Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry is a four-time NBA champion, but he revealed that Kyrie Irving’s 3-pointer over him in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals led him to making a play he regretted.
Irving’s 3-point shot gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 92-89 lead over Golden State in Game 7, and Curry ended up taking a tough shot to try to answer Irving’s clutch make.
Kevin Love came up with a huge defensive stop on Curry on that possession, and the Warriors guard revealed that he wishes he did something “different” on that play.
“The Kevin Love possession which is one of my – if there’s one play I know I should have done something different, it’s that one,” Curry said. “There’s way more time on the clock than I thought. Me trying to answer Kyrie’s 3 over me was kind of in my head, and you force up a shot.”
Love was switched onto Curry on the ensuing possession, and he played unbelievable defense on Curry, forcing him into a tough shot from beyond the arc.
Curry missed the 3, and the Cavs went on to complete the 3-1 comeback and win the NBA Finals.
It’s hard to fault Curry’s decision to try to tie the game, as the final minutes of Game 7 in the 2016 NBA Finals were extremely low scoring. Both teams came up with key defensive stops, so Irving’s 3-pointer felt like a dagger at the time.
Irving, Love and LeBron James led the Cavs to one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history in the 2016 NBA Finals, finally bringing a championship home to Cleveland.
While the Warriors beat the Cavs in three out of their four matchups in the NBA Finals, there’s no doubt that 2016 was a terrific win by Cleveland.
Since the 2016 NBA Finals, Curry and the Warriors have won three NBA titles, with the last one coming in the 2021-22 season against the Boston Celtics. Curry won his first NBA Finals MVP award during that series.
While Irving and James are no longer with the Cavs, Love is still with the team trying to get it back to another NBA Finals.
Cleveland has a very solid roster this season, with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley leading the way.
There may not be another NBA team that ever accomplishes what the Cavs did in the 2016 NBA Finals, and it took a lot of special plays from multiple players. Curry may want his shot late in the game back, but for Cavs fans it will always be something that they remember Love for.
