Kevin Love’s Game 7 stop on Stephen Curry has lived in NBA Finals lore for a decade. The Cleveland Cavaliers fans call it “The Stop.” However, the Golden State Warriors fans still cringe at the sight of it, except if you ask Love, the play was not some superhuman defensive masterpiece but was survival mode.
That perspective resurfaced recently as Love revisited the defining possession from the Cavaliers 2016 championship run, while fans continue to place the stop alongside LeBron James’ iconic chase-down block and Kyrie Irving’s title-clinching three, Love insists he was simply trying to stay in front of the greatest shooter the game has ever seen, and in the chaos of the moment, he says his mind completely shut off.
Kevin Love Says He “blacked out” During Famous Game 7 Stop On Stephen Curry
Speaking about the possession, Love laughed off the idea that he executed some perfectly crafted defensive sequence. Instead, he compared the moment to a famous scene from the 2003 comedy Old School, where Will Ferrell’s character unexpectedly dominates a debate competition before admitting he has no idea what just happened.
“I tell people all the time I blacked out. I just forced him into a tough shot. People want to say it was this great stop. I was like I have to stay down and force him into a tough shot. I made a great play. But ‘biggest defensive play in Finals’ — like Bron just had the greatest defensive play in history. It’s on the Mount Rushmore of any sport.”
Kevin Love breaks down his game winning stop on Steph Curry in game 7 of 2016:
“I tell people all the time I blacked out…. I just forced him into a tough shot. People want to say it was this great stop. I was like I have to stay down and force him into a tough shot… I made a… https://t.co/91oSf6rlULpic.twitter.com/8LVAMpnqJf
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) June 7, 2026
The play came in the final minute of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. The Cavaliers held a narrow three-point lead over the Warriors when a defensive switch left Love isolated against the unanimous MVP. Curry attacked with a series of crossovers, searching for enough space to launch a game-tying three.
Instead, Love stayed attached. He mirrored Curry’s movements, resisted the urge to lunge, and forced an off-balance miss. The Cavaliers secured the rebound and eventually completed one of the greatest championship comebacks in league history.
What makes the sequence even more fascinating is Love’s admission that the possession began with a defensive breakdown. According to the former Cavaliers forward, Cleveland’s game plan under Tyronn Lue called for aggressive pressure on Curry. Love later acknowledged that he accidentally allowed Curry to regain possession after an initial pass, creating the mismatch the Warriors wanted.
Still, years of preparation kicked in. Love has credited countless film sessions and repeated practice reps for helping him react instinctively when the moment arrived. That explanation lines up with comments made by former teammate Iman Shumpert during a March 5, 2026 appearance on Club Shay Shay. Shumpert jokingly claimed Love had been hiding defensive skills all season because opponents routinely targeted him in switches.
“The rest of the year you was just lying to me.” (Via Cleveland)
Shumpert’s point was simple. Championship moments can bring out abilities players rarely show during an 82-game season. For one possession, with a title hanging in the balance, Love delivered the defensive sequence of his life. Even now, he’d rather talk about James block than his own place in Finals history.
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