Steph Curry faced the LeBron James and Kyrie Irving duo for three straight years from 2015 to 2017.
Although Steph Curry was able to win two rings out of the three during this time, the 2016 loss is always talked about because of how the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship.
Curry did not have the best of series, as he averaged only 22 points, which was less than his postseason average that season.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving played brilliantly for the Cavs with the former averaging 29 and the latter 27 in the series.
The duo put the team on their backs throughout the series by making big plays constantly.
But one specific game which showcased how special they were was Game 5, as the duo combined to score 82 points that night.
Game 7.
Tie Game.
Under 1 minute left.
Kyrie Irving knocks down the go-ahead 3-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to give Cleveland their first NBA Championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vJQZcMbybM— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 19, 2024
Steph Curry shares what James and Irving were like in the 2016 NBA Finals
No team had come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals before, but the Cavaliers were confident in their roster.
Irving was a young guard, but his talent was there for everyone to see.
He shared the advice Kobe Bryant gave him, which helped elevate his game for the Finals.
Although James had won two championships prior to this, he was up against a Golden State Warriors team that had won 72 games in that season.
The two knew it was going to be a tough task to beat the Dubs, but they trusted in their abilities and played elite basketball to do the unthinkable.
Speaking on the James and Irving duo in the 2016 NBA Finals, Curry said: “What I say about that 3-1 situation is, I have never seen two guys play at that level for three straight games.
“Like it was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Bron and Kyrie were just on it.
“We played well, they just played better and it was hard to watch and being in that vibe where you couldn’t do anything about it.”
Steph Curry on the play he regrets in Game 7
James and Irving did a great job in extending the series, with big performances after the Cavs had gone down 3-1 in the series.
However, it was their Game 7 performance that won them a lot of praise as the duo made big plays in the final few minutes to give the franchise their first-ever championship.
James made a stunning recovery block on Andre Iguodala, while Irving made a clutch three with less than a minute on the clock to give the Cavs a 93-89 win.
“We still had that opportunity to win Game 5 and 7 down the stretch and then the Kevin Love possession, which is one of my like, if there’s one play like I know I should’ve done something different, it’s that one,” said Curry when talking about the 2016 NBA Finals.
“It was way more time on the clock than I had thought.”
He also added: “Me trying to answer Kyrie’s three over me was kind of in my head, you force up a shot, then you lose momentum they win on your home floor.
“But you can always tip your hat to someone who outplays you, that what they did for three straight games.”
