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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORSJune 16, 2015Stephen CurryKlay ThompsonCLEVELAND, OHIO: Game Six Golden State – 105 Q. Steph, during your rookie year you talked about how losing still hurt for you and how that was‑‑ how is that process and your journey with this team affected how you feel in this moment? STEPHEN CURRY: It makes it so much more special to have gone through some down years and injuries and transition from a roster standpoint and to be able to sit here six years later from my rookie year and hold this trophy, this is an unbelievable experience. Love every single one of my teammates that sacrificed, put in the work, the time for us to be able to enjoy this. The coaching staff as well. So it just makes it so much more special to have gone through some lows, gradually work your way up every year, learn some things, and it all came to fruition with the championship trophy. Q. For Steph and Klay, can you talk a little bit about how Steve Kerr made you guys better players this year? KLAY THOMPSON: Well, Steve held us to a high standard. He told us he was going to when we first met him at the USA camp. He's been a great leader. I mean, the guy always keeps his composure. He has an amazing mind for the game, and man, Steve, I'm just proud of him. The way he's balanced everybody and let us know what our roles are, he's been great for us. Him and the whole coaching staff. We all deserve this together, we work so hard. STEPHEN CURRY: Same thing. He's taken a solid foundation that we built over the last three years. Obviously Coach Jackson had a huge part in changing our identity, and Coach Kerr came in and was very humble about how he was going to approach his job. Because, like I said, he had a lot of talent to work with, a great coaching staff, but he had some ideas as well that he wanted to implement. Ball movement, player movement, managing all the different personalities and situations, handled them so well. Made sure everybody was accountable, like Klay said. Every decision he made, I think everybody bought into it. Whether you understood it or not, you bought into it. Because he's a champion. He's won five of these or something like that, so you've got to trust a guy that's been here before and his view for our team. Q. Steph, what did you learn about The Finals as you went through this series? STEPHEN CURRY: To block out the noise. That's the biggest thing. Because it's obviously just you and another team, and all eyes are on you every single step you take. But it's all about winning. Stats really don't matter. I mean, guys have great series and all that and people take notice and take their place in history with those stats and all that stuff. But at the end of the day, it's all about winning and what you can do to help your team get to that point. I can speak volumes about the guy sitting next to me. You look at his stat line tonight, he had a lot of foul trouble and didn't really get going, but when he was in there, he was defending. He was playing physical, and he was doing everything he could to help us win. Little things like that make this trophy possible. And it takes every guy that steps on the floor. So that's the biggest thing I learned. Stats and numbers and story lines, they're fun to kind of watch, but you've got to kind of block that out and just worry about winning. Q. For both of you guys, what did you learn about Andre Iguodala in this series, in this season, and how did he as Draymond put it save your season? STEPHEN CURRY: Oh, man, he was special. Obviously he deserved that Finals MVP for the way he impacted the game on both ends and was always ready. I don't think I learned anything new about him because I know that's who he is, and he's shown that all year and throughout his career. He just needed an opportunity and stage to show the world. Playing against a great talent on the other side that was determined to try to help his team win. And Andre stepped up to that challenge every single night and a huge reason why we're celebrating right now. So can't say enough about that guy. For him to have gone through all the different things he's gone through in his career, to be able to hold a championship trophy, I know it's special. KLAY THOMPSON: He's the ultimate professional. I mean, that guy works on his game every single day. He never complains. He's accepted his role like a true pro, and, man, he stepped up when we needed him most. I mean, I'm so proud of Andre. He deserves everything that's come his way. He's still got a really bright future, and he's a great teammate as well, man. He deserves that trophy, and man, he's a special talent. Q. Going by the win/loss record, you guys go down with the list of the great teams in the NBA. Do you view yourselves that way? And the way you guys played, people said for a long time, small ball, jump shooting doesn't win titles. Have you kind of changed the way people are going to build teams now? STEPHEN CURRY: Well, I mean, we'll see. We found a recipe for success, and that's the most important thing for us. Now that we have this under our belt, I think we can actually appreciate what we were able to do this year from start to finish. It's hard in the moment to really understood what 67 wins means in the grand scheme of the history of the NBA, how hard that is. But then also to cap that off with a championship playoff run. So we'll appreciate, I think, that whole journey a lot more now, be able to reflect. I think we definitely are a great team, and a team that should go down in history as one of the best teams from top to bottom. We have a lot of things to be proud of this season. I'm just so happy, man. God is great. For us to be able to have this opportunity, and I'm going to try 1800 more ways to explain this, because this is amazing. KLAY THOMPSON: It just feels good to say we're the best team in the world with the best player in the world. STEPHEN CURRY: Appreciate it, man. KLAY THOMPSON: This man sitting to my right (smiling). It's been a journey, and, man, you can't put it into words. I'm so proud of every man on this team, every man in this organization, and woman. It's been a collective effort, and we're going to enjoy it tonight, man. We deserve to. Q. Steph, you had a moment with your dad on the court after the game. Your dad never won a championship. Can you just talk about how special that is to be able to share this with him? STEPHEN CURRY: Yes, it's an unbelievable feeling in that moment. I followed in his footsteps. I've talked about how impactful he's been in my life, just being an example on and off the court of what a true professional is and how he raised me and my brother and my sister. So to be able to have that moment was special. He's living through me and my teammates this‑‑ and my whole family‑‑ through this whole journey. I can't be more proud of him as a father and a role model and example for me. I hope it made him proud tonight. I know Klay is probably going to‑‑ I don't know if you had that moment or not. You probably did. But your dad was a champion before. But it's special to have a guy that plays 16 years in the league, and you understand how hard it is to get to this point, and that makes it so much more special for me to have this for my family. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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