Curry not focusing on MVP chatter: My 'game speaks for itself'

Stephen Curry is looking a lot like the player who won back-to-back MVP awards in 2015 and 2016, but he seems content merely garnering consideration for the honor after his Golden State Warriors finished dead last in 2019-20.

The six-time All-Star had another spectacular performance Thursday, dropping 40 points on 14-of-26 shooting in the Warriors' 111-105 win over the Orlando Magic.

"The game speaks for itself," Curry told reporters, including ESPN's Nick Friedell, after the win. "Those two (MVP) years is the exact same kind of conversation. Obviously, that's an amazing accomplishment, and being in that conversation with all that we've been through these last two years - that means something. Those narratives make themselves as you go throughout the season, and my job is obviously just (to) be at the level that I expect to be, and usually, that means you're at the top at the end of the season.

"I really try not to get distracted by that because it kind of taints the moment. And really right now, if I'm doing my job, then I'll be there at the end of the season, and that will take care of itself."

Curry, 32, drilled 10 triples in Thursday's victory, extending his NBA record to 17 games with at least 10 made attempts from distance. He's cracked the 30-point mark in 13 of his 26 appearances this season, and he posted a career-high 62 points against the Portland Trail Blazers in January.

But the three-time NBA champion knows the Warriors' record will ultimately determine whether or not he captures a third Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

"It always has and it always will," he said. "You can always make judgments based on what you value and what you see and numbers and wins and losses and the eye test and all that type of stuff. It's kind of what makes the beauty of that award in general because everybody has a different take on what it means.

"Sometimes the goalposts do change, though, for sure. So it's just a matter of doing my job, and if that means people want to put me in that conversation - or any of the other guys - then that's amazing. If not, it's not going to change how I approach the game."