How Kevin Durant ‘accidentally’ won second Finals MVP with Warriors over Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors were a cheat code when Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry played together from 2016 to 2019. Their partnership led to back-to-back titles, with Durant being named Finals MVP twice.

When Curry led the Warriors to the title in 2022 and won his first-ever Finals MVP, he finally crossed out the only thing missing from his game-changing legacy.

Prior to the feat, fans were chastising him for not having the said award despite having multiple rings, claiming that it's the true hallmark of greatness.

While Curry had a strong run in the 2017 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Durant shone brighter, highlighted by his dagger three-pointer in Game 3, which practically sealed the Finals MVP for him.

Former Warriors guard Quinn Cook, however, made an eye-opening revelation about Durant, which showed how much he valued Curry as a teammate after their first championship together.

“Kevin wanted Steph to get that Finals MVP the next year so bad. That's all he was talking about all season, like, ‘I can't wait until Steph gets his Finals MVP so he can shut up everybody, the naysayers,'” claimed Cook, as quoted in a report from NBC Sports Bay Area's Tristi Rodriguez.

“I think in Game 2 (of the 2018 NBA Finals), that's when Steph broke the record, he had nine threes. Then Game 3, we were struggling, Steph was struggling, and Kevin just accidentally walked into 40 (points). Then you just look at the numbers statistically, I think Kevin had a triple-double in Game 4. He wasn't even as aggressive. That's just how good he is. He just accidentally got the Finals MVP back-to-back.”

It's now pointless to compare the numbers of Durant and Curry during that run. After all, in the end, it's the crown that mattered for them.

The two future Hall of Famers have maintained a close relationship over the years despite parting ways. Their mutual respect is much bigger than a shiny trophy. That's not accidental.