Nobody's Talking About How Jalen Brunson's MVP Proves Steph Curry Got Absolutely Robbed in 2015

Alright, Seattle, listen up. You all saw Jalen Brunson tear it up, right? The dude just snagged the 2026 Finals MVP, and honestly, he earned it. Dropped a massive 45 points in that series-clinching game against the Spurs on Saturday, and he was the definition of clutch throughout the whole series. But here’s the kicker, the dirty little secret: Brunson was straight-up inefficient for the first *three games* of that series. And what happened? The media gave him a pass. They gave him grace. You know who didn't get that grace 11 years ago? Stephen Curry. Brunson's unanimous Finals MVP isn't just a win for him, it's a giant spotlight on the hypocrisy of these voters, and it's wild.

The Numbers Don't Lie, They Scream!

You wanna talk facts? Let's talk facts. When you stack up Brunson's 2026 Finals run against Curry's 2015 performance, it's like looking at two different rulebooks. Check these stats: * **Brunson:** 32.6 PPG, .536 TS%, +8 Plus/Minus, 11.2 4th-Q PPG * **OG Anunoby (Brunson's Teammate):** 21.2 PPG, .714 TS%, -17 Plus/Minus, 7 4th-Q PPG * **Curry:** 26.0 PPG, .585 TS%, +52 Plus/Minus, 10.8 4th-Q PPG * **Andre Iguodala (Curry's Teammate):** 16.3 PPG, .588 TS%, +62 Plus/Minus, 5.7 4th-Q PPG Hold up, did you see that? Curry was actually *more efficient* than Brunson, rocking a .585 TS% compared to Brunson's .536. And Anunoby, Brunson's running mate, was far more efficient than Iguodala. Plus, the defensive gap between Iguodala and Curry was similar to the gap between Brunson and Anunoby. The reason Curry supposedly got snubbed in 2015 was "perceived inefficiency" and Iguodala's defense. But history shows, *every* winning team where the leading scorer outscored their second-leading scorer by 40+ points saw that leading scorer win MVP. Guess who the only exception is? Yep, Curry in 2015. And for all the talk about Brunson's clutch factor, Curry's fourth-quarter scoring was practically identical. It’s a total head-scratcher.

Perception is Everything, And It's Bullsh*t

So why did Curry get absolutely robbed while Brunson got his due? It came down to two things: how they were perceived as offensive engines soaking up defensive attention, and how they were viewed after the first three games. In 2015, the world just didn't give Curry enough credit for being the ultimate offensive threat. The Cavaliers basically refused to let him breathe, even 40 feet from the basket, leaving guys like Iguodala wide open. Brunson definitely got defensive attention, way more than any other Knick, and that attention created great offense for others, like Anunoby. But it wasn't the level Curry faced. The second part is even wilder. When the Warriors went down 2-1 in the 2015 Finals, the narrative immediately became that Curry was getting "locked up" by Matthew Dellavedova, and the team needed a savior. Flash forward to Brunson being "wildly inefficient" for three games, and it's just a bump in the road. It makes you wonder what really goes into these votes, doesn't it? It's a cold dose of reality about how history gets written.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.