Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to center court for the presentation of the Larry O'Brien trophy and a
2018 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
Please welcome
ABC's doris burke
Ladies and gentlemen
with us tonight representing the ownership group for the Golden State Warriors Joel a cup and Peter Guber and
to present the NBA championship
trophy, please welcome NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Thank You Doris
first of all to the Cleveland Cavaliers
For final appearances in four years an NBA championship and another incredible season
Congratulations to Dan Gilbert
Kobe Othman coach Liu
Thank you for all you do for the league and to the fans of Northeast, Ohio
Thank you as well and to the Golden State Warriors
owners Joel Aiko Peter Guber
GM Bob Myers, where is he Steve Kerr?
Coach Kirk and this incredible organization
Thank you for the basketball played at the highest level and now the 2000 NBA champions Golden State Warriors
Joe
Eight years ago or just about there
You took over an organization that well, you had a passionate fan base you were struggling to get any momentum on the basketball floor
shall how does four straight finals three titles in five years match up with the vision you had when you first bought the
Organization. Well, I think
Honestly, there's no way to have this kind of expectation to do this. Well, it's an amazing thing our general manager
Bob Myers puts got an incredible team Steve Kerr coaching Rick welts our business I and these players
Unbelievable. They have been phenomenal. They deserve all the credit in the world
but the truth is you have to dream and I will say we did dream this Peter and I I
Can't say we expected it, but we did dream it and you have to dream first
19,000 people who were knowledgeable basketball fans and stuck with this team for a long time through some lean years
They're back in Oracle. What would you say to them? Well, everyone says they have the greatest fans in the world
And by the way, I want to celebrate Cleveland as the you know, the Cavaliers and Dan Gilbert LeBron James. Fantastic
But we do have the grandstands of the world and I love you guys all of you. Thank you for supporting us all these years
Congratulations
either your specialty is storytelling and it's not often that the sequel is as good as the original but back to back which is
Incredibly rare what kind of satisfaction do you take in that accomplishment? Well, we're going to need a bigger bowl
It's just great with the idea that you know this adversary if you will
The Cleveland Cavalier is making a worthy movie to win you where they say
They're worthy adversary and every every movie needs an adversary
And this was a great one this team these people this cast has been unbelievable totally deserving
I'm glad to be a part of it with my partner Joe and all the players. I love you guys
Congratulations, Peter
Steve
Because you played so long and also experienced extreme that success as a player
You know that this is a challenge and this was maybe not the easy this year to get this but she ended up here
So how did this group do it? Ultimately? I know you have talent, but it's more than that
This was the hardest year we've had
You know of the three championships by far just the length of the journey
But these guys are not only incredibly talented but they're selfless. We love each other they play for each other. You see the result
Talk about two guys who have had huge game stuff and Kevin Durant
but without the performance of the play Thompson in both games Sixers last year in the Conference Finals and this how does
Klay Thompson help this group work. He's a machine. You know, he just keeps coming
Every day is defending the best player on the other team. He's running off screens like Reggie Miller and
He's just a machine. He's there for us every single day
Congratulations, Steve
Stein now for the presentation of the 2018
Bill Russell MVP trophy
And to do the honors, please. Welcome back Adam Silver
Bill
thank you for being here to help me present the Bill Russell MVP trophy and
this year the back-to-back NBA Finals MVP
Kevin Durant
Kevin
Only six times in history as a player gone back-to-back
MVP and I know you take such incredible pride in your craft and the work you put into this
But how much of this is about more than just the winning and the titles and these individual accolades for you?
Is about the journey, you know all season man getting up every day going to work with these guys, you know
I was amazing that the environment is is incredible. It's good for you to be around guys like this helps
You become a better basketball player and a better man, and mr. Journey, that's better than a destination. You know, I'm happy
I'm a part of this school
You have had to go through a man
You have professed incredible respect for and has been a great champion in his own right LeBron James
So, can you give us some sense of two great players going at it head-to-head in this particular kind of environment?
Oh This one is a you know the competition
you play against one of the best it brings the best out of you as well the border best out of our team and
I'm just grateful. We got back-to-back championships and looking forward to going to celebrate the locker room right now
Actually, it's got to be. Thank you, Kevin
If I can find Steph
Step
You have talked a little bit about
Every season is a different journey and you had to start this playoffs because of an injury
Without these guys or the team started without you. So while you are out, what did you learn about your group?
We just know how to win and I think we really appreciate what everybody brings to the table every single game
For us to be back here. Like you said all the injuries you went through a different area through the playoffs
Can't get enough of this feeling so we're gonna celebrate it together
Do you know that for the men on this team the foundational pieces you and Andre and Ramon and clay?
You are in a group of only 2% of all NBA players of history who have at least three titles
So from where you started with this organization to that particular place, can you describe the transformation? I?
Can't really every
Everyday since we got together, it's all I've been about just getting better
enjoying the moment and
for us to
Hold this trophy three times
We know how much artwork went into it and the sacrifice that everybody pays I
Try to explain it, but that's that's just part of who we are
We just you know, keep keep waking up every day trying to get better and we end up here
Congratulations