'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Stephen Curry is arguably the best ever franchise player that the Golden State Warriors have ever had. Since joining as the seventh overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft, Curry has won three championships and two MVP awards, the last of which came during the 2015-16 season.
Since then, a total of four NBA players have won the MVP, including newly crowned championship winner Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has won the award twice, like Curry. Considering the overall Warriors’ dynasty that Curry was an integral part of, he has a brilliant record against the MVP winners who won after him. In this article, we look at his head-to-head against all MVP winners 2016.
Stephen Curry head-to-head record with NBA MVPs since he won the award in 2016
Stephen Curry is widely recognized as the best shooter that the NBA has ever seen. He has over the years played with a range of elite stars, most notably includes the likes of Draymond Green and Kevin Durant. He along with Klay Thompson, are often called the “Splash brothers,” and are two of the best players that have ever played for the Warriors. Without further ado, we look at Curry’s overall record against the four MVP winners:
#4 Russell Westbrook (17-15)
Westbrook will once again be up against Stephen Curry’ Warriors in the Western Conference. The two have played three seasons’ worth of regular-season games so far, with Westbrook having one of the best records against Curry among the MVP winners since 2016.
Out of 32 games, Curry has won 17 and lost 15, with his individual record one of the worst against Westbrook’s teams over the years. Curry has outplayed Westbrook but averages 24.6 points, 4.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds, with Westbrook dominating in most statistics except, as one would expect, shooting.
#3 James Harden (18-14)
James Harden has not recently played against the Warriors in regular-season games but came up against Curry multiple times during his Houston Rockets days. Harden has an impressive record against the dominant Warriors, considering the two were in the same conference back when the Warriors had the best team in the NBA.
Out of 32 matches, Harden has managed to lead the Rockets to 14 victories, and has even outplayed Curry during these games. Harden has averaged 22.5 points in comparison to Curry’s 24.2, but leads in rebounds and steals both. Harden has the second-best record among winners since Curry last won the award.
#2 Nikola Jokic (12-5)
As one would expect, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have not had the best of times whenever they were up against the Golden State Warriors. Curry has a characteristic elite record against Nikola Jokic and averages 26.8 points and 5.9 assists.
On the other hand, Nikola Jokic has managed to score just 14.5 points against the Warriors in regular season games, along with 8.6 assists. The two have also played five played matches against each other, with Stephen Curry enjoying four wins in the one series. Curry has managed to help the Warriors to a brilliant 12-5 record against Jokic’s Nuggets, with the 2021 MVP winner coming up short multiple times against the Warriors.
#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo (11-3)
Another player who has won back-to-back MVP awards in the past few years apart from Curry is Giannis Antetokounmpo. In different conferences, the Milwaukee Bucks have come up against the Golden State Warriors in 14 games thus far.
As one would expect, the Warriors have outperformed the Bucks comprehensively and have won 11 times out of 14. Giannis has traditionally been ineffective against the Warriors, and averages 15.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists. In comparison, Stephen Curry enjoys a healthy 21.9 points and 6.9 assists whilst shooting at less than 36% from the three-point zone, which is actually less than his average.
