Steph Curry plays with a lot of emotion, but it is extremely rare to see him cry on the court.

That’s what happened in the final moments of Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals in Boston. The Golden State Warriors were seconds away from winning their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons and Curry let it all out. Tears came down his face after hugging his dad Dell Curry, who was standing under the basket getting ready to celebrate with his son. Steph was so overcome with emotion that he fell to the floor with still 2.7 seconds left on the game clock.

Former NBA player and current TV analyst Grant Hill asked Curry about his moment vulnerability and in classic Curry fashion, he gave a very candid and thoughtful response.

“Any time you’re trying to sustain anything at this level, there’s just so much emotional baggage and the physical nature of what we do. It’s hard,” said Curry, who took home the Bill Russell award as the MVP of the 2022 NBA Finals after leading the Golden State Warriors to a hard-fought victory over the Boston Celtics in a grueling six-game series.

Curry was a unanimous choice as MVP of The Finals after averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the series. And he did most of his damage while being guarded by the reigning defensive player of the year in Celtics guard Marcus Smart.

The 34-year-old sharpshooter finished with 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the clincher, giving him 30 or more in three straight games at Boston’s TD Garden. The signature moment came in Game 4 when Curry dropped 43 points and hit seven 3-pointers in a 107-97 win that tied the series at 2. Boston didn’t win another game in the series after that Curry flurry.

“To go to five straight Finals — like I said after going through these last two years — and try to maintain that belief and carry that every single day,” Curry said. “Every time we come into the gym and practice. Every time you come into game. Every time you step into a locker room. You understand that leadership. You have to carry that. Whether guys believe it or not, or you’re gonna end up in the finish line or not, I let all that out at the end of the game. This one definitely feels different.”

This Warriors’ championship run was certainly different. It was sweeter. It always feels sweet to prove people wrong. The Dubs were left for dead after missing the playoffs the last two seasons. They heard all the negative chatter. The dynasty was done. Klay Thompson may never be the same after ACL and Achilles surgeries. They can’t win a title without Kevin Durant. Draymond Green is getting old.

But the Warriors found a way to build it back up, and now they’re back at the top of the NBA mountain.

“What we’ve been through over these last two years have been a lot,” Curry said. “To be able to just let all that out, especially in this building [TD Garden Arena in Boston], it’s a historic building. I was just thinking about all that.”

He added, “Just proud of everybody that played a part in making this a reality.”

Seth Curry, Steph’s younger brother, celebrated with him on the court. Steph said his brother asked this rhetorical question: “What are they gonna say now?”

What are the talking heads and critics going to say? Absolutely nothing. Nada. Zip. As Warriors defensive stalwart Draymond Green put it, Curry left no doubt that he’s an all-time great. Steph cemented his place on basketball’s King’s Landing after winning a fourth title and a Finals MVP.

“Without [Steph], none of this happens,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Curry. “That’s not taking anything away from Joe [Lacob] and Peter’s [Gruber] ownership. They built an incredible organization. Bob Myers is a helluva GM. We’ve had so many great players. But Steph ultimately is why this run has happened.”

Kerr was asked if this was the least talented Warriors squad to win a title. Kerr wasn’t in full agreement with that assessment, saying the 2022 Warriors may not have the same offensive firepower as the previous Golden State champs but they’re just as talented especially defensively.

“We had Kevin Durant for three years with this core group. We’re untouchable,” Kerr said. “This [2022 team] has been compared to our first championship team in 2015. Maybe there are some similarities. But this is still a talented group of players.”

He continued: “Our defense was spectacular in this series, especially the last three games. The Celtics had the best defense in the league but we were right behind them. What made this group really special besides the obvious with Steph was the defensive intensity and versatility.”

It’s laughable to think that there are still people, including basketball pundits, who question Curry’s place among the game’s all-time greats. Draymond calls those questioning Curry’s legacy as “garbage.”

“He’s still Steph Curry. He’s still an all-time great. To add [a Finals MVP] to your resume, as a competitor, you want that. For him, well deserved. It’s been a long time in the making. He left no doubt.”

By winning his fourth NBA championship and his first Finals MVP trophy, Kobe Bryant earned his MA in being a team leader. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Winning an NBA championship is kind of like graduation. You work all year to accumulate points and, once it’s done, you get to enjoy a big celebration in June.

On June 14, 2009, Kobe Bryant graduated from all-star to uber star. He scored an A-plus on his NBA report card and finally completed this master’s degree in leadership.

Being named most valuable player of the NBA Finals signifies that you are the best player in the world. When Kobe Bryant was handed the Bill Russell MVP trophy on Sunday night after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship, he officially became a Jedi Master – one who can force his will on his own team as well as his opponent. If LeBron James is the MVP of the NBA, then Bryant is the MVP of a galaxy far, far away.

“He is the guy that LeBron and all those other guys are chasing. He’s Machiavelli. He’s a throwback,” former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy said of Bryant while comparing him to the great Italian philosopher. Bryant averaged 32 points per game, six rebounds and seven assists in the five-game series against the Orlando Magic en route to claiming his first Finals MVP and his fourth NBA championship ring.

“MVP. Championship. The legacy continues. This guy now, in my opinion, is in the top 10 players of all time. He’s No. 10 in my book,” TNT’s Kenny Smith said about Bryant, who is widely regarded as the best closer in the game.

Though he won three championships from 2000-02, this year’s title resonates more with Bryant, a player who balances being the most beloved player in the league and its most hated villain. He entered the league as a cocky and sometimes irritating 18-year-old know-it-all and now, at 30 years old, his unparalleled swagger is viewed as intimidating.

Bryant recently admitted he is a much better all-round player now and went as far as saying he had a better year in 2009 than 2008 – and ’08 was his MVP season. Winning a fourth NBA championship definitely cemented Bryant’s place in NBA history. He now has his championship without Shaquille O’Neal, proving to critics he can lead a team to a championship as the main Alpha Male.

“It was just annoying. It was like Chinese water torture,” Bryant said of the chatter that he couldn’t win a title without Shaq. “I would cringe every time. I was just like, it’s a challenge I’m just going to have to accept because there’s no way I’m going to argue it. You can say it until you’re blue in the face and rationalize it until you’re blue in the face, but it’s not going anywhere until you do something about it.

“I think we as a team answered the call because they understood the challenge that I had, and we all embraced it.”

O’Neal posted a congratulatory message on his Twitter page following the game: “Congratulations kobe, u deserve it,” O’Neal wrote. “You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.”

It took Bryant 13 years to finally shed the selfish moniker he’s been unceremoniously branded with. He dropped the hot dog, mustard and the relish off his game and developed a healthy diet of highlight-free moves. Although he still showcases a spectacular move once in a while, for the most part he has become more efficient on offense and defense. Because he’s a little bit older and does not jump as high, Bryant has ditched the fancy crossover dribbles and the ill-advised pull-up 3-pointers in favor of turn-around jumpers in the post and more high-percentage mid-range jump shots.

The biggest improvement in Bryant’s game is his passing. He is now willing to share the ball with his teammates, a part of his game that he really struggled with during the early part of his career. There was a time when he led a fastbreak and no one ran with him. He was the lone wolf of the pack. Now, when he leads a fastbreak, the pack is running with him.

When Kobe Bryant got his teammates involved, the Lakers became world champions.

His coach of eight years, Phil Jackson, has witnessed Bryant’s growth as a player and as a person.

“There was a point in Kobe’s first or second year [with me] when we sat together and watched tape. I wanted him to understand his impact on the game a little bit and my feeling on his impact on the game,” Jackson said.

“We had a game in Toronto and he had gotten hooked up with Vince Carter in the middle of a fourth quarter, and they kinda exchanged baskets and I thought it took our team out of our team play. The game was much harder than it should have been,” Jackson recalled. “So I talked to him a little bit about leadership and about his ability to be a leader and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m ready to be a captain right now.’ And I said, ‘But no one is ready to follow you.

“But he was 22 at the time. He was a young guy,” Jackson continued. “In those eight years that ensued from that period, he’s learned how to become a leader in a way in which people want to follow him. I think that’s really important for him to learn that. He knew that he had to give to get [something] in return. He’s become a giver rather than just a guy who’s a demanding leader. It’s been great to watch.”

Bryant’s willingness to share the ball was evident in Game 4 against the Magic. He set up Pau Gasol’s dunk with 32 seconds left with a whirling-derbish move ala Earl Monroe. With the Lakers down 87-84 with 10 seconds left, the Magic double-teamed Bryant and, without hesitation, he passed the ball to Trevor Ariza and started a mini-fastbreak, culminating in a 3-pointer by Derek Fisher to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, Kobe’s recognition of a double team resulted in a wide-open 3-pointer for Fisher at the top of the arc for what proved to be the game-winning shot of Game 4 and the defining moment of the ’09 Finals. Those two plays were clear indications that Kobe Bryant has grown into his role as the most complete player in the world. He no longer needs to be told that. He knows it.

“This is one bad man,” former NBA guard and current ABC/ESPN analyst Mark Jackson said. “You’re talking about a complete basketball player. I don’t really think you appreciate how great this guy is. I learned as a broadcaster you don’t want to throw around the word ‘great.’ I’m gonna go out on a limb and say, ‘This guy is great.’ As good as we’ve seen at the two-guard position.”

When Bryant realized that he can’t win on his own, no matter how hard he tried, he evolved as a player. His single-mindedness and incredible drive, which is both a curse and a gift, now permeates to the rest of his team. He has become a better teammate. He still has some venom when he rips into his guys, but he has done it less and less.

The transformation began in 2007-08 when Bryant won MVP during the regular season. The arrival of Gasol gave Bryant the much-needed support he has craved for since O’Neal left town in 2004. With Gasol playing the No. 2 scoring option and Fisher as wingman, Bryant took HIS new-look Lakers to the NBA Finals in ’08 but fell short against the Boston Celtics. Instead of having another meltdown during the offseason, Bryant went back to the lab and helped HIS teammates get stronger – physically and mentally. Bryant knew he needed to build HIS team back up – one pass and one shot at a time.

“Losing in the Finals last year brought us closer together,” Fisher said. “This team is closer because of the combination of guys in terms of their ages and where they’re at in their careers. With these guys, everybody being early to mid-20s, there was a willingness to learn and be around me, to be around Kobe, and be around people that they can learn from.”

With Bryant as their undeniable leader and captain, the Lakers knocked off every Western Conference foe in surgical fashion and slapped the exclamation point with a victory over the Magic in the Finals.

Having been to the top in Stage 1 of his career, Bryant has talked about climbing the mountain top again. With Stage 2 well underway, he is more refined and building a legacy that could land him above his idol, Michael Jordan. “I just want to be the best – simple and plain. But to be the best, you have to win. That is what drives me,” Bryant said.

Three more championships and Bryant will surpass Jordan.