Curry emerged victorious over DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder to claim this accolade. Instituted just last season, the award stands as an extra season-long recognition alongside the distinguished titles of Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

In NBA terminology, “clutch time” refers to the critical juncture within the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the game’s margin is within five points.

This season, at the age of 36, Curry showcased his unparalleled clutch ability by leading the NBA in clutch points with an impressive total of 189. Following closely behind was DeRozan, who secured the second position with 182 clutch points. However, DeRozan boasted a slightly higher average of 4.6 points per game in clutch situations compared to Curry’s 4.4. Notably, DeRozan also logged the most minutes in clutch time among the three finalists, totaling 191.8 minutes on the court. On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 112 clutch points, placing him seventh among players who participated in at least 15 games.

With his stellar performance, the 15-year veteran Curry garnered 45 first-place votes, surpassing DeRozan’s 34 and Gilgeous-Alexander’s 11. Notably, other players receiving first-place votes in the balloting included Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets (4), Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks (2), and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks (1).

Throughout the season, Curry maintained remarkable statistics, averaging 26.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. His precision from beyond the arc was particularly notable, shooting an impressive 41 percent from 3-point range. Despite Curry’s stellar performance, the Golden State Warriors concluded the season in 10th place within the Western Conference standings, after falling short in their play-in tournament matchup against the Sacramento Kings.

This season’s Clutch Player accolade joins an illustrious collection in Curry’s personal trophy case, which already boasts two NBA MVP awards, an NBA Finals MVP title, 10 All-Star selections (along with an All-Star Game MVP), and an impressive four NBA championships.

The recipient of the Clutch Player award is bestowed with the prestigious Jerry West Trophy, named after the iconic Los Angeles Lakers star renowned as “Mr. Clutch” for his exceptional shooting prowess in crucial moments throughout his illustrious 14-year career.

In its inaugural season, the Clutch Player honors were claimed by Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.

Kicking off the NBA’s award season this week was Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, who secured the Most Improved Player honors on Tuesday. This was followed by Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid capturing the Sixth Man of the Year award on Thursday.

The anticipation continues to build as Coach of the Year is set to be announced this Sunday, while the announcements for Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and MVP are eagerly awaited on dates yet to be determined.