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萨克拉门托——斯蒂芬·库里的史诗级第七场表现——他的50分创下了一场生死战的比赛记录——实际上是从周六早上开始的，远在勇士队以120-100战胜国王队之前。

在周五晚上输掉第六场比赛后，他非常生气，因为他们在追求一个精神空虚的败仗中浪费了夺冠的机会。他对他们的比赛方式感到非常厌恶，对他们允许分裂情绪渗透进来感到非常失望。库里无法入眠。

当他放弃努力并起床时，太阳甚至还没有升起，他检查了手机，发现在凌晨3点45分有一条短信。原来德雷蒙德·格林也无法入睡。

他们交换了关于尴尬的信息，马刺后卫马利克·蒙克称他们老了，以及他们在集会上看到的分裂的焦点。格林准备对球队讲话，试图团结这群人。但是库里已经受够了，告诉格林：“让我来这一次。”这就是格林需要听到的。

在周六的电影放映开始之前，库里站在小组面前。在Chase中心9楼的玻璃幕墙阳台上，一个名为“篮下之上”的空间俯瞰着海湾，他拥有他们的全神贯注。

“我平时不怎么说话，”库里对全队说，“但我有话要说。”

他的演讲很少，他的鼓励大多是一对一的。队友们认为这很少见，但当他讲话时，每个人都会认真听取。

然而，这次演讲将成为他传奇的一部分。完美的序曲。

尽管他是队中的一员，库里在勇士更衣室里仍然有一种气质。他们看到他的谦卑、愉快的天性和易于亲近。但他们知道他是谁，和他们一起打球。他的尊重是毋庸置疑的。他们意识到一位传奇就在他们中间。

“他就是那个人，”加里·佩顿二世在比赛后对他的储物柜说。“所以当他说话时，每个人最好都要听。因为30通常很安静，让他的比赛来说话。但他不得不说他要说的话，因为他知道这是怎样的一种氛围……我认为他不想放弃这个胜利。所以他带领我们跟着他。”

他们听取的原因在周日在金1中心展现。在38分钟内，库里从国王手中夺回了希望。在38次投篮中，库里让世界再次意识到他的伟大。

当他完成讲话后，他告诉狂热的国王球迷，他们没有准备好面对一个传奇的愤怒。他拿下了50分，然后寻找50 Cent来点亮梁光。但在这个下午，天空中射出的不是紫色的激光，而是蓝色和金色的山羊信号。

库里在系列赛前六场比赛中场均得到31分，出手22.3次。在他的出场时间里，勇士队在比分上领先国王队33分。周日，他在前三节就出手27次。当他在比赛还剩2分39秒时退出比赛，他的正负值为正25。那支看起来几乎能够击败卫冕冠军的国王队，突然间看起来离勇士队达到的水平越来越远了。

“到这个时候，他已经没有理由来提醒人们了，”乔丹·普尔说，“他有和其他伟大球员一样的决心，黑曼巴精神，所有这些都是废话。斯蒂芬·库里拥有这种东西，这就是他如此特别的原因。也许他的方式与其他人有些不同，但我们知道他是一个杀手。全世界的人都知道他是一个杀手。”

但勇士队不是仅凭借库里的50分获胜的。他们赢了，是因为在本赛季至今最重要的比赛中，他们集中了精力。他们的团队防守让萨克拉门托队在下半场只得到42分。他们团结一心，挑战了士气高涨、年轻有为的国王队，挑战了疯狂的观众，承受了让王朝延续的压力。

他们团结在一起，这要归功于库里。他发表了一次被几位队友称为他职业生涯最伟大演讲的讲话。

“听完讲话我感到热血沸腾，”安德鲁·威金斯说，“30号球员，他真的与众不同。”

据多个私人会议的消息来源透露，库里告诉团队他相信他们，他们已经有足够的能力赢得比赛。他要求团队信任他，他保证只要他们全力以赴，他就能带领他们赢得胜利。他敦促他们抛开自己的感情（消息人士称这是针对波尔、乔纳森·库明加等因出场时间和角色而不满的队员发出的信息），并专注于团结的使命。他告诫那些想留在情绪中的人留在家里，告诉那些准备度假的人不要上萨克拉门托的巴士。但任何上了巴士的人，库里都认为这是一个批准的标志，是一个对使命的约定。如果他们这样做了，如果他们上了巴士，他保证他会以他的比赛、信仰和团结赢得胜利。

正因为他的身份和他很少这样做，只有库里才能这样打动人心。他在比赛7开始前拯救了勇士队的赛季。

“你们现在要么崩溃，要么崛起，”格林回忆起库里的讲话时兴奋地说道，“一旦他说完，你们就别无选择了，只能崛起。他让每个人都紧绷起来。‘如果你上这辆车，就代表你要向球队做出承诺。无论你上场时间是零分钟还是40分钟，你都要承诺尽力而为。准备好自己的心理和身体，为我们所拥有的这个机会做好准备。我们在前一晚受到了羞辱，我们绝不允许再次那样的输球。’”

凯文·卢尼——他本人在比赛中也有着出色的发挥，在本系列赛中第三次抢到20个以上的篮板——说他知道比赛已经结束了，就是在库里在比赛初期拒绝使用队友筛选战术，他想要单打。这通常意味着他的侵略性已经到达了极致，他发现了对手的弱点并想要进攻。

上半场他就已经得到了20分。他在对阵国王队时找到了特伦斯·戴维斯，因为国王队想要更多的空间和投射。当不是戴维斯时，库里也在诱导基根·默里盯着他。但很符合库里一贯的风格，他在第三节上了个档次。他在本节中5投2中得到了14分，率领球队将小小的落后转化为10分的领先优势。

突然间，国王队显得紧张了起来，感受到了比赛的压力。他们开始表现得像是这个总冠军时代中的许多球队一样，当勇士的压力终于将他们压垮时。克里斯·保罗的快船队、詹姆斯·哈登的火箭队、达米安·利拉德的开拓者队、凯文·杜兰特的雷霆队、勒布朗·詹姆斯的骑士队、贾·莫兰特的灰熊队、杰森·塔图姆的凯尔特人队，以及现在的德阿隆·福克斯的国王队。

勇士队并没有表现出色。温格斯得到17分，是勇士队得分第二高的球员，但他错过了足够多的上篮和罚球，让他感到沮丧。克莱·汤普森则是19投4中。勇士队只从替补席上得到18分，而且三分球的命中率仍然不到三分之一。这还不包括他们整个赛季带着的剧情。那些随时可能爆裂的裂痕。疲惫的身体和不足的规模。

然而，勇士队有库里和新发现的团结。他们有一位史上最伟大的球员的承诺和一辆充满承诺的巴士。

当库里向团队发出呼吁后，他开放了让任何有话要说的人发表意见的机会。他开启了这个历史性的时刻，但他也愿意与队友分享。

但是并不需要。在库里讲完后，再没有需要说的了。

“够了，冠军！”格林对库里的回应大声喊道。“没人有话要说了！这就是结果。还有什么可以说的？”

唯一需要做的就是在球场上打球了。

Marcus Thompson IIand Shams CharaniaMay 1, 2023

SACRAMENTO — Stephen Curry’s epic Game 7 performance — in which his 50 points set a record for a win-or-go-home game — actually began Saturday morning. Well before the Warriors’120-100 win over the Kings.

He was so angry after their Game 6 loss on Friday night, when they squandered a chance to clinch with a spirit-less loss at Chase Center. He was so disgusted by how they played, so disappointed in the division they allowed to seep in. Curry couldn’t sleep.

When he gave up trying and got up, before the sun had even risen, he checked his phone and saw a text at 3:45 a.m. Turns out Draymond Greencouldn’t sleep either.

They exchanged messages about their embarrassment, how Kings guard Malik Monkcalled them old, about the fractured focus they’ve witnessed in their huddle. Green was prepared to speak to the team, to try galvanizing the bunch. But Curry was fed up enough to tell Green, “let me take this one.” That was all Green needed to hear.

Before the start of Saturday’s film session, Curry stood before the group. In the glass-walled atrium on the ninth floor of Chase Center, a space known as “Above the Rim” that overlooks the Bay, he had their undivided attention.

“I don’t even talk a lot,” Curry said to the team, “but I’ve got something to say.”

His speeches are scarce. His pep talks are mostly one-on-one. Teammates consider it rare, but when he does speak, everyone listens explicitly.

This speech, though, would become part of his legend. The prelude to perfection.

Even though he’s one of the guys, Curry still has an aura in the Warriors locker room. They see his humility, his jovial nature and approachability. But they know who he is, who they get to play with. His respect is unimpeachable. They recognize a legend in their midst.

“He is that guy,” Gary Payton IIsaid at his locker after the game. “So when he speaks, everybody better listen. Because 30 is usually quiet and lets his game speak for itself. But he had to say what he had to say, because he knew what type of vibe it was … and I don’t think he wanted to give this one up. So he led and we followed.”

The reason they listen was on display at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday. In 38 minutes, Curry snatched hope from the Kings. In 38 shots, Curry reminded the world of his greatness.

And when he was done, he was telling the raucous Kings fans they weren’t ready for the wrath of a legend. He dropped 50 and then was looking for 50 Cent to light the beam. But on this afternoon, it wouldn’t be a purple laser piercing the sky. Instead a blue and gold goat signal.

Curry averaged 31 points on 22.3 shots over the first six games of the series. The Warriors had outscored the Kings by 33 points in his minutes heading into Game 7. Sunday, he had 27 shots through three quarters. By the time he checked out for good with 2:39 remaining, he was plus-25. The same Kings who looked so close to knocking off the defending champions suddenly looked so far from the level the Warriors reached.

“At this point, he’s reminding people for no reason,” Jordan Poolesaid, “He’s got the same edge as any of the other greats. Mamba Mentality, all of that s—. Steph got that s—. That’s what makes him so special. Maybe his approach is a bit different than the other guys, but we know he’s a killer. Everybody in the world knows he’s a killer.”

But the Warriors didn’t win solely because of Curry’s 50. They won because, unlike in Game 6 at Chase Center, they were locked in for the biggest game of the season to date. Their team defense kept Sacramento to 42 second-half points. They were united as they took on the emboldened, youthful Kings, took on the frenzied crowd, took on the pressure of keeping their dynasty alive.

And they were together because Curry made sure of it. With what a few of his teammates called the greatest speech of his career.

“It gave me chills,” Andrew Wigginssaid. “No. 30, he’s different, man.”

According to multiple sources in the private session, Curry told the team he believed in them, that they had enough to win. He asked for their trust in return. He assured them he could deliver victory if they all bought in. He implored them to put all of their feelings aside — which sources with knowledge of the locker room felt was messaging directed at Poole, Jonathan Kumingaand other guys who might’ve been unhappy for reasons such as playing time and role — and lock in to the unified mission. Anyone who wanted to remain in their emotions, he told them to stay home. Anyone who was ready for their vacation, he told them not to get on the bus for Sacramento. But anyone who did get on the bus, Curry took that as a signature of approval, a binding agreement to be on board with the mission. And if they did that, if they got on the bus, he promised he’d deliver. With his game, his faith, their solidarity, they’d win.

Because of who he is, and how rarely he does this, it hit home in a way only Curry could pull off. He saved the Warriors’ season before Game 7 even began.

“You’re in this space where you gon’ fold or you gon’ rise up,” Green said, his voice raising with excitement as he relived the speech. “Once he did that, you have no choice but to rise up. He f—ing got everybody locked in. ‘If you’re getting on this bus, you’re making a commitment to this team. No matter if you play zero minutes or 40 minutes. You’re making a commitment to do whatever it takes. Prepare your mind and body for this opportunity we have. We got embarrassed the other night and we never f—ing going out like that.’”

Kevon Looney— who had his own career night, grabbing 20 or more rebounds for the third time this series — said he knew it was over when Curry, early in the game, waved off a screen. He wanted to go iso. That usually means his aggression is at max levels, that he sees a weakness and wants to attack it.

He had 20 points by halftime. He went at Terence Davis, who replaced Davion Mitchellon Curry as the Kings sought more space and shooting. And when it wasn’t Davis, Curry was luring Keegan Murrayonto him. But, very much on brand, it was the third quarter where Curry put his foot on the gas. He scored 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting in the quarter, leading the way as turning a small Kings halftime lead into a 10-point advantage.

Suddenly, it was the Kings who looked nervous, who felt the pressure of the moment. They started looking like so many have during this championship era, when the weight of the Warriors finally crushes them. The Chris Paul Clippers. The James Harden Rockets. The Damian Lillard Blazers. The Kevin Durant Thunder. The LeBron James Cavaliers. The Ja Morant Grizzlies. The Jayson Tatum Celtics. And now the De’Aaron Fox Kings.

The Warriors weren’t playing lights out. Wiggins, whose 17 points was the next highest for the Warriors, missed enough layups and free throws to leave him frustrated. Klay Thompsonwas 4-for-19. The Warriors got just 18 points from their bench and made fewer than a third of their 3-pointers again. That doesn’t count a season full of drama they’d been lugging around like baggage. The fissures that were ready to rip open. The tired legs and wanting size.

What the Warriors did have, however, was Curry and a newfound togetherness. They had a promise from one of the all-time greats and a bus loaded with commitment.

When Curry finished his appeal to the team, he opened the floor for anyone else who had something to add. He started the seminal moment but was willing to share with a teammate.

But there was no need. After Curry speaks, nothing more needs to be said.

“Enough said champ!” Green yelled in response to Curry. “Nobody got nothing! That’s it. What else can be said?”

The only talking left to do was on the court.