Fresh off their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons, the Golden State Warriors are planning to continue that run of success by bringing all their players back for a run at yet another title. 

Championship teams rarely return exactly the same roster the following season and payroll issues need to be considered, but Warriors general manager Bob Myers would like to see the same team on the floor in 2022-23.  

With seven free agents and the team already $24.6 million over the tax, Golden State has plenty of work to do this offseason.  

The unrestricted free agents are Kevon Looney, Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica, Andre Iguodala, Damion Lee, Gary Payton II and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Looney, Porter and Payton are the key pieces of that group, with Iguodala possibly retiring. 

"Our goal, our hope is to bring all those guys back and try to do it again," Myers said. "They were all great in different ways and all fill different needs for us. A lot of our free agents had big moments in the NBA Finals, which means they’re pretty important."

Also on Myers’ extensive to-do list is contract extensions for Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, though they might not be settled for a while. Poole had a breakout third season with 18.5 points per game and is up for a rookie extension. Wiggins, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his five-year contract from the Minnesota Timberwolves.  

"All these negotiations take on a life of their own," Myers said. "They’re all different. But I know with a guy like Jordan, usually, those things come down to kind of training camp and end-of-the-line deadline. We’re a long way from figuring out what Andrew wants, but I do know what we want. We want to keep him, and we’re going to make every effort to keep both those guys. They were huge for us."

One key contributor that is sure to be back for the Warriors is assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who backed out of the head coaching position with the Charlotte Hornets to stay with Golden State.  

The Portland Trail Blazers have traded a 2025 first-round pick to the Detroit Pistons for 28-year-old forward Jerami Grant.

Grant, entering his ninth NBA season, will play for his fifth team after starting out his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, before more than two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, one season with the Denver Nuggets, and finally signing with the Detroit Pistons for the past two seasons.

The pick Portland are trading is a Milwaukee Bucks first-rounder, acquired by the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Jrue Holiday, and then shipped to the Trail Blazers in the C.J. McCollum deal.

It is reportedly protected from picks one-through-four, which will only come into play if the Bucks finish as one of the worst teams in the league in the 2024-25 season.

As part of the deal, the Pistons also swapped second-round picks with the Trail Blazers, moving up from 46 to 36 in Thursday's NBA Draft.

Grant set new career-highs in both points and assists per game during his first year with the Pistons with 22.3 points and 2.8 assists, but both numbers dipped slightly this past season with the arrival of number one overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cade Cunningham.

The Trail Blazers have also reportedly been testing the waters to see what they could get in return for the seventh pick in this week's draft, and may have more moves up their sleeves in coming days.

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has thrown his support behind Jayson Tatum despite the 2022 All-NBA First Teamer's down NBA Finals series.

Three-time NBA All-Star Tatum averaged only 21.5 points per game in the NBA Finals, shooting 50 per cent or better from the field only once in their 4-2 series loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Tatum also gave up 23 turnovers in the six games in the NBA Finals. The 24-year-old had a mixed playoffs, finishing with the most turnovers (100) by a single player in NBA postseason history.

However, Tatum was also outstanding in series wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, including a remarkable 46-point haul in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals facing elimination against the reigning champions.

"I just told him to go on vacation," Stevens told reporters during a videoconference call. "Go get some rest."

"This guy gave us everything he had. When you look at the minutes, when you look at the games played ... I've said this many times: He's a superstar that doesn't want to sit. He wants to play, he wants to play all the time.

"I thought that in the Finals, he would be the first to say that he would like to have some of those moments back, but I thought there were other contributing factors to how he played."

Tatum, who was named in the All-NBA First Team for the first time in 2022, averaged career-highs with 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game across the 2021-21 regular season.

The Celtics small forward shot at 45.3 per cent from the field across the regular season, dipping slightly to 42.6 per cent in the postseason.

During the playoffs, Tatum averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.16 assists but with 4.16 turnovers per game.

"We're all subjective in every moment and react emotionally, but when you start looking at it objectively and more so historically, what Jayson and Jaylen [Brown] have done in the playoffs, historically at their ages, is rarified air," Stevens said.

"I think we're very cognisant of the fact that even though Jayson would admittedly not have played his best series, there's no chance we're there without him and without all of his great play all the way through.

"I think back to all of the times ... Game 6 in Milwaukee was one of the best games I've seen an individual play in my time, certainly in person and with the Celtics.

"Without that performance, we would have had this discussion a month and a half ago."

A phone call between jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle is being rescheduled after a failed attempt to connect on their anniversary, due to an "unfortunate" mistake.

The couple had not spoken since Griner's drug-related arrest in February, but attempts to connect through the United States Embassy in Russia were hindered since the phone line at the embassy was not staffed.

On Monday, it was discovered Griner tried to call 11 times over a period of several hours, dialling a number she had been given to patch the call through to her wife in Phoenix, but each call was left unanswered due to the unstaffed desk on Saturday.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price apologised for the "logistical error", confirming a rescheduled call will take place.

"We deeply regret that Brittney Griner was unable to speak with her wife over the weekend because of a logistical error," he told reporters.

"It was a mistake, it is a mistake that we have worked to rectify. As we said before, the call has been rescheduled and will take place in relatively short order.

"It was a logistical issue that was compounded by the fact that our embassy in Moscow is under significant restrictions in terms of its staffing, and so when we have issues with the telephone system there, for example, the technicians are not located on site. In fact, they're not even located in Russia."

Griner, the two-time Olympic gold medallist who plays for Phoenix Mercury and UMMC Ekaterinburg, was detained at a Russian airport in February after authorities there said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.

The US State Department designated her as wrongfully detained in May, while last week, Russian state news agency TASS reported a pre-trial detention had been extended until July.

For Cherelle Griner, the unanswered calls have had a demoralising effect.

"I find it unacceptable, and I have zero trust in our government right now," she told the Associated Press. "If I can't trust you to catch a Saturday call outside of business hours, how can I trust you to actually be negotiating on my wife's behalf to come home? Because that's a much bigger ask than to catch a Saturday call.

"This was such a big moment because this would have been the first time where I truly could tell if she's OK. This would have been the first time for me to actually just hear her in real time and to truly know if she's OK or to know if she's seconds away from not being in existence anymore."

Houston Rockets guard John Wall has exercised his player option for the 2022-23 season, locking in a salary of $47.4million, The Athletic reported on Tuesday.  

Wall was a healthy scratch all last season for the Rockets but will be tied with the Philadelphia 76ers' James Harden for the second-largest salary cap hit in the league.  

Wall opting into the hefty payday is no surprise, but the timing of the move makes the 32-year-old point guard eligible to be traded before or during Thursday's NBA Draft, which annually brings a flurry of player and pick swaps.  

Any potential Wall trade would need a sufficiently large salary coming back to Houston.  

Russell Westbrook, who was traded for Wall in 2020 in a deal with the Washington Wizards, has been a frequent target of trade rumours, with the Los Angeles Lakers looking to improve on a disappointing 33-49 season in 2021-22.  

National NBA reporter Marc Stein, previously of ESPN and the New York Times, reported earlier this month that the Rockets are demanding extra draft picks in another potential Wall-Westbrook swap.  

Wall, a five-time All-Star, has seen his career derailed by injuries and has played just 113 games since being named Third Team All-NBA after the 2016-17 season.

Former Purdue star and NBA first-round draft pick Caleb Swanigan died on Monday in Indiana at the age of 25. 

The Allen County Coroner's Office confirmed Swanigan died of natural causes. 

"Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan's family and friends," the Purdue men's basketball Twitter account wrote in a statement. "The world lost a gentle soul last night."

A former Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana, Swanigan spent two seasons at Purdue before embarking on a brief career in the NBA.  

As a sophomore with the Boilermakers in 2016-17, Swanigan was named a consensus first-team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year with averages of 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. He helped lead Purdue to a Big Ten regular-season title and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Kansas in the Sweet 16. 

Following a successful collegiate career, Swanigan was selected with the 26th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

He spent just over a season and a half in Portland before being traded to Sacramento and played 10 games for the Kings before being traded back to the Trail Blazers in January 2020. 

He played his final NBA game on March 10, 2020. In three professional seasons, Swanigan appeared in 75 games, averaging 2.3 points and 2.9 rebounds. 

The Phoenix Suns have hired Morgan Cato to their front office, making her among the highest-ranking women employed by an NBA team.  

The Suns have named Cato the franchise’s assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations, placing her directly under general manager James Jones in the Phoenix front office. Cato is the first woman of colour to be named a team’s assistant GM.  

Cato spent the past 10 years working for the league office in New York, reporting to president of league operations Byron Spruell and strategising several growth initiatives, including the Basketball Africa League.  

With the Suns, Cato will help oversee front-office personnel decisions, coaching development and player engagement, ESPN reported.  

After an NBA best 64-18 record last season, Phoenix suffered a disappointing second-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks and now face a pivotal offseason.  

Among the most pressing items for the Suns’ front office will be determining the future of former number-one overall pick and restricted free agent Deandre Ayton, along with fellow centers JaVale McGee and Bismack Biyombo, who are unrestricted free agents.  

The Suns do not currently have any picks in the Thursday’s NBA Draft.  

The Golden State Warriors celebrated their NBA championship with a parade through the streets of San Francisco on Monday.

A 103-90 success over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last Thursday clinched a 4-2 win for the Warriors, who lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time since 2018.

It marked the culmination of a stunning recovery from Golden State, who lost Kevin Durant in free agency following the 2019 Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors and had the worst record in the league in the following season, with Klay Thompson missing the first of two straight years due to ACL damage and Stephen Curry playing just five games of the truncated campaign.

The Warriors lost a play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020-21 but beat them en route to a fourth championship in eight years this season.

Curry, who was named Finals MVP for the first time in his decorated career, explained why he was so emotional after the latest success as he addressed fans who gathered to celebrate in the streets.

"Whether you say it out loud or you internalise it, you carry the journey with you," said Curry.

"To know what we've all been through, what my brother [Thompson] went through over almost three years, what we went through as a team to try to re-tool, regroup, rejuvenate what we had, and just taking snapshots of the last three years, all that came out when the final horn sounded.

"It wasn't just the work we put in last week, a month ago, it's the work we started when we changed buildings and trying to carry that championship DNA with us. But that emotion was everything, just letting it out and letting you know that we're back. What are they gonna say now?"

Darius Lee, a highly rated Houston Baptist University basketball player, has died of a gunshot wound aged 21, the school announced on Monday. 

Lee was shot overnight while at a gathering in his hometown of Harlem, New York.

HBU director of athletics Steve Moniaci said: "This is unfortunately, yet again, another example of the senseless gun violence that seems to be plaguing our country right now and we all pray it will cease."

Lee was on track to graduate in December, having led the Huskies with 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the 2021-22 season. He was also sixth in steals per game (2.4) across the whole of Division I.

Head coach Ron Cottrell said: "We are devastated. Darius was a remarkable young man who loved the Lord, his mum, his family, his team-mates, his friends and his entire HBU family.

"We are in shock and cannot wrap our heads around this news. My heart breaks for his mum, his sister and his entire family, and for our basketball team. The only thing we find comfort in right now is knowing where Darius is. He is in the arms of Jesus… we know that as fact. And we will see him again some day.

"As great of a basketball player as he was, he was an even better person. I can't even think of basketball right now. I can only think of what a light Darius was during his short time on Earth. He was a joy to coach and we loved him so much.

"Please keep his mum, sister and family in your prayers, as well as our HBU basketball family, during this very difficult time."

A clear top tier has emerged ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft, comprised of Auburn wing Jabari Smith, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Duke forward Paolo Banchero.

The Orlando Magic hold the keys to the draft with the first overall pick, and ever since they won the lottery the buzz has been about their affinity for the six-foot-10, smooth-shooting Smith.

Smith, who only turned 19 in May, is one of the youngest prospects in the draft and seems to tick a number of high-value boxes that are usually required to become a star in the NBA.

His premier skill is his shooting, boasting arguably the prettiest jump shot in the whole class, and he converted a scorching 42 per cent of his three-pointers while getting up a healthy 5.5 attempts per game.

Playing at Auburn with a cast of guards, who at times appeared to have no idea they were playing with an NBA player, meant Smith was primarily used in an off-ball role, getting shots up quickly off the catch or at the end of plays, as opposed to getting an opportunity to create with the ball in his hands.

This role and his ability to stylishly rise up and hit long jumpers at his size with hands in his face have caused many to compare him to former Magic power forward and two-time All-Star Rashard Lewis.

Lewis appears to be Smith's 'floor' – which would be a pretty handy worst possible outcome if it is the case – but his athleticism, seven-foot-one wingspan with defensive upside, and well-reported elite work ethic as a son of a former NBA player puts him on a similar trajectory to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also had questions raised about his playmaking and ball-handling coming out of Duke.

The Magic will be selecting between Smith and Holmgren, with the Gonzaga big-man clearly the most unique prospect in the class.

Holmgren has been on NBA radars since his high school days when he was carrying the United States to junior gold medals – winning Tournament MVP at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

As the number-one recruit in the country coming into the 2021-22 college basketball season, Holmgren chose to shun traditional 'one-and-done' schools to go play for respected coach Mark Few at Gonzaga, where he would buy into a pro-style team system instead of playing for a program that would allow him to average 20 points per game.

Out of more than 3000 Division One college players, Holmgren was fourth in blocks per game (3.7) and eighth in block percentage, blocking 12.6 per cent of opponent shots while he was on the court.

He was also number one in two-point field goal percentage, converting almost 74 per cent of his chances as he routinely finished off lobs and alley-oops both in the half-court and in transition, and his seven-foot-six wingspan made it impossible to block his shot when he was allowed to catch with two feet in the paint.

Add to the equation that he shot a terrific 39 per cent from long range on 3.3 attempts per game, and that he has displayed for more ball-handling and open-court playmaking in the international game than he was allowed to in college, and he is a near-flawless prospect.

As such a unique prospect, there are very few comparisons that can be made. Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis seems the only obvious choice, but Holmgren plays a less ball-dominant style, like a bigger Andrei Kirilenko.

His one major flaw scouts point to is his body – he is seven feet tall and weighs less than 200lbs – and does not appear to have a frame that will allow him to blow up physically the way Giannis Antetokounmpo and other skinny rookies have.

But how many players in the NBA right now are actually too skinny? It is hard to think of a single player who is truly unplayable because of not being physically stout enough.

Oklahoma City Thunder wing Aleksej Pokusevski is a similar build, but he does not play center, and does not show close to the defensive chops Holmgren does. 

Admittedly, against hulking behemoths like Joel Embiid – who are exceedingly rare – he may need to play next to a true, bruising center, to take the pressure off; but those match-ups are few and far between.

The third player in the top tier is Banchero, and although the Magic are reportedly not considering him with the top pick, some respected draft analysts rate him as this year's best prospect.

It is easy to see why, especially given the modern NBA.

Banchero projects as the most likely of the top trio to become a lead initiator early in his career, flashing terrific feel for the game with ball in hand, and an ability to attack the rim and create off the dribble.

In his one season, he had 24 games with at least three assists, while Smith had 11 games with at least three assists, and Holmgren had six.

The ability to create shots for yourself and others is thought of as the most valuable skill-set in basketball, with LeBron James clearly the standard-bearer, but with less explosive athleticism Banchero more closely mimics Jimmy Butler on the offensive end, without the Heat star's unrelenting defensive motor.

To be clear, Banchero is significantly bigger than both James and Butler, reportedly measuring in at over six-foot-10 without shoes, with a grown man's body at 250lbs. Given his size, his lack of true first-step explosion – or 'wiggle' off the bounce – should not greatly hinder his ability as a match-up nightmare from day one.

Banchero is too big for traditional wing defenders who will have a speed advantage on him, and he will be too quick for guys his own size.

He has shown he can run pick-and-roll and operate in a pass-first role, and jumbo playmakers like Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham are showing that elite quickness is not mandatory at that size if you are savvy enough and understand how to use power instead of speed.

The Houston Rockets are the overwhelming favourites to select Banchero with the third selection, pairing him with one of the best athletes in the entire league in last year's number-two pick, Jalen Green.

Andrew Wiggins hopes to keep playing for the Golden State Warriors and keep "proving the doubters wrong".

Wiggins had a vital role in the Warriors' NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics.

It was the Warriors' fourth title in eight years but a first for Wiggins, who arrived from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a February 2020 trade.

The former first overall pick has faced plenty of questions in his NBA career so far, but he answered plenty of them against the Celtics.

Wiggins played more minutes than any other Warrior (235) and also led the way in rebounds (53) and blocks (nine) as he had a huge impact on the defensive end.

On offense, he trailed only Finals MVP Stephen Curry in points (18.3 per game) and made field goals (45), shooting 44.6 per cent.

"There was a lot of talk, people have something to say about every little thing, but now I'm happy that I made it here," Wiggins said.

"People didn't think I could ever be in this position or even be helpful on a championship team. But I'm proving the doubters wrong, and I'm going to keep it going."

And he plans to keep going on the Warriors, having been linked with trades almost since he arrived two years ago.

"I would love to stay here," said Wiggins, who will earn $33.6million next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

"Being here, this is top-notch. The way they treat the players... we're all one big family. I feel like a lot of places may say that, but [the Warriors] show it through their actions."

Kenny Atkinson is no longer accepting the head coaching job with the Charlotte Hornets, choosing instead to remain an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, ESPN reported on Saturday.

It had been reported earlier in June that Atkinson and the Hornets had agreed in principle to a four-year contract, but the deal was never signed.

After further talks with Charlotte, Atkinson opted to stay with the new NBA champions, becoming Steve Kerr's top assistant after Mike Brown left to become the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

Atkinson compiled a 118-190 record leading the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-20 before he took assistant jobs in consecutive years with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Warriors.

The Hornets fired James Borrego in April following a 43-win season with two years remaining on his contract. He went 138-163 during his four seasons as head coach, and Charlotte were routed in the play-in tournament in each of the last two.

Atkinson was chosen to replace Borrego after a seven-week search. The other candidates from that process were longtime NBA coach Mike D'Antoni and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, ESPN reported.

After 33 seasons leading the Davidson College men’s basketball program, Bob McKillop is retiring from coaching.  

Davidson announced the news one day after the program’s most famous alumnus—Stephen Curry—led the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA championship in eight years.  

Curry was among those who voiced appreciation for McKillop’s accomplished career on social media.  

“Love you Coach!” Curry said on Twitter. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, my family, Davidson and every person you’ve impacted along the way.” 

McKillop, 71, is among the top 60 coaches all-time at the NCAA Division I level with 634 career wins.  

McKillop coached the Wildcats to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run with Curry in 2008, ending in a two-point loss to the eventual national champions, Kansas.  

Davidson was 27-7 last season, including a 15-3 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference, leading to an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.  

McKillop was named his conference’s coach of the year 11 times, twice in the A-10 and nine times in the Southern Conference.  

Last season, McKillop became the 10th coach in Division I history to coach at least 1,000 career games at one school.   

McKillop’s son, Matt, who played on Davidson’s 2006 NCAA Tournament team and has been serving as an assistant, will be the program’s next head coach.  

After 33 seasons leading the Davidson College men’s basketball program, Bob McKillop is retiring from coaching.  

Davidson announced the news one day after the program’s most famous alumnus—Stephen Curry—led the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA championship in eight years.  

Curry was among those who voiced appreciation for McKillop’s accomplished career on social media.  

“Love you Coach!” Curry said on Twitter. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, my family, Davidson and every person you’ve impacted along the way.” 

McKillop, 71, is among the top 60 coaches all-time at the NCAA Division I level with 634 career wins.  

McKillop coached the Wildcats to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run with Curry in 2008, ending in a two-point loss to the eventual national champions, Kansas.  

Davidson was 27-7 last season, including a 15-3 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference, leading to an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.  

McKillop was named his conference’s coach of the year 11 times, twice in the A-10 and nine times in the Southern Conference.  

Last season, McKillop became the 10th coach in Division I history to coach at least 1,000 career games at one school.   

McKillop’s son, Matt, who played on Davidson’s 2006 NCAA Tournament team and has been serving as an assistant, will be the program’s next head coach.  

Stephen Curry is used to the feeling of winning. It is one that has defined his spectacular career. However, watching him to sink to the court in tears in the final seconds of the Golden State Warriors' Game 6 victory over the Boston Celtics, it was clear Curry was not used to being quite so overcome by triumph.

The Warriors' 103-90 win at TD Garden, sealed by Curry's 34-point blitz, secured their fourth NBA title in eight seasons and, as Golden State revelled in returning to the mountaintop, it was tough to disagree with co-owner Joe Lacob's assessment that this one was the most meaningful.

Curry's outpouring of emotion upon the final buzzer illustrated as such, the Warriors' hoisting of the Larry O'Brien Trophy capping a remarkable journey for a team many believed had reached the end of their time in the sun.

Two seasons ago, with Kevin Durant having departed for the Brooklyn Nets and Klay Thompson starting the first of two injury-enforced seasons on the sideline following the torn ACL he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals series with the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors had the worst record in the league at 15-50, a hand injury suffered in the fourth game of the campaign severely restricting Curry's involvement.

There was agony in 2020-21 as an MVP calibre season from Curry ended with defeat in the play-in tournament, Thompson again a spectator, this time with a torn Achilles that kept him out until January 2022.

Even with Thompson's return on the horizon, few anticipated the core of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green to dazzle on the Finals stage in 2022, the Warriors' decision to hold on to the draft assets they accumulated rather than packaging them to acquire a fourth star met with scepticism in plenty of corners.

Those sceptics have now been silenced. While the faith in the blend of youth and experience and the unqualified success of the trade for former number one overall pick - and Golden State's second-best player in these Finals - Andrew Wiggins, played major roles in shutting up the critics, it was Curry who ultimately sealed the lips of Golden State's doubters.

Doubters have been a bewildering constant during Curry's career, even as he has blossomed into the greatest shooter in NBA history, one whose seemingly unlimited range has revolutionised the game of basketball.

Curry's resume has long since been sparkling and he has continued to embellish it. Prior to the Finals, he already had three NBA titles, two MVPs (the second of which made him the league's first unanimous winner) and the all-time record for three-pointers.

Still, there was never a shortage of observers who would respond to those list of achievements with "Yeah, but..."

"Yeah, but Kyrie Irving got hurt in 2015", "Yeah, but he won two rings after they signed Durant", "Yeah, but he doesn't have a Finals MVP".

Finally, the sceptics can no longer rely on their extremely pedantic excuses to deny Curry's position among the all-time greats, which is firmly secured after a Finals in which he was the dominant force.

Curry averaged 31.2 points per game, almost 10 full points more than his nearest challenger, Jayson Tatum (21.5), and his 31 three-pointers were comfortably the most by any player in the series. He averaged five assists per game - only Tatum (7) and Green (6.2) had more, while he was also third in average plus-minus (5.8). The two players ahead of him on the list, Kevon Looney (8) and Gary Payton II (7), averaged 21.7 and 18.6 minutes per game in the series respectively, Curry spent 37.5 minutes per game on the court.

The devastating offense provided by Curry, who supplements his devastating deep shooting by attacking the rim for lay-ups with the same remarkable consistency, was undoubtedly the decisive factor in the series. Indeed, Curry's production and the attention it forces defenses to commit to him had the Celtics bereft of ideas of how to stop the Warriors by Game 6, Golden State at one point in the first half going on a 21-0 scoring run that marked the longest in the last 50 years of Finals history.

Curry's 'gravity' cannot be overstated, the Warriors' supporting cast continuing to reap the benefits of the additional space the threat posed by their star point guard creates.

With Curry on the court in the Finals, the Warriors averaged 111.9 points per 100 possessions. That dipped to 90.1 points when he was off the floor. Their field goal percentage with Curry in the lineup was 47.1, compared to 34.9 with him on the bench.

Illustrating his effectiveness both beyond and inside the arc, the Warriors hit on 38.3 per cent of their three-point field goal attempts and averaged 42.2 points in the paint per 100 possessions with Curry in the team. Without him, they connected on 30.9 per cent of threes and put up 21.5 points in the paint per 100.

The Warriors' point differential in the Finals per 100 possessions with Curry on court was plus-7.6. In his absence, it was minus 6.2, a swing of 13.8 points in a series where Golden State's average margin of victory in their wins was... 13 points.

That plethora of evidence left Curry as the only, and indeed unanimous, selection for Finals MVP, moving him into exalted company.

Curry is the sixth player to have won four NBA titles, multiple league MVP awards and a Finals MVP. The other five are LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan. Among players to have won at least two titles, he is second for points averaged in championship-clinching games (32.5). Only Jordan (33.7) stands above him.

The territory Curry occupies is shared by undisputed basketball legends, and he knows his previous doubters now do not have the qualifiers with which to dispute his legacy.

"I hear all the narratives," Curry said. "You hear everything about what we [as a team] are and what we aren't, and what I am as a player and what I'm not. I have a hard time figuring out what they're going to say now, so this is pretty special."

The reasons used by those who sought to keep Curry out of the NBA's pantheon of all-time greats have always been dubious at best. Now, after a career-defining Finals performance, they are non-existent and, regardless of what else he achieves before he retires, his place is reserved for good.