NBA legend JR Smith says Aussie cult hero Matthew Dellavedova ‘almost died guarding Steph Curry’ as he led the Cavaliers to stunning playoff victory
- Aussie ‘almost killed guarding Steph Curry’
- Dellavedova was once Curry’s kryptonite
- Dellavedova is unlikely to play in the upcoming playoffs
Matthew Dellavedova doubts he’ll play in the Sacramento Kings’ upcoming playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, but he has a lot of experience guarding Steph Curry – in fact, he nearly died from it.
The scruffy Australian is injured after finger surgery last week, but will be able to tell his teammates how he pinned Golden State Warriors star Curry in the 2015 NBA Finals.
Dellavedova, who was playing for the Cavs at the time, turned out to be the NBA’s most valuable player.
Two-time NBA champion JR Smith spoke about the tenacious Aussie’s heroics on JJ Redick’s podcast “The Old Man and The Three,” explaining that Dellavedova put his life on the line.
“I love Delly dearly, but Delly almost died guarding Steph Curry,” he said.
Matthew Dellavedova doubts he’ll play in the Sacramento Kings’ playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, but he’s got plenty of experience guarding Steph Curry — in fact, he almost died from it
The scruffy Australian is injured after finger surgery last week, but will be able to tell his teammates how he pinned Golden State Warriors star Curry in the 2015 NBA Finals
‘No, literally almost dead. We have footage of this man in the ice box, literally on his neck, trying to guard this man.
“He tried… just seeing that, Dellavedova is by far one of my best people of all time. He literally gave it all he had, and there was no excuse.
“There was no such thing as, ‘Oh, he just figured it out.’ It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m trying,’ it wasn’t any of that.
He could barely speak after that, he was trying so hard. That level of respect goes through the roof for me.’
After an inspiring effort in Game 3, Dellavedova suffered severe cramps and was taken to the hospital and put on an IV.
“At first my quads both cramped up. Then my hammies. Then my adductors. I couldn’t get off the training table,” Dellavedova told ESPN a few years after the event.
“I was stuck on the table. I had the IV and I was still having cramps. They helped me to the cold bath and I just fell into it for 20 minutes.’
Two-time NBA champion JR Smith spoke about the tenacious Aussie’s heroics on JJ Redick’s podcast “The Old Man and The Three,” explaining that Dellavedova risked his life
After an inspiring effort in Game 3, Dellavedova suffered severe cramps and was taken to the hospital and put on an IV
“He’s not scared,” Cavaliers coach David Blatt said of Dellavedova after Game 3.
He plays bravely. Delly is the most Cleveland-esque Australian I’ve ever met in my life.’
Dellavedova managed to back up and play in Game 4, but he wasn’t the same player for the rest of the series, which was eventually won by the Warriors.