Stephen Curry more concerned with NBA title than elusive Finals MVP

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors have gone to the NBA Finals four consecutive years. However, Stephen Curry, a two-time regular-season MVP, has never hoisted the Finals MVP award. At media day on Wednesday in advance of the Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Curry was asked about his thoughts on that elusive honor pretty early during his media address.

"It took to the second question of my first media availability, so I'm pretty sure that narrative's going to take life, as it has since 2015," Curry said. "But it doesn't make or break my career or whatever you want to say looking back. If we win this championship and I don't win Finals MVP, I'm going to be smiling just as wide and just as big."

The sharpshooter said the Finals MVP-void narrative isn't coming from his inner circle.

"Not even the people close to me," he said. "That's kind of the nature of the beast being on this stage four times in a row. You've always got to look at what you don't have. There is always that thing about society always looking at can you attain more and more and more."

In 2015, Andre Iguodala took home the award after coach Steve Kerr inserted him into the starting lineup for Game 4. The swingman played an integral role on both ends to help the Warriors win three straight.

LeBron James claimed the honor in 2016 after anchoring his squad out of a historical 3-1 deficit. The city of Cleveland had won its first major championship since 1964.

And in 2017, Kevin Durant won the award in his first year with the Warriors.

"I can guarantee you that Steph is not up late thinking about winning the Finals MVP," Draymond Green told ESPN. "We're all trying to win another championship. If he gets [the award], he gets it. But that's not what he, or anybody else on this team, is playing for."

Most of the all-time greats who have led their teams to championships have been awarded the Finals MVP trophy.

Curry seems comfortable accepting the criticisms for his lack thereof in that department.

"That's fine. It's part of the beast," he said. "It's part of my motivation to try to get back to this stage because I want more championships. But I've never really highlighted the individual type -- even before my regular-season MVPs, I've never even really attacked it as if that was the goal, per se. Like I said, my values around how I play, good things usually happen for me and my team if I'm in that type of mindset.

"... But I'm going to play aggressively, confidently with that right energy and motivation to help my team win. And usually when I'm in that mindset, good things happen. Whether that means it's a Finals MVP or not, who cares, but I'm going to be playing like it for sure."

Game 1 is Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.