Curry named SI Sportsperson of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO >> In a year filled to the brim with accolades, Stephen Curry still has one more award to accept before the calendar flips to 2023.
Curry was named 2022 Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated for the second time in his illustrious career, the publication announced Tuesday morning. The Warriors superstar joins Tom Brady, LeBron James and Tiger Woods as the only people to have received the annual recognition multiple times.
Curry previously shared the honor with the entire Warriors team in 2018 after Golden State won its third title in five years.
The annual award is said to go to “athletes, coaches and teams who best represent the spirit and ideals of sportsmanship, character and performance.” Sports Illustrated believes no one better exemplified that on and off the court this year than Curry.
The two-time league MVP led the Warriors back to the NBA Finals after two straight trips to the lottery. It took a thrilling six games for Golden State to ultimately knock off the Boston Celtics. Curry was stellar on both ends of the floor during the series, which included a masterful 43-point effort in Game 4. He averaged 31.2 points, five assists, six rebounds and two steals per game while also going 31for-71 from beyond the arc.
It was no surprise that Curry's heroics earned him the Finals MVP award, an accolade that had long eluded him.
Curry is eying his fifth ring this season. He's a top-five scorer in the league through seven weeks, leads the NBA in 3s by a longshot and the second-best rebounder for the Warriors through 25 games.