Curry’s 2018 season revealed an unhidden desire.

Recently, Durant has been fiercely debating with fans online about the FMVP topic. Interestingly, during Curry’s China tour, he discussed this subject in an interview with host Yu Jia. This interview once again highlighted Curry’s selfless character.

Yu Jia asked, “You’re a unanimous MVP but haven’t claimed a Finals MVP yet. Do you feel that’s unjust?” Curry replied, “This topic is something I can’t avoid; it’s always in front of you. In 2018, I was very close to the FMVP, but I didn’t perform well in Game 3, while Durant was incredible throughout the series and made the FMVP shortlist.”

“At that time, if you play just for the FMVP, you might get distracted and fail to accomplish the bigger goal, which could hold you back a bit. So I didn’t overthink it. In 2018, I almost got distracted, but of course, I wanted the championship more. Durant’s two FMVP awards are well deserved.”

Curry further added, “Durant has two FMVP trophies that are unquestionably earned, even beyond that. If he hadn’t been injured in 2019, he might have won a third.”

The debate over who deserved the 2018 Finals MVP has continued for seven years, as that was Curry’s closest moment to winning the award before 2022, but a poor Game 3 performance cost him dearly.

In the 2018 Finals, after losing Game 1 to the Cavaliers, the series essentially lost suspense. The Cavs showed what a collapse looks like. After the Warriors took a 3-0 lead on the road in Game 3, the Finals outcome was sealed.

In Game 1, Curry scored 29 points with 6 rebounds and 9 assists, while Durant had 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists; in Game 2, Curry posted 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists (with 9 three-pointers), and Durant had 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. So, Game 3 was effectively the deciding battle for the FMVP.

However, in that game, Curry delivered his worst Finals performance ever: shooting 3 of 16 overall, 1 of 10 from three-point range, finishing with only 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Remarkably, his 11 points were still the second highest on the Warriors, making this the closest game in the four-match Finals series.

With his teammates underperforming, Durant played the strongest game of the Finals, shooting 15 of 23, hitting 6 of 9 threes, and exploding for 43 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. Under those circumstances, everyone knew the FMVP was already decided.

Based on the first two games, Curry’s performance was stronger than Durant’s, but the huge gap in Game 3, which was so crucial, made Curry realize that the FMVP trophy he desired most was out of reach.

This game was likely the one Curry referred to in the interview as the moment he “almost got distracted.” Because of the big gap in strength between the Warriors and Cavaliers, the Finals lost suspense early, allowing Curry’s personal desire to surface briefly. He didn’t hide his feelings but openly expressed them with grace and honesty.

Nick Young, who was still with the Warriors at the time, revealed in an interview last year: “After Game 3 of the Finals, Curry was with his head down in the locker room. Even though they won, he almost cried.”

This is a normal emotional release from someone with such a strong competitive spirit. Curry wanted that FMVP so badly to prove himself, but he messed things up and was angry at himself in that moment. These emotions make Curry a more complex and complete person.

During the 2018 Finals, everyone knew Curry wanted the FMVP, including Durant. Quinn Cook later revealed in an interview: “Honestly, Kevin really wanted Stephen to get the Finals MVP. He talked about it all season.”

A statistic also supports that Durant wanted to set up Curry during the Finals. Over the four games, Durant averaged 16 passes to Curry per game, with one-third of his passes going to him beyond the arc.

In Game 4 of the Finals, Durant only took 17 shots, 10 fewer than Curry, focusing on distributing the ball. He kept feeding Curry and assisting teammates, showing no desire to score and appearing overly humble throughout the game.

In that game, Durant produced a triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Curry shot 12 of 27 for 37 points. Yet Durant still won the FMVP voting. Out of 11 votes, Durant received 7, and Curry got 4.

Over the Finals series, Durant averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, shooting 52.6% overall and 40.9% from three; Curry averaged 27.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, but shot only 40.2% overall and 41.5% from three.

However, Curry’s candid discussion of this topic seven years later is also because he finally won the trophy in 2022. After falling from his peak overnight in 2019, Curry laid low for three years, enduring countless doubts, and then broke through his mental barriers in the 2022 Finals, delivering a divine performance in Game 4.

Many say the first championship is the most wonderful moment. But for Curry, when he put on his fourth ring, his career became truly complete, and he felt enlightened with no regrets left.