Stephen Curry: 'I Got to Be' MVP - Sports Illustrated

During an appearance on the "Rex Chapman Show," Warriors point guard Stephen Curry was asked if he should be named the MVP this year.

"I got to be," Curry said. "I probably won't get it, but whatever."

The full interview will be uploaded to YouTube on Thursday, but Curry's comments light fuel to a fire on a contentious debate in the NBA. The MVP award is typically earned by one of the best players in the NBA who's also on one of the best teams in the league.

Although Curry is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, his team may not even make the playoffs. The Warriors (29–29) are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference and could find themselves watching the postseason from home.

That's through no fault of Curry, though. The two-time MVP is currently leading the league in scoring at 31.4 points per game while averaging a league-best 5.2 three-pointers per game. He's shooting 43.1% from behind the arc and 92.2% from the charity stripe with 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He's currently averaging more points and rebounds per game than either of his MVP seasons in 2015 and 2016.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid and Denver center Nikola Jokic are two players who have found themselves in the MVP conversation as well. Both their teams are firmly within the playoff picture in no small part because of their electric play.

Curry didn't seem confident that he'd win the award, instead laughing off his own comments.

"I like to be dramatic sometimes, so I'm just setting the table," he said.

If Curry, 34, were to win his third MVP award, he'd be the eighth player in NBA history to do so. But before that, he and Golden State will play the Wizards (24–33) on Wednesday night in an attempt to get their record over .500.

Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. ET in Washington.

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