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If Stephen Curry closes out the NBA Finals in Game 6, lifting the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award in Boston will be historic. That's what ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst believes.
Curry and the Golden State Warriors are on the cusp of their fourth title in six finals appearances. They lead the NBA Finals 3-2 against the Boston Celtics after a morale-boosting Game 5 victory at home. They overcame Curry's cold shooting night and won behind a collective team effort. Curry now has a chance to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy and avoid a stressful Game 7.
Winning the MVP award, now named for Bill Russell in the Celtics legend's city, as an opponent is something only the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has done. Windhorst spoke about the rarity while saying Curry doesn't need to validate his legacy. On ESPN's "GetUp," Windhorst said:
"For Steph Curry to be able to potentially do that tonight, to have the supreme moment of not only getting his fourth ring but that Bill Russell trophy, holding the Bill Russell trophy up in Bill Russell's town, accepting the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy in Boston would be an all-time moment for Stephen Curry."
Only Abdul-Jabbar has lifted the Finals MVP trophy in Boston, doing so in 1985. Magic Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar avenged their 1984 Finals loss and closed out the series in six games at the hallowed Boston Garden. Windhorst talked about how Curry would join that elite company and that moment would be historic.
Brian Windhorst explains why Stephen Curry doesn't need to answer questions about his legacy
Brian Windhorst said that if Stephen Curry wins the NBA Finals MVP trophy in front of the Boston crowd, he will have cemented his legacy as an all-time great. The fact that only one other team has ever closed out a finals in Boston makes what Curry might do in Game 6 incredible.
On "GetUp," Windhorst said:
"(Steph Curry is) having just an absolutely masterful series, and if he has another great game, I would think he doesn't have to answer another question like this ever again. I already think he probably doesn't have to, but there's only been one team in the history of the NBA to close out a finals in Boston.
"That was 1985 when the Lakers did it, when Magic Johnson had a triple-double. That was one of his iconic games."
The 1985 NBA Finals was between Larry Bird's Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson's LA Lakers.
The '85 Lakers are the only team to ever close out a finals in Boston. The Celtics had home-court advantage in the series as they finished the season 63-19 as compared to the Lakers' 62-20 record. The 2-3-2 playoff format was introduced that year, however, because Celtics legend Red Auerbach disliked the frequent travelling in the 2-2-1-1-1 format.
The Lakers and Celtics split the first two games in Boston. The Lakers then won two of the three games at The Forum in Los Angeles and went to Boston to close out the series in six games.
Will Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors break another record and make history?
Poll : Who will win Game 6 at Boston?
Golden State
Boston
65 votes
