Stephen Curry's Unanimous MVP Season

On May 10, 2016, Stephen Curry etched his name into history. The Golden State Warriors' point guard not only received his second NBA Most Valuable Player Award in a row, but he also became the first person in history to receive it unanimously.

Statistics

Curry led the league in scoring and averaged a then-career high of 30.1 points per game during the 2015-16 season. While breaking his previous season's record of 286 made 3s with a total of 402,[1] and leading the Golden State Warriors to a 73-9 regular season record. He shot an unheard-of 50.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from 3, and 90.8 percent from the free throw line through 79 games.[2] This elevated him to the "50/40/90 club," the NBA's most prestigious honor for scorers. At least 50% from the field, 40% from 3, and 90% from the free throw line. Curry became the ninth player in history to achieve such statistical success, and receive the honor at the time,[3] as well as the first player in history to average 30 points per game in less than 35 minutes per game.[1] He also had the most efficient season by a point guard ever with a 31.5 PER.

Key Dates
  • March 7, 2016: Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 300 3 pointers in a single season.[1]
  • April 13, 2016: during the last game of the season, Curry scored 46 points, and hit 10 threes to make him the only player in history to make 400 threes in a single season. This is also the date of the Golden State Warriors' historic 73rd win.[1]

Awards and Honors

Playoffs

Going into the 2015-16 NBA Playoffs, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors seemed unstoppable. They made quick work of the Houston Rockets in the first round, beating them in 5 games. They proceeded to do the same thing in the second round beating the Portland Trailblazers in 5 games. However, the Western Conference Finals is where it all changed. After falling in games 1, 3, and 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and trailing the series 3-1. It appeared that the titans of the NBA would fall. This was not the case as they went on to win games 5, 6, and 7 to advance to the NBA Finals. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers in games 1, 2, and 4, jumping to a 3-1 series lead. Opposite of the Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors appeared as they did before, unstoppable. One win away from their 2nd consecutive NBA Championship, it seemed the inevitable would come to fruition. However, a key Draymond Green game 5 suspension would mark a turning point in the series. The Cleveland Cavaliers would go on to win the next 3 games, and the series, becoming the 2015-16 NBA Champions. The Golden State Warriors became the first team in history to blow a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. The marked the end of Stephen Curry's and the Golden State Warriors' historic season.[4]

References
  1. "Diving into Stephen Curry's Unanimous MVP Year". Golden State Warriors. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  2. "Stephen Curry 2015-16 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  3. Golliver, Ben. "Steph Curry wins MVP again: Five insane feats". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  4. "Stephen Curry 2015-16 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
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