NBA
Stephen Curry Isn’t Fooling Anyone With His Biased NBA Finals Prediction
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
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The NBA playoffs just don’t feel the same without Stephen Curry. Curry and the Golden State Warriors missed out on the postseason for the second straight year after falling to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA’s new Play-In Tournament. As a rare spectator for playoff basketball this summer, Curry has been forced to find a rooting interest while he follows along with the action.
The seven-time All-Star recently gave his prediction for the NBA Finals, and he’s unsurprisingly backing his brother, Seth, to not only lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a title, but to take home Finals MVP in the process.
Stephen Curry watching the NBA playoffs from home for the second straight year
It would’ve been impossible to imagine the NBA playoffs without Curry, the Warriors, and the entirety of Dub Nation behind them a few years ago. Golden State made the postseason seven consecutive times from 2013-2019, and it reached the NBA Finals in five straight seasons along the way. The Warriors were a blown 3-1 lead away from winning four championships in the span of eight years, which would’ve placed them in the conversation for the greatest dynasty in NBA history.
Still, it was one of the most dominant stretches of playoff basketball we’ve seen over the last two decades.
But this isn’t the same Warriors team we’ve come to know and love. Klay Thompson has missed the last two seasons with two severe leg injuries. Draymond Green looks like the Monstars stole all of his offensive powers at 31 years of age. And Kevin Durant is nowhere to be found.
The only constant for the Warriors this season was the MVP-level play of Curry, but not even that was enough to push them to a playoff berth. Golden State has now missed the postseason two years in a row.
Curry gives his biased NBA Finals prediction
Because Curry isn’t busy like he used to be this time of year, he’s been able to spend more time with his family and give back to the Oakland community over the past few weeks. Curry recently spoke to Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle about his charity work, and he even spoke about what it’s like to watch the NBA playoffs from the couch.
“I’m not the type to turn them off because I’m not playing,” he said. “That first Memphis-Utah game was hard, because I imagined in my head, mentally and physically, that we should be playing right now. Once we got that over, I was good. I love watching and playing. The whole deal.”
Curry was also asked about his NBA Finals prediction, and his biased answer shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The Warriors superstar said he thinks the 76ers and Jazz will meet in the championship series, and Philly will take home the title. And the Finals MVP? His brother, Seth, of course.
“I’m a pseudo-Sixer fan now,” Curry said. “We’re going storybook.”
Would the Curry brothers become the first siblings to both win NBA titles?
Curry is hoping his brother can join him in the NBA history books later this summer by winning a ring of his own. Steph already has three himself, but Seth has never even played in an NBA Finals series.
If Curry’s prediction comes true and the Sixers win the 2021 title, would the Curry brothers become the first pair of siblings to both win NBA championships?
In short, no.
Pau and Marc Gasol, the two burly brothers from Barcelona, are the only pair of brothers to both have championship rings. Pau won back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, while Marc won one with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
