, or believes he is, he isnโ€™t. Everything he says during the telecast has to be processed through about six imaginary filters.” …Give Jackson his due for getting the ball rolling and developing a sound team-defense philosophy and work ethic, but he was outclassed from the start in Xs and Os (offensively) and blatantly refused to hire anyone with such prowess for fear it would undermine his credit. No to mention the way he “tried” to subtly belittle anyone who he felt opposed him, like his ongoing feud with Bogut. Show a little class, Mark…

      1. Salt Shaker

        Mark Jackson is the NBA’s 4th leading assist leader, ahead of Magic, Isiah and Oscar, just to name a few. To suggest he is lacking in X’s and O’s belies his stats and his leadership. After all, a PG is the team’s floor general! GS won 51 games last year built on the foundation that MJ created. Not to take anything away from Kerr, who did a great job, but there’s no reason to believe GS wouldn’t have been in the same position w/ MJ.Full Disclosure: Been a fanboy of Mark’s since his playing days at SJU and as a Knicks 1st round pick. He should have been named the Knicks HC when Kerr bailed.

        1. Mike M.

          I take no credit away from Mark’s playing career, but that is separate from his coaching skills…Quick case in point. You have to look no further than the warriors out of bounds plays (https://youtu.be/5YFHWAN8QMQ here’s a quick example of one simple counter because teams are so afraid of their designed sets), both underneath the hoop and side outs. The dubs have been absolutely brilliant taking the ball out of bounds this year and have scored countless buckets because Kerr and his assistants have been masterminds at crafting well developed plays, whilst the warriors of last season failed time and time again in last minute situations and usually just opted to clear out and iso steph at the top of the key.You were spot on when you mentioned his leadership. Jackson had that in spades and his players loved him for it. But it was Kerr’s (and his assistants, remember, one of the reasons Lacob cited for Jackson’s removal was because he refused any management input regarding assistants who they sought to help balance out Jackson’s deficiencies ) technical prowess that bumped the warriors to a whole new level, even in discussions of the top 10-20 greatest teams of all time. Warriors with Jackson would not be near that level.

        2. Mike M.

          Rewind the tape and just watch the shot opportunities Kerr designed out of timeouts and pull up a similar tape of last year’s team and you will be amazed at the difference in Xs and Os.

  9. Tom Labus

    He’s got some game. I kept seeing him in Brooklyn in a Nets uniform.Cavs will be back but maybe with a coach that Lebron will pay attention to.

  10. Dave Pinsen

    What’s your connection to Georgetown?

    1. creative group

      Unsolicited answer: Most Georgetown fans who have no affiliation with the school watched every game of Big East rivalries. Georgetown teams dominated or made games compelling under Coach John Thompson. Patrick Ewing was the New York Knicks hope and dreams of a Championship that never came but always competitive. You would have to understand the Big East and the way the games aired during that period of the 1980’s.A young ESPN needed sports to air and the Big East provided the show.http://youtu.be/awKIl6CwiVk

  11. drmarasmith

    “He was that good and that fun to watch” As a professional that works with athletes, he is an example we use often on the importance of taking the path that is right for you. While a player at a lower profile school he was the “wow” player in almost every game. The highlight of many players was just having the chance to play against him in their career. There is a reason we don’t cal it “working” a sport, or “intensing” a sport. We call it playing a sport – just watch Steph and you will know why.

    1. Salt Shaker

      Davidson is D-1.

      1. drmarasmith

        Thanks – I was confused as they play some D3 programs. I guess it isn’t a traditionally high profile BB school – in that lies the opportunity for different paths.

        1. pointsnfigures

          Davidson is D-1 in hoop and some other sports. It only has 1400 kids. 20-25% are athletes. They ALL go to class. It has one of the most rigorous honor codes I have seen outside a service academy. Great place for an education and the 2yr Humanities core might be the best in the US.

      2. andyswan

        Yes but most years they wouldn’t be top 25 in D2. I think low profile is accurate.

        1. pointsnfigures

          They are playing in the A10 now. Stepping up a class to recruit better players.

          1. andyswan

            Yes. Big step

  12. phomnack

    Bob Myers and co. have the Warriors in great shape going forward the next few years as well. Steph in the finals could happen a few more times if we’re lucky.

  13. Matt Kruza

    Anyone giving free hugs? Massive Cleveland advocate here, grew up and after college just down the road in Columbus, back starting my career and company. Obviously disappointed. Congrats Warriors and Fred… From a sociological perspective the power of sport to bring together a bunch of random people is truly amazing (maybe there are downsides too, but surprisingly almost all the benefits of the playoff run the last 8 weeks were positive). There is bar none nothing that will bring so much positive emotion in a city and that will connect people of every race, gender, age, and income bracket. I think there are probably some concrete lessons to be harvested from this fact, and I have some thoughts, but just a very interesting phenomenon to watch

  14. JimwHuff

    As a KU fan, I remember 2008 very well bc we were in the same regional as you guys. I was afraid to play against G-Town bc of their size. We ended up getting Davidson in the Elite 8 and we only won bc they had a shot miss at the buzzer. Steph did whatever he wanted that game and it was amazing to watch. He is kind of a modern day Pistol-Pete. Good call on the pic!

  15. JimHirshfield

    Interesting player allegiance thing going on here. Like your team, but love certain players no matter what team they play for?

    1. andyswan

      That’s kind of the NBA model

      1. JimHirshfield

        Interesting

    2. Ana Milicevic

      I blame fantasy sports for that.

      1. JimHirshfield

        That makes sense.

      2. LE

        I wonder what fantasy sports will do for gambling. You have young kids (like my stepson) who play fantasy sports but afaik don’t gamble (with money). So in theory once they get older I would think they would then gamble with money.

        1. Mike M.

          The line between fantasy sports and gambling gets a little thinner every day. Consider the onset and popularity of all the daily competitions now on sites like Draft Kings…

          1. LE

            It should be a big area of concern of course. But it won’t be unfortunately. To much money and ship is already out at sea.

    3. LE

      but love certain players no matter what team they play forAnd I would think that that is better for sports as a business. If you only like 1 team then you are only interested in watching that team play vs. another team typically, right?But if you like and follow certain players you will then potentially have ongoing interest in many games. Both your “team” and any game that your “players” play in.

      1. JimHirshfield

        Good point

  16. pointsnfigures

    One other thing, he is truly a nice person. When the NBA went on strike, he went back to Davidson and took classes. My daughter had a class with him. Said he showed up, participated and acted like a regular student. She borrowed pencils from him.Another interesting thing about him-the big D1 schools didn’t recruit him because they were afraid he was undersized. Playing for Bob McKillop at Davidson was huge for him-and he got a great education in the process. Duke regretted it so much they recruited his brother out of Liberty.Showing my age now, Steph probably isn’t the greatest shooter in Finals history-Larry Bird might have something to say about that. He reminds me a lot of Pistol Pete Maravich. Unbelievable court sense-in total control most of the time, great passer and gets the ball exactly where it needs to be in exactly the right spot.Congrats to the Warriors. LeBron probably should have won the MVP. Amazing performance considering they lost two starters.

  17. andyswan

    Lebron is football. Steph is soccer.It’s simply amazing how good those guys are. They are literally too good to be coached or refereed properly.

    1. Bill Hiel

      I wonder what makes lebron a great player. He had enough support from the team (JR, Dell, TT, Mozgiv) in the games and could have won the series if only he made those shots when it mattered. I guess he is 60-200 in FG this series and most of his shot attempts were pathetic to watch. He has no moves,still called for travels, lots of offensive fouls, zero clutch, and those bricks of his makes anyone around the rim deaf. Poor poster boy for the NBA. Steph answered them all.In Jordan’s rule, no other player emerged victorious. In Lebron’s time, even the aged Tim Duncan from nowhere, leave alone the Stephs and the Igudolas

      1. andyswan

        35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game on 40% shooting from the floor.Irving and Love out was an ENORMOUS blow.Obviously we weren’t watching the same series. The Lebron/Jordan conversation is becoming legitimate. Lebron has some work to do to get there… a few championships…but I think he might do it.I don’t think he’ll ever get to Shaq status though.

        1. Bill Hiel

          if you are a ball-hog , you make atleast 60% of FG. Don’t blame your bad shooting skills on the role players.Game is down by 8 and lebron misses a 3 , a layup , a free throw and a costly turnover(24-sec). This is not what superstars do. Superstars makes plays, draws fouls, cut the lead down that energises the whole team to action so role players share the responsiblity in a team win. Lebron does just the opposite which is why the Cavs lost. Not because of Love, Irving not around that is a silly excuse. The malaise is within the team , Lebron.In his previous stint at Clevand, he had all that he asked for, Ben Wallace, Antawn Jamison, Shaq, Z and all other top role players. He could not pull it off.This picture sums it up. This is how superstars win championship. Lebron , to me, is a bench player

          1. andyswan

            What are the odds that you think Cleveland wins it all next year with “bench player” Lebron leading the team?

          2. Bill Hiel

            Zero.This recently concluded series would have been the easiest for Cleveland and they missed it. Dont you know the Golden State strategy starting with Game 1 is to let Lebron have ‘fun’ with the ball ? They are fine with Lebron making 40 points a game and it worked as his expendtures to arrive at 40 points comes at a cost of 38 attempts and making only less than 14 shots.This strategy is no different to the one Pop employed during the SA-Miami finals 2 times.On a side note,Nearly 200 NBA players are turning free agents after this season. Never before has something like this happened in the past. Expect a lot of teams bolstering their strengths this time, including the Clips, Mavs, Rockets, Spurs, Atlanta, Chicago etc.,Obviously the West teams will become even more powerful to compete against GS, so the end result will always be the same. West teams to clinch it again.

          3. andyswan

            So if I am willing to risk $ you will give me 20:1 odds? ย I am willing to go as high as you will allow. At 0% it should be an easy win for you

          4. Bill Hiel

            That is easy. I am already on a hot streak having won boatloads of money betting on SA last season and GS this season. All thanks to Lebron ๐Ÿ™‚

          5. andyswan

            Ok let’s do it. You name the size

          6. JLM

            .Letting the biggest scorer get his and making him work for it is a good strategy because it allows for better defense against the lesser players though everyone in the league can be a star on any given night.It is easier to shut down #3-5 than it is #1-2. In the Cleveland situation, #2-3 were on the bench in civvies.You may be just a tad harsh. Kyrie is new to the Finals. In the future, he will be a killer. If the Cavs can keep it together, they will be an awesome force with which to reckon.Tiring the big star out in a 7 game series is a good result also. You’re right Popovich was the master at this.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

          7. Bill Hiel

            My point here is as Cleveland gets stronger(!!) with the arrival of Kyrie, so does the strategies differ. They are dime a dozen strategies out there to triumph a war. The next best strategy I can think of in that case would be to isolate every individual from the team-effort and put them in a vulnerable situation. This , to me, is a bit easier when executed well by the commander on the other side. Quite similar to what the Mongolians did to the Greece army in their conquest for Europe, as highlighted in “The Art of War”.

          8. JLM

            .There are a few strategies but there are unlimited tactics.One of the most important tactical considerations of war, as written by Sun Tsu (not to be confused with Shih Tzu), is to constantly adapt your tactics to what the enemy does.The most important concept is to “exploit the advantage” — to pile on with the winning tactic.Study von Moltke the Elder. He was a better baller than Sun who had no real handle. Both played before the 3-point shot, so there is that.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

          9. John Frazier

            Iknow what ur saying but lebron taking ~40 shots and missing 25 shots .People say theres no help .But thats wrong .JR , shump, delly,mozgov,tristian thompson and no help!

          10. creative group

            bums bums bums. Average players, my Knicks were happy to unload for nothing.

          11. creative group

            I guess you were on sabbatical when Eastern Conference Miami won two straight and Boston’s two straight.Typical casual fan. Statistics don’t matter unless you are attempting to make a point with another casual fan not armed with statistics and history.

          12. Mike M.

            A little town in Nevada puts Cavs as early front-runners at 9-4. Dubs and Thunder tied at 5-1.

          13. Mike O'Horo

            Vegas oddsmakers have the Cavs as the favorite for next year.

          14. andyswan

            I do too

          15. kidmercury

            lol at your list of “all he could ask for” including a 40 year old shaq and a ben wallace who averaged under 5 points per game

          16. creative group

            Bill:the entire world gets it you hate LeBron. You burned his jersey the first and have been committed to never supporting the bum ever again, you mean forever and ever. We got it now let the dog lay. The dog is completely dead until next season and we expect the identical comments next year.

      2. Elia Freedman

        Really? The Cavs had no other stars on the floor as Love and Irving were out with injuries. In fact three starters were out as Varajeo has missed most the season. But still… The Cavs ran out of steam. They looked exhausted, particularly the last two games. I think playing the first two to overtime did them in. They just didn’t have enough players to overcome. James and a bunch of role players took GS, the best team in the NBA, to six games.

        1. Lil Pong

          silly nut. are you clear what you are talking. you make it look like cavs should be handed over the trophy because they are undermanned and tired which otherwise is a championship team

      3. creative group

        The casual NBA fan would accept what you attempted to present as a valid point. LeBron had only one future Hall of Famer he played with in an aging worn down D Wade. Jordan had Pipen, Cartwright, Dennis Rodman, Kerr, Oakley, on and on.Not even a LeBron guy but a statistics guy. _________________LeBron James Leads Both Teams – NBA FinalsPPG 35.8APG 8.8 RPG 13.3 >>1st to lead in all categories in Finals history.________________Without LeBron James on the floor this series.JR Smith 0/9 FGDelly 0/7 FGJ. Jones 0/3 FGShumpert 0/2 FGTotal 0/21 FG________________Highest Pct of Team Points Finals History.1993 Michael Jordan 38.4%2015 LeBron James 38.3%____________________How can anyone earn a Finals MVP when the player you are guarding averaged a triple double. Really dumb. At least award it to Curry._____________________Just the facts Ma’amDagnet

        1. Bill Hiel

          Statistics doesn’t matter when it comes to playing on the court.The poorest body language I can see from a superstar(self-proclaimed) is to get back to the bench when your team is down by 9 points with 1 minute and 25 seconds left. He gave up. Not once, but twice in these Finals. Heck, this is not a regular season game, a FINALS game in Lebron’s home court.Not having Kyrie, Love is not the issue for Lebron. Having Curry on the opposite team is the main issue for LB. Same as having Tim D in the opposite team is an issue. Ditto with Dirk playing on the other side.Jordan CREATED Pipen, Cartwright, Dennis Rodman, Kerr, Oakley, on and on.Lebron did not have to create Wade, Bosh. They are future HOF even before Lebron went to Miami.Riley Curry response when asked about Lebron’s shooting percentage

      4. kidmercury

        lol you have to be joking. name the last time a team won the NBA finals with just one all star. go ahead, take your time.lebron should have won MVP, in spite of being on the losing team. in my opinion this series erased any doubt that he is worthy of inclusion in any GOAT discussion, and in my opinion, he is the GOAT (and i say this as not really a fan of his game, awesome as it is).

        1. Mike M.

          Well that depends if you mean an All-Star in the year they won.. I’d go Rockets/Hakeem (obviously Clyde was a prior All-Star), I think there was a Pistons team that only had 1, Rick Barry and the 75 Warriors.. Of course, this still underscores your point of rarity, just not unique.

          1. kidmercury

            very good points — i did overlook those teams, especially 2004 pistons. 94 rockets really highlight olajuwon’s amazing-ness — best center ever IMO.

          2. Mike O'Horo

            You seem to forget Kareem.

          3. kidmercury

            i’d still take olajuwon over kareem. in fact, if i were making an NBA dream team and could pick from the entire set of players in their prime, my first pick would be lebron and my second would be olajuwon.

        2. Bill Hiel

          that’s a cinch. 2011 Dallas Mavericks

          1. kidmercury

            you’re right, on second thought it does actually happen from time to time. my bad.

          2. creative group

            You give up to easy and just in argument and not facts. Dirk had Jason Kidd (Future HOF), Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler, Six man of the year Jason Terry and the Matrix Shawn Marion. See if he can duplicate the facts just presented with Lebrons 2015 finals team.

          3. kidmercury

            kidd and marion were old by then; that mavs team pulled off a great upset. but there is also the 2004 pistons and the 94-95 rockets that won with just one star. still, though, i think the criticisms of lebron’s game are silly.

      5. Salt Shaker

        Oy, I don’t know where to begin. What makes sports great is that there are always diverging points of view, but this is hard to swallow. I won’t even address your LBJ comments cause, with respect, they’re just a tad (and I’m being polite here) shortsighted. I will say unequivocally that Kyrie Irving, when healthy, is one of the top 3 point guards in the league and for anyone to assume his inability to play in this series was a non-factor is ludicrous.

        1. LE

          What makes sports great is that there are always diverging points of viewWhat’s great about sports is what’s great about politics. No right or wrong answers. [1]My guess is that people (such as myself) that know zero about sports could easily join in a conversation and nobody would even notice that they don’t know anything at all about sports. In a non analog subject that would either be harder or impossible to do.[1] Related is why golf can be played among people of varying level of skill all who can have a good time playing together (from what I am told I don’t play golf). So one persons lack of skill doesn’t hold up the person that they are playing with (within reasonable bounds) as opposed to tennis or skiing or mountain climbing.

        2. Mike M.

          Not disagreeing with the gist of your statement here, but (steph, Chris Paul , Russ Westbrook, Damion Lillard, John Wall, Tony Parker, et al) might want to open a discussion with you regarding that unequivocal part.. (Of course, that gets into the what is your definition of a pg discussion, too)

    2. Donna Brewington White

      Can you relate?

      1. Linda Gosmore

        football is brute, worst that can happen is concussion.soccer is skill, worst that can happen is a championship.

  18. Ana Milicevic

    He reminds me so much of the magic that Drazen Petrovic had. Makes the game interesting again for me.

    1. Salt Shaker

      Drazen was a heckuva shooter. The NBA (sadly) didn’t get to see his skills for very long.

      1. Ana Milicevic

        Yes – I was lucky to catch him in his early career in Europe and on the now legendary last Yugoslav national team. He was electrifying and a clear standout among so many other very talented players of his generation. If you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend the 30 for 30 doc ‘Once Brothers’ about his career and the many-layered relationship w/ Vlade Divac (but make sure you have Kleenex on hand).

  19. David Teich

    While both Steph and Lebron played a tremendous finals. I have a lot of respect for the NBA electing to give the finals MVP to Iguodala. A true “No-Stats All Star” performance (aka Shane Battier in his prime).

    1. kidmercury

      nah it should have been lebron. discrimination against him for being on the losing team, but this was the best nba finals performance maybe ever. once kyrie went down, how many people thought this series could have been as close as it was?

  20. JLM

    .Steph Curry is a fundamentally sound player.He has a well engineered shot which he changed to provide more arc and therefore — simple dynamics — increased addressable cross sectional area of the rim to his ball. Probably a 1% difference but leveraged by his accuracy makes all the difference.More importantly, he gets himself open. It doesn’t make any real difference how good your shot is if you can’t take it. To take it, you have to get open. To get open, you have to run, run, run and brush off screens, be prepared to fire immediately and take the drop back shot.Getting open is hard work. This may actually be the key to his game. He doesn’t call for the ball, he delivers himself to the right place so when he gets the ball there is a shot waiting for him to take.Going to Davidson — great traditional Southern school like W&L — was perfect for him. Gone to Carolina or Duke — would have been processed into an unrecognizable chicken nugget. At D’son, he was the process.At Duke, he would never have gotten the playing time or been allowed to throw the team on his back and start shooting. It made him the shooter he is today.This was all hard work, fundamentals and heart.As it turned out — he wasn’t too short, too small, too weak. He was just right.There is a lesson for entrepreneurs in this — sound fundamentals, attention to detail, relentless practice and heart.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

    1. andyswan

      Anyone who says they don’t play defense in the NBA just needs to watch how hard Steph Curry works to get the ball and get the shot off… Every play

    2. Mike M.

      It’s a shame that the proliferation of all the 1 and dones prevents more players from getting the requisite amount of training and development in college.

      1. JLM

        .No question. A lot of it is the proliferation of NBA bodies. It used to be that college kids had to grow up and mature their bodies and their games. Now, they arrive in college with big strong NBA bodies.The other thing is the AAU circuit which is actually far more important than high school. They play way more games in the AAU leagues, against better competition, than in high school.The NBA is also pretty heartless when a guy is close but not quite there The D league just doesn’t have any more training than the NBA.I remember a Carolina player, Joe Forte, who had a game like Steph Curry — silky smooth guard with a nice shooting touch. ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Player of the Year.Left UNC early and just wasn’t ready plus he ran into a lot of entrenched talent at shooting guard so he had to try to be a point guard.He’s played in Italy, Greece, Russia, Israel and Iran — maybe a few more. He lit up the Italian league scoring well — couple games in the thirties which is a lot in that league. I think he’s in Israel now.OTOH, there are a lot of good Carolina players who left early and got good traction.You are, of course, right.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…

    3. Twain Twain

      “Too short, too small, too weak” was also said of Lionel Messi as a teen and look how he turned out! 4 World Player of the Year Ball D’Ors.Basketball is my American sport of choice. It’s compact. It’s fast. It needs more skills on the ball than baseball and American football.

    4. S Kapa

      i’m a ten year old and i am a huge steph curry fan.Ever since i knew him i’ve been thinking how does he make those threes to make a record one season and break on the following season.I’ve watched documentaries and watched everything to see how he does it but i never figured out .i even practiced for a few days but it still didn’t work .Now that u wrote this paragraph about steph i know what to do.thank u Mr.JLM

  21. JamesHRH

    Most interestingly, Steph is the poster boy for the transformation of the NBA from an ISO / BIG formula to a SPACING / SMALL league.Your choice of image is perfect – Hibbert’s the past, Steph is the future.

  22. Richard

    I sure wish college baseball got the coverage of college basketball. Check out the college ws going on now!

  23. Elia Freedman

    My favorite stat of this postseason is that Curry made more three pointers than the entire NBA in the first year the three point line was introduced.

  24. jkrums

    A special player that has a great team around him. Will be fun to watch them next 5-7 years dominate the West if they keep the core guys together. But, if LeBron had any help at all in the finals it would be Cleveland’s championship.

    1. Drew Meyers

      I feel bad for all cleveland’s “role” other players… everything they must hear/read is to the tune of “cleveland had lebron and a bunch of chumps, if he got any help at all they would/could have won”.

      1. jkrums

        I feel bad as well.. but unfortunately that’s the reality.. Anywhere outside the NBA they are studs.

      2. Salt Shaker

        Well, here’s some stats to help ease their pain and “disrespect” (sans certainly Mozgov): JR Smith $5.9M, Tristan Thompson $5.4M, Tim Mozgov $4.6M, Iman Shumpert $2.7M, Mike Miller $2.7M.Plus, there’s NBA playoff pool money that they’ll share.

        1. Drew Meyers

          I was very impressed w/ Mozgov and Thompson…very solid players. If the whole team is healthy and stays together next year, that’s a very, very good team. I feel a rematch coming..

          1. jkrums

            They’ll be in contention for years. And if healthy will be the favorites next year.

        2. jkrums

          I think they will be able to cope with it as well. haRegarding the NBA pool money: saw an interesting fact that NBA and NHL have the same pool of $14 million.. would have expected NBA to be dramatically larger considering the viewership/revenue they draw..

  25. Donna Brewington White

    So I wonder if your ability to identify Steph is tied to your ability to recognize winning companies in their formative stages. And is Josh a future VC?

  26. David Goldberg

    Please don’t remind us New Yorkers

  27. Mike M.

    Steph is a pure joy to watch. While LeBron may be the better player, the imagination, beauty and pure entertainment factor of Steph’s game is currently unmatched, IMO. I’ve heard the closest example would be Pistol Pete, though I am too young to have witnessed/appreciated his game. Very fortunate to be a Dubs fan!

  28. Richard Kain

    There is surprisingly little coverage of the key choices the Warriors made three years ago that lead to this championship. Fellow Guard Monta Ellis was the fan favorite, clearly the best and most exciting player on the Warriors when Curry was drafted. He was not happy with the Curry pick (http://blogs.mercurynews.co… They were in retrospect superficially similar players (highlight reel-making long range shots), and started to compete for time. Curry’s repeatedly injured ankle was a big question mark: and was he really a point guard? So many turnovers! Who would the Warriors trade, given the conflict and the need for a trade chip to get a defensive anchor to replace the absymal center Biedrins?They go with Ellis in a multi-player deal to get…another frequently injured if promising player in Bogut. (Despite his minimal role in the Cavs series, an anchor for the Warriors’ run.) Incredibly gutsy decision for which Joe Lacob was roundly booed at Oracle. Way to go Warriors.

  29. pointsnfigures

    Something I saw on a friend’s Facebook page. Steph Curry in his own words. http://www.charismanews.com

  30. CB Mills

    He did the same thing to my beloved Badgers in that 2008 tourney. 33 pts and six 3-pointers.

  31. djglasco

    Great choice of photograph and wonderful story about what you observed in Steph Curry early on.

  32. matthughes

    That’s a cool story about the Getty shot.What a fun series. Golden St was great. Cleveland was valiant in defeat.

  33. george

    Great backstory! Maybe Steph and KD can team up down the road, that would be an insane pairing!