Ex-Warriors Champion Claims Kevin Durant 'Accidentally' Won Second Finals MVP

For years, NBA fans trolled Stephen Curry for not winning a Finals MVP. Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant (2x) got that distinction in Curry's first three championships, and the sharpshooter had to wait until 2022 to finally get his.

However, at least two of the three Finals MVPs he didn't win were debatable. Iguodala got his because of his defense on LeBron James, even though he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. As for the 2018 Finals MVP, he and Durant posted virtually the same numbers.

Quinn Cook says Kevin Durant wanted Steph Curry to win Finals MVP

Now, looking back to that season, former Warriors guard Quinn Cook revealed that Durant actually wanted Curry to get the nod in the 2018 NBA Finals. Talking on the Players' Choice podcast, he revealed that it was actually one of Durant's goals for the season:

“When we were in Houston and Toyota Center was going crazy, and they just made a 9-0 run, and we needed a bucket, we’re going to Kevin every single time. And to be honest, Kevin wanted Steph to get that Finals MVP the next year so bad,” Cook said. “That’s all he was talking about all season, like 'I can’t wait until Steph gets his Finals MVP' so he can shut up everybody, the naysayers."

Even so, Durant rose to the occasion when the team needed him the most, securing not only his second title but also his second Finals MVP award. Per Cook, that was just a testament to his greatness, as he wasn't even trying to dominate or be the primary scorer:

“But I think in Game 2 [of the Finals], that’s when Steph broke the record, he had nine threes. And then Game 3, we were struggling, Steph was struggling, and Kevin just accidentally walked into 40. And then you just look at the numbers statistically, I think Kevin had a triple-double in Game 4. He wasn’t even as aggressive; that’s just how good he is. He just accidentally got the Finals MVP back-to-back,” Cook said.