Two-Time Takeaways

Memorable moments from Stephen Curry's second consecutive MVP acceptance speech.

They say practice makes perfect, and at this rate, Stephen Curry should have this whole MVP speech thing down before long. Curry was named the first unanimous MVP in NBA history on Tuesday, and became just the 11th player in league history to win the award in back-to-back seasons. In his acceptance speech, Curry reflected on the path that brought him to this point, the road that lies ahead, and his ascending status within the scope of basketball lore. Here are a few things that stood out in yet another memorable moment involving the two-time defending Most Valuable Player:

Make no mistake, as the son of an accomplished NBA veteran in his own right, Curry has long been well-versed in the history of the game, and the specialness of his most recent achievement is not lost on him. That was certainly clear when Curry reflected on the exclusive group of back-to-back MVPs that he is now a part of, placing all his new peers under the category of ‘legends.’ Curry didn’t go so far as to include himself under that terminology, but then again, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. You won’t find a more modest superstar than Curry, and so it was quite fitting that he opened his speech with effusive gratitude and appreciation towards the various groups of people that have aided in bringing him to this point.

If you want to know what makes Curry deserving of the MVP award, just ask his coworkers. Not only is Curry a world class basketball player, he is completely endeared by all of his teammates, coaches and executives, and that couldn’t have been made more clear by their remarks. In his speech, Warriors General Manager Bob Myers chose to focus on Curry the person, stating things like, “You’re someone who is very hard not to like,” and, “you make going to work everyday for me a true joy.” Steve Nash - one of the 10 other back-to-back MVPs in league history – spoke on Curry the player and the shocking impact he’s had on the game, admitting, “I’ve never seen [the game] evolve in six months like he’s shown us this year.” Don’t feel bad, Steve. Neither has anyone else.

One of the more humorous moments of the entire event was during Steve Kerr’s speech in which he reflected on the first time he met Curry’s mother, Sonya. Kerr recounted that the first words out of her mouth upon their introduction were, “Do you think he can make it in the NBA?” In joking about how nobody could have seen this storyline coming, Kerr quipped towards Steph, “Your own mom didn’t know if you could make it in the league.” All joking aside, Steph didn’t exactly foresee this ascent either. “I never really set out to change the game,” he said. “What I wanted to do was just be myself.”

If there was one overarching theme to Curry’s message, it was two-fold. While Curry urged his fellow teammates to remember and be appreciative of what they’ve already accomplished, becoming the first team in NBA history to win 73 games, he reminded them not to get complacent. In closing his speech, Curry indicated his eyes remain intently focused on the conquest of a repeat, finishing with, “Let’s win a championship.”

Curry’s MVP ceremony concluded in the most fitting way possible, as the man who has impacted countless lives around the world through his volunteer and service efforts made yet another gracious gesture in donating a 2016 Kia Sorrento to the Covenant House, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless youth. Whether draining three-pointers or assisting in the community, Curry continues to confirm what we’ve known all along – that he’s an MVP, both on and off the court.