A few days ago, Stephen Curry was named the first unanimous MVP of the NBA in its history. Curry had a remarkable season, and his team had the most wins in the regular season in NBA history, as well. He broke many records, including his own record of three pointers made in one season. With all of his accomplishments in the past few years, though, he's still receiving hate from people. Many are saying that he's not good for the game of basketball and that he would never have been able to survive in previous eras. All of his critics are just people who are jealous of his talent and popularity.
Mark Jackson of ESPN was one of the first people to come out and criticize Curry. Ironically, he was Curry’s coach a few years ago before he was fired by the team. He said that Steph was not good for the game, because kids want to play like him so they walk into the gym and start throwing up shots. This might be true, but if Curry can do it, who's to say another kid growing up right now cannot replicate Curry’s success with practice and hard work? The comment that he's “ruining” the game is just absurd. I've never seen so many people talking about the NBA like they are now. Men and women alike, all over the U.S., can be seen rocking Steph Curry jerseys. He brings such a large following to the game with his exciting style of play, and saying he is “ruining” the game just makes anyone who says that or agrees with it look foolish.
Anytime a player comes around who revolutionizes the game, that player is typically said to be “ruining” the game. Julius Erving was one of the first players to do flashy dunks. Many people said it would never be done again and that players shouldn't even be allowed to dunk. Now, we have the slam dunk competition and dunks are one of the most popular elements of the game. Therefore, I firmly believe that the next generation of players could end up playing similarly to Curry, if they practice the right way.
LeBron James came out after Curry won the MVP and questioned if Curry was actually the most valuable player to his team in the NBA. I don't like James at all, and think he's an arrogant, whiny swine, but I believe he has a right to be salty here. Curry averaged 30/5/6 this year, and was the unanimous MVP. LeBron averaged 30/8/7 in 2008 and only received one first place vote. I believe LeBron is one of the more underappreciated players to ever play in the league. He always put up MVP-type numbers, but never gets the credit he deserves because in our eyes, he's simply supposed to do that. With that said, LeBron’s Cavaliers finished with a 66-16 record compared to the Warriors' record of 73-9 this year. Curry was the clear leader for the Warriors this year, and was the biggest key to their success. When he wasn't on the court for them this year, they were dominated by a few teams and looked lost at times. Curry should have been the clear-cut MVP, and is without a doubt good for both the NBA and the game of basketball.
