The player that Rockets fans hate the most must be Curry, who used to be so close to the championship

On July 9, the Rockets and the Warriors' grudges and hatred are one of the most fierce competitions in the NBA in recent years. In this old rivalry, Stephen Curry undoubtedly became the most difficult "nightmare" in Rockets fans' hearts. From 2015 to 2019, the Rockets met the Warriors many times in the playoffs, but they were always ruthlessly shattered by Curry and his Warriors when they were just one step away from the Finals. This regrettable history not only changed the Rockets' fate trajectory, but also made James Harden finally choose to leave Houston. In the 2015 Western Conference Finals, the Rockets returned to the Western Conference Finals stage after 18 years, facing the Warriors who were showing their strength. Curry averaged 31.2 points per game in this series and shot up to 46.7% from three-pointers. Especially in the critical fifth game, Curry scored 40 points and completely defeated the Rockets' defense with a very long three-pointer. Although Harden, the Rockets core, also performed well at that time, he seemed unable to do so in the face of Curry's outbreak. Behind the 1-4 score is the first time the Rockets truly felt the despair brought by Curry.

The 2018 Western Conference Finals can be regarded as the pinnacle of the grudges between the two teams. The Rockets achieved the best record in team history of 65 wins and 17 losses this season, and Harden was also awarded the regular season MVP. As the Rockets led 3-2 in the series, the entire Houston was filled with expectations for a championship. However, fate turned in Game 6 - Chris Paul's hamstring injury left him missing a key battle. Curry scored 27 points in the tiebreak battle, with a magical performance of 14 points in the third quarter helping the Warriors complete the reversal. The Rockets' embarrassing record of missing 27 three-pointers in a row is still a pain in the hearts of fans. Post-match data showed that when Curry defended Harden, the latter's shooting percentage was only 28.6%, which fully demonstrated Curry's suppression of the Rockets on both offense and defense. In the 2019 Western Conference Semi-Finals, the Warriors who lack Durant should have given the Rockets an opportunity to take advantage of. But Curry scored 33 points in the second half of Game 6, smashing the Rockets' hopes again. Interestingly, when Curry was in a sluggish state in the first five games of the series, Rockets coach D'Antoni publicly stated that "Curry is no longer that Curry". These remarks seemed to have completely activated the two-time MVP. After the game, Curry made a "good night" gesture to the Rockets bench, which became one of the most reluctant moments for Rockets fans to recall.

Curry's existence not only made the Rockets pass by the championship many times, but also indirectly led to the disintegration of the team's core lineup. When Harden applied for a deal in early 2021, he privately revealed to his friends that "it's too difficult to defeat the Warriors in the West." Although the management has successively equipped Harden with stars such as Howard, Paul, Westbrook, etc., it has never been able to break through the Warriors. When the Warriors fell from the altar in the 2019-20 season due to injuries, the Rockets had already begun the reconstruction process. This misalignment of timing adds to the regrets and unwillingness of Rockets fans.

From the perspective of technical characteristics, Curry is simply a "natural enemy" who specializes in restraining the Rockets' defense system. D'Antoni's unlimited defense switching strategy was originally intended to limit the Warriors' pass and cut system, but it gave Curry a large number of opportunities to single against the Rockets center. Data shows that in the 2018 Western Conference Finals, Kuli scored 1.38 points per round and shot up to 65%. The Rockets tried to limit Curry with defensive players such as Ariza and Tucker, but his historical talent in running without the ball can always put these efforts into vain.

Interestingly, Curry himself seems to have enjoyed the game against the Rockets in particular. His average score (26.8 points) against the Rockets was 2.3 points higher than his career average, and his three-point shooting percentage reached 42.5%. In an interview, Curry once laughed and said: "Houston's basket is particularly friendly to me. "This kind of "killing and heart-killing" remarks naturally further deepened the hostility of Rockets fans towards him.

As time goes by, the Rockets have entered a period of reconstruction, while Curry is still leading the Warriors to compete for the championship. But whenever the Warriors come to the Toyota Center to play, the booing fans gave Curry on the spot reminded that regret-filled history. Perhaps for Rockets fans, Curry represents not only a strong opponent, but also the championship dream that might have belonged to them. Just as a Rockets loyal commented on the forum: "We hate Curry, but we hate fate that made us meet the peak of him at the most glorious moment. "

Now looking back at this grudge, it has surpassed simple team confrontation and became one of the most fascinating competitive stories in NBA history. Curry's entanglement with the Rockets not only shows the decisive role of a superstar, but also reveals the cruelty and charm of competitive sports. For Rockets fans, this "hate" may never disappear, but it is this strong emotion that makes the basketball game so exciting.