Stephen Curry’s ascent to two consecutive NBA MVP Awards and the title of best shooter of all time was not easy. Coming out of college he was heavily criticized as being too small, too skinny, a flash in the pan, and not a true point guard. Taken by the Golden State Warriors with the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Curry immediately began to change opinions around the league by finishing second in the Rookie of the Year race, averaging over 17 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. But niggling ankle injuries and questions about how he could play with entrenched Warriors star Monta Ellis further eroded confidence in the beanpole point guard out of Davidson.

     It was in 2014-2015 under new head coach Steve Kerr that Curry fully emerged, free from the ISO heavy style of former coach Mark Jackson that prevented him from reaching his full potential. Curry obliterated the three point record he had set the previous two seasons, draining 286 triples, winning the NBA MVP trophy, and leading the Warriors to a 67-15 record and the Pacific Division title. He continued his torrid shooting throughout the playoffs, leading the Warriors to their first NBA title since Rick Barry’s Golden State team in 1975.

     But 2015-16 was the year Curry transcended what it meant to simply play basketball. He made 402 three pointers, over five per game, and led the Warriors to the best record in NBA history at 73-9. It seemed that Curry bettered himself every game, nailing off balance threes farther and farther away from the hoop. His game-winning, overtime splash against the Oklahoma City Thunder stands out as an highlight; as Curry squared up to the basket from 38 feet away and calmly drained the shot as time expired over the leaping, seven foot Enes Kanter.

     On April 7th, 2016, the Warriors became only the second franchise in NBA history to reach the 70 win mark. The victory was not just a milestone for the Warriors, but a cathartic victory. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs, whose record fell to a paltry 65-13, breaking their stranglehold on the Western Conference was finally broken. With a final score of 112-101, the Warriors continued their inexorable march to 73 wins. The effusive Curry was the star of the show that night at Oracle Arena in Oakland. He poured in a game-high 27 points on 11-19 shooting, including 3-7 three pointers, and nearly accounted for a double-double by adding nine assists – also a game-high. Curry’s game was chock full of his signature lightning-quick three pointers and off-balance layups in the paint. He punctuated his MVP performance with an emphatic alley-oop pass to Aussie big man Andrew Bogut during the Warriors’ game-changing third quarter.

     Curry wore these shoes are size 12 ½ Curry 2’s with a white and gold colorway during that April 7th game. A gold Under Armour logo is on the outside of each heel, while Curry’s personal logo is affixed in gold to the top of the tongue. The laces are white, with gold accenting and gold aglets with “1996” printed in black. The sole features pseudo-transparent, gold speckled material on the toes and heel, with a black section featuring a gold Under Armour logo in the center. The inside of the shoe is red, with red accents around the top. Curry signed the toe of the right shoe in black marker, while he inscribed “NBA rec[ord] 73-9” on the right. At the end of the season, Curry earned his second consecutive NBA MVP Award thanks to his unprecedented shooting and 30.1 points per game. Curry was named MVP unanimously, a feat no other player ever accomplished. The shoes come with a full LOA from the MeiGray Group (MGA003661) for the game use on April 7th in which they did two detailed photo matches of Curry in these very sneakers, and Fanatics Authenticated holograms (left: GUBK-000092, right: GUBK-000093) for his signature and inscriptions.

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