Saying that Stephen Curry has had a massive impact on the game of basketball is an understatement. The man almost single-handedly ushered in an era of heavy 3-point shooting. His accuracy from beyond the arch has led teams to change the way they play both defence and offence; some even argue that he has destroyed the role of “big men” in the league vis his 3-point revolution. For years, the only “weakness” on Curry’s CV was that he lacked an NBA Finals MVP Award despite his three NBA championships. Although these arguments may seem absurdly nit-picky, they are not. Curry is vying to be considered one of the top ten basketball players of all time. He is going up against the greatest of the greats, and someone needs a flawless CV to be in those conversations.
So, when the Golden State Warriors captured their fourth NBA Championship in the last eight years, Curry simultaneously captured his first NBA Finals MVP trophy. The man with nothing left to prove is still playing excellent basketball; there’s no telling how much more polish will be on his résumé when he retires.
The Delayed World Cup
In a typical world cup year, games among the world’s best teams would be kicking off right about now. We would be hearing made-for-the-event anthems, and TVs across the world would be glued to match after match. This year, however, things are delayed, and not because of COVID. That is because a little over a decade, FIFA selected – or sold the rights to – Qatar as the host country for the World Cup. In 2015, the organisation rightly chose to delay the event from its typical summer slot to December, when temperatures in the small nation are relatively bearable. Just recently, the nation got a chance to test-drive all of the promises it made for player and fan safety in the heat. Qatar hosted three international playoff games to determine the final two teams to qualify for the World Cup (Australia and Costa Rica earned their spots). The question remains whether the small country has the hotel and transport infrastructure required for the event. Even though they made impressive advances in these regards as part of their preparation, there are still questions as to whether everything they have done will be enough. One way Qatar has attacked this problem of potential overcrowding is by requiring all those attending the World Cup to have proof of ticket purchase to enter the country or even book a hotel room. Although that destroys an important aspect of past events, it does promise substantially less chaos. The world is waiting with bated breath to see whether the event will be successful. Because of the controversial nature of Qatar’s selection – as well as the country’s spotty human rights record – many people out there are hoping the event will be a disaster. Here is to hoping that it won’t be too much of one.