Love compares guarding Curry in Game 7 to Will Ferrell in Old School
Love jokes that he "blacked out" while guarding Curry in the closing seconds of Game 7
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1 min read
From LeBron James' physics-defying block on Andre Iguodala's layup to Kyrie Irving's dagger three-pointer over Stephen Curry, Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals was one for the ages. But while those two moments are routinely brought up when reminiscing about the game, Kevin Love's excellent defense on Curry in the closing seconds effectively sealed the victory and championship for the Cavaliers.
Love has never been known to be fleet of foot, but he somehow stayed with Curry through all of his maneuvers and was able to challenge the Warriors guard on what could've been a game-tying shot.
Months later, it is still remarkable how well Love defended Curry. Love though, knew he could handle the challenge and was well versed in the play the Warriors ran at that juncture of the game. However, Love understands how surprising the whole sequence is perceived, which is why he jokingly compared it to a scene from the 2003 movie "Old School" involving Will Ferrell's character Frank Richard.
From SI's Lee Jenkins:
"That's Steph's thing," Love says, "get switched onto a big guy and break him down." The unanimous MVP started left, dribbled behind his back, and probed right. He threw a crossover and a step-back, the moves that singed defenders all season. "It was like in Old School when Will Ferrell is on the debate team," Love laughs. "'What happened? I blacked out!'
Here is the scene that Love is referring to:
This is just a phenomenal reference by Love. But while he can now make light of the play, Love's defense on Curry was quite critical in the Cavaliers winning the championship. Much like Richard's debating skills in "Old School" prevented Dean Pritchard from shutting down the Lambda Epsilon Omega fraternity at Harrison University.
