As the final ticks of the game clock were trickling away, the broadcast covering Game 5 of the Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks matchup were in light debate over who deserves the first ever Western Conference Finals MVP award.

There was Kevon Looney, who at times looked like Dennis Rodman out there gobbling up demoralizing offensive rebounds. There was Klay Thompson, who just poured in 32 points in the Warriors closeout game. There was Andrew Wiggins, who was their do-it-all wing who took the challenge of guarding Luka Doncic. That surely nets him the award, right? Andre Iguodala would know.

But there was no reason to complicate things – the award belonged to Wardell Stephen Curry.

After the win, the Warriors star spoke out on winning the first ever Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP award.

Via ESPN:

“The new trophy is pretty cool,” said Curry, a unanimous selection of nine media members. “Especially with who it's named after, the standard that Magic set in terms of being a champion and playing the point guard position, whatever other position he played. Just the excellence that he demonstrated throughout his entire career.”

Stephen Curry may not be very similar with Magic Johnson as a player, but his impact on the point guard position feels intertwined with the Lakers icon.

Magic redefined who could be considered a point guard, displaying superior passing and floor general skills despite being the size of a big man. Now, we see players like LeBron James and Luka Doncic, bulky wings who control the game for their teams with superior basketball IQ, just like Magic did.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
cG9zdDoyODE3NTE2-thumbnail

Brian Buyawe ·

Stephen Curry, Warriors, Curry Warriors, NBA playoffs, Curry clutch

Jackson Stone ·

Warriors' Stephen Curry with Clutch Player of the Year award

Brett Siegel ·

Now, Stephen Curry has had a similar imprint on the position. The Warriors star has changed how the game is played and has influenced point guards to be go-to scorers just as much as they are distributors.

One thing they do share is their massive success on the court, as both stars wreaked havoc on the Western Conference for basically a decade. There's nobody more fitting to win the first ever Magic Johnson award.