Magic Johnson has developed a reputation for reporting basic facts and information on Twitter. However, he took a trip to the dark side with a polarizing take.
Before the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics begin Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, the basketball legend claimed that Stephen Curry should win his first Finals MVP award regardless of the championship series’ outcome.
The court of public opinion isn’t ruling in Magic’s favor, and many who disagreed made the same argument.
LeBron James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists during the 2015 NBA Finals. He carried a Cleveland Cavaliers team missing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to two victories, but Andre Iguodala still snagged MVP honors when the Warriors won the title.
Either way, the NBA Finals are far from over. It’s too early to have this conversation with the series tied at 2-2.
Curry wouldn’t be the first player on a losing team to take home MVP as a consolation prize. Jerry West won the award in 1969 despite Boston defeating his Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
After carrying Golden State to a Game 4 victory with 43 points and 10 rebounds on the road, Curry is averaging 34.3 points per game on 49.8 percent shooting (49.1 percent from three-point range) this series. He’s been the best player, and the Warriors will hope that leads to another championship if he keeps excelling this week.
If Boston wins, Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown would likely get the nod instead. Of course, the final games should go a long way into determining the MVP.