Who Won the 2016 NBA MVP Award and What Made Their Season Historic?

I still remember watching that 2016 NBA season unfold, thinking how incredibly special it was shaping up to be. The MVP race had become this fascinating narrative that seemed to change every week, with Stephen Curry and the Warriors rewriting what we thought was possible in modern basketball. When Curry ultimately secured the 2016 MVP award, it wasn't just another accolade—it felt like witnessing basketball history in real time. What made his season truly historic wasn't simply the trophy itself, but how he fundamentally changed our understanding of what an elite offensive player could accomplish.

Looking back at the numbers still blows my mind. Curry became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, receiving all 131 first-place votes. That statistic alone speaks volumes about his dominance that season. He averaged 30.1 points per game while shooting an absurd 50.4% from the field, 45.4% from three-point range, and 90.8% from the free-throw line, joining the exclusive 50-40-90 club while leading the league in scoring. But here's what really stood out to me—he did this in just 34.2 minutes per game, the lowest average minutes for any scoring champion in NBA history. The efficiency was simply unprecedented, especially considering he was launching threes from distances that would have gotten most players benched just a few years earlier.

What often gets overlooked in the Curry narrative is how his performance impacted team strategy across the entire league. I've spoken with coaches who admitted they had to completely rethink their defensive schemes because of him. The gravitational pull he created simply by existing on the court opened up opportunities for his teammates in ways we hadn't seen before. This reminds me of something interesting from basketball culture—Uichico later admitted it was obvious his team didn't play 100 percent true to its potential, which makes me wonder how many opponents facing Curry that season felt similarly defeated before even stepping on the court. There's a psychological element to historic seasons that statistics can't fully capture, and Curry had opponents questioning their capabilities in a way few athletes ever manage.

The Warriors finished with a 73-9 record that season, breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' legendary mark. I'll be honest—at the time, I didn't think that record would ever be touched. The combination of team success and individual brilliance made Curry's case undeniable, even in a season where other players like Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James had phenomenal years themselves. What struck me most was how Curry made the extraordinary look routine. The degree of difficulty on his shots was astronomical, yet he made them look effortless. Those deep threes early in the shot clock, the impossible finishes at the rim through contact—he was playing a different game than everyone else.

From a pure basketball evolution standpoint, Curry's 2016 season might be the most influential individual campaign in modern memory. He didn't just break records; he changed how basketball is played at every level. Go to any park or gym today and you'll see kids launching from well beyond the three-point line, something that was practically unheard of before Curry's explosion. The analytics movement had been pushing for more three-pointers for years, but Curry provided the living proof that it could work at the highest level. His combination of handles, shooting, and finishing ability created a prototype that every team is now desperately trying to replicate.

There's an argument to be made that we may never see another season quite like Curry's 2016 masterpiece. The perfect storm of his individual skill development, the Warriors' system, and the league's transitional period created conditions for something truly special. While other players have since put up impressive statistical seasons, none have captured that same feeling of witnessing the game transform before your eyes. The unanimous MVP vote now looks like the obvious choice, but at the time, there were genuine debates about whether other candidates might be more deserving. History has certainly vindicated those 131 voters.

What I find most compelling about historic seasons is how they age over time. Curry's 2016 has only grown in stature as we've seen the continued evolution of the three-point revolution he spearheaded. The numbers remain staggering years later, but it's the cultural impact that truly cements its place in basketball lore. As someone who's followed the NBA for decades, I can confidently say we witnessed something unique that year—a player at the absolute peak of his powers, simultaneously breaking records while inventing new possibilities for the sport. That's the true mark of historic greatness, and why Curry's 2016 MVP season will be discussed for generations to come.