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The true all-time greats mark their excellence in part by their ability to overcome the things that baffle everyone else: bad matchups, bad seasons, injured or underperforming support teammates, truly worthy competition, and the burden of otherwise disappointing teams that they have to wear. wear.
For the Golden State Warriors, that list of worries and the shaky season that followed also included one star teammate attacking another, a meager 11 road wins in the regular season, a mediocre defense and the need to keep alive a suddenly floundering dynasty. in the face of so much future uncertainty.
But all those things faded on Sunday in the presence of Stephen Curry’s ridiculous, unparalleled and undeniable talent. It was an all-time great playoff performance from a literally all-time great player.
Curry dropped 50 to clear out all these obstacles, shot after shot, memory after memory that for all the other truths in the association, this one remains: Steph is still Steph.
In his massive effort, Curry became the first 50-point scorer in any Game 7 in NBA history. He dropped 30 — 30! – of those points in a second half that started with a two-point Kings lead and ended like a masterclass in one of the game’s masters getting to work.
The result was a 120-100 beatdown over the Sacramento Kings to set up a second-round showdown against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, but it was also more than that.
It was a reminder, historic in its weight, that the things we think we know about basketball teams and likely matchups and playoff seeds and faltering franchises and aging or fading teammates and fear and doubt sometimes mean nothing when weighed against some of the best ever play the game.
“We all take him for granted because he’s brilliant night after night,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told the media after the game. “We’ve been looking at this for 10 years and you have to remind yourself every once in a while, the big picture, ‘This is one of the greatest players in the history of the game.’
“That’s how I felt in my playing time with Michale Jordan,” Kerr continued. “You just saw it night after night and you just took it for granted. That’s the way it is with Steph.”
Indeed it is, and has been for much of this season, with both Steph and LeBron.
As of February 25, the Warriors and Lakers were 9th and 13th respectively in the Western Conference. Now one of them will be in the Western Conference Finals, and maybe beyond.
Yes, Kevon Looney was great Sunday, with 21 rebounds. And between now and the turnaround of each of these teams over the past few months, a great deal of help has come in — from Looney and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and others for the Warriors, from Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and others for the Lakers.
But for each team, their north star was their real stars: LeBron for the Lakers, Steph for the Warriors.
These are not just great players. They are historically excellent, LeBron And Stef doing things over the past calendar year to remind us of their rare places in the sport’s history, including Curry’s 50-point barrage.
To me, they’re each Top 5 of all time, at least, and they can each take teams even further than they’ve done so far this season.
It’s easy to lose sight of how great these guys are and the impact they’re having on the postseason. Each is older. Each has missed enough time in recent seasons due to injuries to keep them out of MVP consideration and somewhat obscure their continued importance. Each has looked his age at times, including in these playoffs, further cementing the idea that this moment belongs to younger stars on the rise.
Time to put that idea on hold for a while. Time to remember, ever since they reminded us, they are still dangerous and capable regardless of current challenges.
Curry went all out to lead his sixth-seeded team to a second-round showdown against LeBron James, who did the same things in his own series against the Memphis Grizzlies to wear are seventh-ranked team in May, is the ultimate reminder that in NBA all-time greatness should never be discounted.
We have witnessed so much history from each player, including in the last few months. Both are among the best ever played. Both have refused to go quietly, even in the face of lesser teams, bigger opportunities and more urgent and capable opposition.
The kings deserve so much credit, and their future certainly looks bright. The same goes for a Grizzlies team that lacked key players for their series and seems built for future success. But neither could overcome the GOAT for them, because that level of greatness, when it still has that level to offer, can elevate its team and itself to beat anyone.
Kerr is right. How easily we take Steph and LeBron, who have won two of the last three NBA Finals, for granted, because what is ordinary rarely feels special. Even greatness of all times.
Perhaps the only guarantee against one of them is the other. And from Tuesday we will again see which GOAT can get the best out of the other.
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