	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 19, 2016

Stephen Curry

Oakland, California: Game Seven

Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89

Q. Fourth quarter, I know a tough time for you. What did they do to make things so difficult for you to score down the stretch?
STEPHEN CURRY: I mean, a lot of it was kind of myself kind of leading the charge and settling too much. At home in the fourth quarter, I felt like we could go for that dagger punch and didn't really put any pressure on the defense getting to the paint and trying to force the issue that way, and really just kind of settled too much. That's something that is tough to kind of swallow with the opportunity we had in front of us.

Q. It looked like you and Andre after the final buzzer stuck around a little bit to watch them celebrate. It couldn't have been an easy moment to see, but was it something that you wanted to remember?
STEPHEN CURRY: I think we've obviously been on the other side of the situation last year, and know how great a feeling that is when you accomplish your goal. I think me and him were kind of just waiting for it to calm down a little bit so we could congratulate the individual guys. Because the competition was amazing in the series, and that's what basketball's all about.

So win or lose, you appreciate the stage we were on and just that back and forth that we live for.

So, yeah, it stung. It sucked to watch them celebrate, and we wish that would have been us. But at the end of the day, you congratulate them for accomplishing what they set out to do, and it will be a good image for us over the summer and all next season to remember so that we can come back stronger. That's all you can do.

Q. I know you're just fresh off this loss, obviously. But how should this team be remembered?
STEPHEN CURRY: I don't know. I mean, we had a great regular season. Did something no team's done before. Fell short in the last game of the season. It hurts, man. I mean, that's all I'm really kind of marinating on right now. Just proud of every single guy that stepped foot on the floor for our team this year. It wasn't easy what we accomplished, and it's not an easy pill to swallow what we didn't accomplish. So got to just take the good with the bad. Understand that we hopefully will have many more opportunities to fight for championships and be on this stage because it is what it's all about. Proud of every single one of our guys that helped us get here.

Q. Steph, you were guarding Kyrie for that last shot he was dribbling. What is in your mind at that point? Do you think you defended it pretty well? What goes through your mind when that ball goes in the basket?
STEPHEN CURRY: I haven't seen the play. I don't know how close I was to him. I tried to reach at the ball, stay in front of him, make it a tough shot. It was a tough step-back that he just stepped up and made. It doesn't matter how good or bad defense I played, he made the shot. So credit to him. He stepped up and took advantage of the moment. It was not a good feeling turning around and seeing it go in.

Q. Yesterday you said you knew you probably had to play the best game of maybe your career. Game 7 has magnified everything, obviously. Not trying to exaggerate it. But do you feel anywhere close to that, and do you feel some responsibility for this?
STEPHEN CURRY: Of course. I didn't play efficient. I had some good moments, but didn't do enough to help my team win, especially down the stretch. I was aggressive, but in the wrong ways settling.

It will haunt me for a while because it means a lot to me to try to lead my team and do what I need to do on the court and big stages. Done it before. Didn't do it tonight. It will be good down the stretch or next year coming back and kind of remembering this feeling and being an even better player.

Q. Kind of one of the closing possessions you had Kevin Love switched out on to you. Usually that's a good situation for you, but it seemed like you couldn't get free. What happened there, exactly, on that possession?
STEPHEN CURRY: I was searching for a three and rushed and didn't take what was there, which was probably better to go around him and try to get into the paint. That's basically it.

Q. You were clearly the best player in the regular season, but you were unable to match that level of play in the Playoffs, especially The Finals. Were your struggles directly related to something mental or physical?
STEPHEN CURRY: I mean, it doesn't help missing the time, but that was never an excuse for me when I came back from the injury. I've always said if I'm out there playing, hurt or not hurt, it doesn't matter. It's what the results are. And that stays true to till today.

There's no room for anecdotes other than we didn't get it done, and I didn't play my best for the majority of the series.

It's not a good feeling, like I said. At the end of the day, we want to keep this memory so that it will fuel us as we stay together as a team. Because like Draymond said, this ain't the last time you're going to see us on this stage. Just a tough feeling.

Q. Just to kind of piggyback on what you just said. When you guys won your first championship last year, it's hard to win a championship, but it was a smoother ride in the Playoffs. Obviously, you dealt with a lot and the team dealt with a lot of adversity through this Playoffs. How do you feel that's going to make you a better player and a better team going forward?
STEPHEN CURRY: I mean, you learn from this. We learn from what it was like to win a championship last year, which I think made us the best regular season team in history, and we'll learn from how the playoff run went when we get back here next year. Obviously the biggest lesson is nothing's ever guaranteed. You can't take this stage for granted, and it is extremely hard to win a championship. That's why you pour champagne on yourselves. That's why they're doing it in the locker room right now.

We understand, I think, when you look at the history of the league, how few teams repeated. That was our goal, and we didn't do it. It's going to be a long three months over the summer thinking about it. But that doesn't mean we can't put this as another little unfortunate notch in the belt and move forward and come back stronger next year. That's the mindset.

Q. And one follow-up to that. Physically after this whole Playoffs and all the nicks and surgeries and everything that you had, how are you feeling physically right now?
STEPHEN CURRY: I'm fine. I mean, I have three months to obviously get ready for next season. I won't get injured celebrating tonight, I can tell you that much.

Q. You and LeBron had a few moments during this series. How would you describe the way he played in this series? And did you have a chance to talk to him afterwards? If so, what was your message to him?
STEPHEN CURRY: I didn't get -- he had a lot of people around him congratulating him. But there's no denying what he was able to accomplish this series. He played pretty great basketball, made some timely shots. Definitely was a huge reason they got it done.

So hat's off to him. Winning a championship is no easy task, and he was able to accomplish it with his guys. So you congratulate him. If I do see him, that's basically what I'd say. Enjoy. Obviously he's done it before, but enjoy the moment. They definitely deserve it. They played their butts off and got it done.

That's a special moment for them. Every person I've seen, I've talked to, I'd tell them enjoy it because we know how it feels as well.

Q. Not to harp on this point too bad, but are you going to have your knee looked at in the off-season? You pulled out of Rio and things like that. Because people are looking at that as maybe reasons why they didn't see you perform the way they expected to.
STEPHEN CURRY: I mean, I don't think there is -- I mean, there isn't any surgery or anything in my future this summer. I need to get healthier, but there is no excuses for what happened on the floor. I was out there, ready to play. I had a some good games; I had some bad games. And that's it. I'll come back stronger next season and be ready to go.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297