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Stephen Curry says he's 'gotta be' NBA MVP during hot streak

Jack Baer
·Staff writer
·2-min read

With only a month remaining in the NBA regular season, one of the more wide-open MVP races in recent memory is entering the final stretch.

No player is gaining steam like Stephen Curry, who has incinerated enough teams to enter contention despite playing for a Golden State Warriors team that was 29-29 entering Wednesday. His most recent firestorm: 49 points (10-of-17 shooting from deep) in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

During an appearance on "The Rex Chapman Show," Curry was asked if he believes he is the MVP. His answer was straightforward:

"I mean, I gotta be. I gotta be," Curry said. "I probably won't get it, but whatever."

When told he may be underrating his chances, Curry said, "I like to be dramatic sometimes, so I'm just setting the table."

Whether or not Curry's belief comes to pass depends on if he can continue his incredible run and if that will be enough to keep the Warriors' record respectable.

NBA MVP race has been eventful

As of the All-Star break, Joel Embiid appeared to be the clear frontrunner for MVP. And then he got injured. LeBron James appeared in position to take the award, and also got injured. Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard both appeared to be possibilities after that, and then Embiid returned after only 10 games missed with the Sixers still in first place in the Eastern Conference. James Harden briefly gained steam, and is now out indefinitely. It's a muddled group.

And then there's Curry, gaining on the pack like a rabid wolverine. BetMGM lists him as the third-best bet at +1400 odds.

In his last 10 games, Curry is averaging 40.8 points per game on 50.3% shooting from deep. In his last five games, Curry has made at least 10 3-pointers four different times. That already sounds impressive, but then consider only one player in NBA history (Klay Thompson) has posted that many 10-plus 3-pointer games in his career.

There might be disagreement on where Curry ranks right now in the MVP conversation, but it seems undeniable he's on the move. We'll see if that leads to a third career MVP award.

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