Myles Turner Has 'New Respect' for 'the Steph Currys, the LeBrons' amid NBA Finals Run
In the midst of his first career NBA Finals, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner gave props to some of the all-time greats.
Speaking to David Aldridge of The Athletic, Turner noted that he now has an even greater appreciation for Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James due to the fact that they have regularly played deep into the playoffs during their careers:
"I have a new respect for the guys, the Steph Currys, the LeBrons, that do this year after year after year, and then go play USA Basketball, and do whatever they do.
"It is the most mentally grueling, just like, mentally taxing, but most rewarding feeling, going through this grind. It's a 19-day process, is how we look at it. And there's nights you don't sleep. I've been trying to grow my hair out for the longest time, and it's started falling out a little bit from the stress. It's what it is. But again, it's the most rewarding thing, being able to play as long as possible, and get here."
Turner is a 29-year-old veteran playing in his 10th NBA season, but until last season, he had never made it past the first round of the playoffs.
Indiana got a taste of rarefied air last season when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Pacers are in entirely new territory this time around.
They not only beat the New York Knicks to reach their first NBA Finals since 2000, but they are also set to play in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday.
With their backs against the wall, the Pacers beat the Thunder 108-91 in Thursday's Game 6, and they are now one win away from their first-ever NBA championship.
Winning even one title is a massive accomplishment for a player or organization, which speaks to just how remarkable Curry and James have been over the years.
Steph and LeBron have won four championships each with Curry winning one NBA Finals MVP Award and James winning four of them. Overall, Curry has six NBA Finals appearances to his credit and James has 10, including eight in a row from 2011 to 2018.
Over the course of their careers, Curry and James have regularly played more games than anyone else due to their deep playoff runs, and they have still managed to recover during the offseason and do it all over again the following season.
Turner and the Pacers have done that to some degree this season, going from an ECF appearance to the NBA Finals this time around.
Going back to the Finals next year would be an impressive display of perseverance, but there is little doubt that Turner and the Pacers are entirely focused on the task at hand right now, which is winning Sunday's Game 7 and becoming NBA champs for the first time.
