Wednesday 11 May 2016 06:45, UK
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has been named the first unanimous NBA Most Valuable Player, winning the award for a second successive season.
Curry is the 11th player in league history to be voted MVP in consecutive seasons and the first guard to do so since Steve Nash in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Curry received 1,310 points from the 130 media voters from the US and Canada, and was followed in the vote by Kawhi Leonard of San Antonio, LeBron James of Cleveland and Oklahoma City team-mates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
Curry is the first two-time winner in franchise history, and Wilt Chamberlain (1959-60) is the only other Warriors winner. After guiding Golden State to its first championship in 40 years, Curry's side took that success even further to finish with 73 regular-season wins to top the mark set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team that went 72-10.
In a stunning overtime performance on Monday night, Curry showed exactly how he can take over a game in a matter of seconds. He returned from a sprained right knee to score 40 points, and 17 more in overtime, in a 132-125 win at Portland to put his team up 3-1 in the Western Conference semi-finals.
"I figured that he'd find his stroke and make a few shots, but I mean that was, that was crazy," said Golden state Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who was voted NBA Coach of the Year last month.
"The reason Steph [Curry] is as good as he is because he can score from anywhere. If you take away the three he can penetrate and hit the floaters or get to the rim."
Curry, now one of the most recognisable athletes worldwide, will be presented with his MVP trophy on Tuesday at Oracle Arena before trying to close out the series against the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Wednesday night.
He made a record 402 three-pointers after no player had previously hit 300 in a season. He averaged an NBA-best 30.1 points per game to go with 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds. He also led the NBA with 2.1 steals a game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from 3-point range and 90.8 percent from the foul line.
