Looking ahead to the NBA Finals for the first time since the Golden State Warriors clinched their place as the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ championship opponent, LeBron James was asked Friday what it will take to slow down league MVP Stephen Curry.
“Well, the same way you slow me down,” James said. “You can’t.”
Curry, who has taken his award-winning regular-season numbers of 23.8 points and 3.6 made 3-pointers per game to an even higher level in the postseason — 29.2 points and 4.9 made 3s per game — finished with more than double the number of MVP award voting points, 1,198 to 552, as James, who ended up third.
James called Curry a worthy MVP at the time of the ceremony and elaborated on the shooting guard’s skills with Game 1 of the Finals less than a week away (Thursday, 9 p.m. ET,ABC).
“He has a great motor,” James said. “I think a lot of people don’t understand how great his motor is. He never stops moving. His ballhandling, his ability to shoot the ball off the dribble and off the catch. It’s uncanny. I don’t think there’s ever been a guy in the league to shoot the ball the way he does off the dribble or off the catch, off the ball. He just creates so many matchup problems for your defense, and you just always have to be aware.”
The whole country has become aware of Curry, as he led the league in All-Star voting back in February and has become one of the more prominent forward-facing personalities the NBA promotes.
“I think it’s great for our league,” James said. “Steph is great for our league, the way he approaches not only everything on the floor, but off the floor. He’s got a beautiful family and everything, so, I mean, it wouldn’t be bad for our league at all if they want to model it behind him. He’s great for our league.”
Kyrie Irving, who said his health is “in a good spot” after he missed two games in the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks because of left knee tendinitis, revealed that he feels well enough to be matched up with Curry defensively in the Finals.
Source: ESPN | Dave McMenamin
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