“I realize he’s the Baby-Faced Assassin… I keep beating this drum, because nobody wants to hear the drumbeat” - Skip Bayless says the NBA Finals are huge for Steph Curry’s legacy after the "meltdown" in 2016

Sports analyst Skip Bayless believes Steph Curry has more on the line in the upcoming NBA Finals than any other player. He has routinely hated on Curry for not having a Finals MVP trophy and insinuated that the two-time MVP was carried in each of his championship runs.

The Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years and have shown the sports world that their dynasty hasn't ended. Curry could potentially win his fourth NBA title and his first Finals MVP, and many are suggesting that it would vault him into the top 10 all-time ranking.

Bayless isn't sold on Curry's place in the all-time top 10 list but is making a case that the Baby-Faced Assassin can redeem himself with that elusive Finals MVP. He believes the NBA Finals is one of the biggest moments of Curry's career and that he needs to prove his worth after the 2016 superstar meltdown. On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Bayless said:

"This Finals is huge for Steph Curry ... We fast forward to the 2016 Finals and Steph and co. are up three games to one, and all I know – and I keep beating this drum, because nobody wants to hear the drumbeat of it but – this was the second-worst superstar meltdown I have ever witnessed in an NBA Finals, second only to LeBron's in 2011."

Curry was sensational in the 2015-16 season, averaging a league-leading 30.1 points per game while shooting 50/40/90. He led Golden State to a record 73 wins and was the NBA's first unanimous MVP. However, after a brilliant postseason run, he reached the NBA Finals and had an epic meltdown in the final three games of the 2016 series.

He averaged 24.0 points and 2.3 assists per game on 36% shooting from the field and also 3-point range. He dropped just 17 points in the biggest game of the year, Game 7 at Oracle Arena.

Now, Curry could win the Finals MVP award and shut down all the haters who have doubted his greatness.

Steph Curry emerges as the favorite for the Finals MVP award

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors celebrates winning the Magic Johnson WCFMVP award

Steph Curry might win his first Finals MVP trophy this year. The Golden State Warriors are the betting favorites to win the title, and Curry is the odds-on favorite for the Bill Russell Finals MVP award. The star with the next-best odds is Jayson Tatum, and the rest of the players aren't even close in the race. Most sportsbooks have given Curry +105 odds while Tatum is at +175.

Shannon Sharpe argued with Skip Bayless. Sharpe said a fourth title and a first Finals MVP would solidify Curry as one of the top 10 players of all-time. On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," he said:

"It's the missing piece from his resume. It would be such an outstanding resume – four titles, two MVPs, two scoring titles and now a Finals MVP. If he gets that, I don't know how you keep him out of the top 10."

The Warriors host the Boston Celtics for Game 1 at Chase Center on Thursday.