Who would have thought that Stephen Curry’s unanimous MVP season would end up being his biggest regret? During the 2015-16 season, Curry delivered a performance that many consider the greatest peak in basketball history. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds over 79 games. Curry shot 56.6% on 9.0 two-point attempts per game, 45.4% on 11.2 three-pointers, and 90.8% on 5.1 free throws per contest. By the traditional standards of the 50-40-90 club, he became its highest-scoring member.

However, statistics can sometimes feel meaningless. Curry entered the NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looking unstoppable. The Golden State Warriors dominated the Cavaliers in the early games, taking a 3-1 series lead. Unfortunately, the Warriors faltered, allowing the Cavaliers to come back and claim the 2015-16 title by winning three straight games. Curry has reflected on his mistakes during this series, particularly the missed three-pointer with seconds remaining in Game 7.

Now, in 2025, after winning three more championship rings and earning a Finals MVP award, Curry still regards that Game 7 with a sense of defeat. However, he now approaches the situation as a leader in the locker room, equipped with the wisdom gained from his experiences.

Appearing on Bryson DeChambeau’s Break 50  series on his YouTube Channel, Bryon asked Curry in between shots, “What was the one moment where you felt like I wish I had that back?” 

Curry replied, “Probably the ’16 finals. Yeah. Cause it’s kind of like you see it now, Monday morning quarterback. You can kind of see how things were slipping. Yeah. Maybe game four, game five type vibe, where maybe you should have kind of rallied the troops, said a little something. And probably not even for them, mostly for me. Hopefully, it impacts them and gets them on the right track, but it’s more so for me to kind of get me in the vibe of like ultra competitiveness, the sense of urgency of the moment. If I let it slip, then it kind of… That takes my foot off the gas.”

Steph Curry needed some motivation at the time. The shot you could once trust your life with suddenly went down without much explanation in the playoffs. In the postseason, he shot 40.4% from three, down almost 5%. While those are still great numbers for literally any player, not for Curry. Many feel Curry was still feeling that strain on his MCL after turning his ankle in the first round of the playoffs. 

His movements in the finals didn’t seem as smooth as they had throughout the rest of the season. While Curry’s points tally might look good, he shot a combined 15 of 42 in the final three games. However, aside from Curry’s slight underperformance, there were several other factors that contributed to Golden State’s collapse. Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5, and both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving played exceptionally well in the final three games.

“What I say about that 3–1 situation is I’ve never seen two guys play at that level for three straight games, it was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” Curry said earlier.“Like, Bron and Kyrie were just on. Like, we played well, they just played better. And it was hard to watch and be in that vibe where you couldn’t do anything about it.” While part of Curry still wishes he could change things, he has evolved with age to avoid it being a burden. 

Stephen Curry Has Managed To Accept The Reality 

Although the loss in the finals is a minor setback in Stephen Curry’s career, it hasn’t hindered his success. He and the Golden State Warriors went on to win two consecutive championships in the following seasons. Curry continued to be an All-Star, even though he did not replicate his incredible performance from the 2015-16 season. His scoring averages remained impressive, with 25.3 points and 26.4 points per game in those seasons. He secured another championship in 2022, earning the coveted Finals MVP award. Despite all these achievements, DeChambeau questioned whether the finals loss still lingered in Curry’s thoughts.

“Do you reflect on it a lot, or do you just keep moving forward and try to improve?” He asked. Curry replied, “I have my moments where it comes back, but for the most part, I don’t…. I try not to carry that weight too much. I don’t think it’s that I try to have grace with myself, for sure.” The way Curry talked about that series earlier it definitely changed him. 

There weren’t many signs of it from the outside, but today, Stephen Curry turns 37 and is nearing the end of what can only be described as a successful career. During the third quarter of the 2021-22 finals, with 18 minutes remaining, Curry even celebrated by doing the “put a ring on my finger” gesture. His confidence has never wavered, and now he seems to have moved beyond the five stages of grief and into a place of acceptance.