Kevin Durant spent the entire 2017-18 season hoping Stephen Curry would secure his first NBA Finals MVP award, former Golden State Warriors guard Quinn Cook said on the “Players Choice” podcast.
Durant’s plan revealed
Cook recalled that Durant, who had already collected the 2017 Finals MVP trophy, repeatedly told teammates he wanted Curry to silence critics by winning the honor in 2018. “That’s all he was talking about all season,” Cook noted.
How the award slipped away
Curry opened the 2018 Finals with a record-setting nine three-pointers in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, positioning himself as the early favorite. However, Curry struggled in Game 3 while Durant tallied 43 points, and the forward capped the series with a triple-double in Game 4. Those performances pushed Durant’s series averages to 28.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, leading to his second straight Finals MVP.
Curry’s history with the award
Despite guiding Golden State to titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018—and later in 2022—Curry was overlooked for the Finals MVP during the Warriors’ first three championships. Andre Iguodala claimed the honor in 2015 after Curry averaged 26.2 points while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range. Curry finally won the award in 2022.
Durant’s current situation in Houston
The Houston Rockets acquired Durant earlier this offseason in a seven-team trade that sent a package featuring Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns. Durant, 37 in September, is owed $54.7 million in 2025-26, the final year of a four-season, $194 million contract he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on “The Hoop Collective” podcast that Houston is reluctant to offer Durant a two-year, $122 million maximum extension. According to MacMahon, the Rockets may begin the season with Durant on his existing deal rather than committing to a new, full-max agreement.
Durant’s latest numbers
Last season with Phoenix, the 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks across 62 starts while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.
Source: Basketball Insiders
