Gold-Blooded Dagger Awards: Vote for The Greatest Splash Bros-era Bomb

The votes are in. The greatest poll series in SB Nation history, GSoM’s “Gold-Blooded Dagger Awards”, is now reaching a thrilling conclusion. Thousands of your votes have been tallied, across three categories of worthy contenders, in order to present to you our final three worthy contestants.

Your final votes will determine the greatest three-point bomb of the Splash Bros-era; the shot that weaponized the most joy and broke the most hearts. Interestingly enough, a different player won each of the three preliminary categories (Harrison Barnes got only 2 votes for his game-winner?! Y’all are cold). This is an old fashioned triple-threat shoot-out!

Choose carefully, and gold-bloodedly. Enjoy!

Game 6 Klay: The Younger Splash Brother’s Ascension in OKC, May 28th, 2016

“I watch highlights sometimes, just to see what I did right,” Klay Thompson said. “You know, I was in a good rhythm. I always think back on it because the playoffs are so much fun.”

— ESPN

His mama call him Klay, so for this article, I’mma call him Klay!

Klay won the “Most Disrespectful Shot” category, taking a solid 30% of the 1200+ votes. This should come as no surprise, as the net-seeking missile that Klay buried over a stunned Russell Westbrook from damn near half-court is one of the most irrational heat checks in NBA playoff history.

It was also necessary; the battered 73-win Warriors were frantically clawing their way out of the indignity of likely elimination to their Kevin Durant-led rivals. The Oklahoma City Thunder were ready to rewrite the “Warriors rule the NBA” timeline, leading in Game 6 at home, up 3-2 in the series.

With the stakes this high, this shot was the basketball equivalent of Daniel-san’s miracle Crane Kick in the original “Karate Kid” movie.

It powered a monster Game 6 come back on the road, and helped Klay set the record for most three-pointers in a playoff game (11). The Warriors would go on to win the series, and KD would leave his Thunder team to join forces with the Golden Empire the next season.

Klay’s performance changed the trajectory of the two franchises forever, and this ridiculous dagger proved he’s as clutch as they come. “Game 6” Klay will forever be remembered as the irrepressible force of dominance that led his brothers out of looming elimination.

And he did it savagely.

Not This Guy: KD Buries Cleveland Alive, June 8th, 2017

“All I was looking at was the bottom of the net,” Kevin Durant said. “I saw he (Lebron James) was playing his heels behind the 3-point line. I’ve been working on that shot my whole life. To see that go in, that was liberating, man.”

—ESPN

The Warriors have nailed many daggers into the heart of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dub Nation has decided that of all the “Shots That Ran Lebron James Out of Cleveland”, Kevin Durant’s bomb in Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals was the most gold-blooded. With a 34% stake of the votes, Durant’s shot claimed the poll easily.

Durant spent the 2016-2017 season absorbing the hellish intensity of millions....and millions of jabronis criticizing his decision to join a team that actually knows what the hell it’s doing. After dealing with a near season-ending knee injury after the All-Star break, he rejoined the team in time for the playoffs. By the time the Finals rolled around, KD was laser-focused on crushing his haters by securing a title.

The obstacle standing in his way? Arguably the greatest player in the world, Lebron James, and the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

That may be why KD dribbled straight into Bron’s face in the waning seconds of Game 3 and hit him with the “Slim Reaper” special. That trey sucked the air out of the Quicken Loans Arena and destroyed “The Land”. There would be no recovering, as the Warriors took an insurmountable 3-0 in a series they would eventually win in five games.

KD won the Finals MVP, and reminded the world that he is a true gold-blooded assassin. Not even the great King James, in “The Land”, could stop Durant with the game on the line.

Kevin Durant: A HERO IN THE GOLDEN EMPIRE.

“Honestly, I don’t know exactly where I am, so it’s not like I’m calibrating in my head, all right, 38 feet, 37, 36,” Steph Curry said. “Just literally, you’ve got a sense of -- I’ve shot the shot plenty of times, you’re coming across half court and timing up your dribbles, and you want to shoot before the defense goes in. And that was pretty much my only thought.”

—ESPN

What are the odds that Stephen Curry would win our “Buzzer Beaters” category with 73% of the vote!? The most iconic shot of the 73-win regular season campaign was this impossible Molotov cocktail that the greatest shooter of all time launched in overtime at the buzzer. What is it about that OKC arena that inspires the Splash Bros to reach new levels of shot-making brilliance?

Curry fought off a nasty looking ankle injury that he suffered in this game to uncork a shot that had the great Magic Johnson, and yes even Lebron James, losing their collective minds.

This is the shot that effectively left the NBA to fear Curry’s true powers. This sent a red-alert message to the league: if the ball is in the Unanimous MVP’s hands, it does not matter where he is on the court.

Nor, does it matter how much time is left on the clock.

He’s capable of making ANYTHING.

P.S. He also unleashed a chain of the silliest dance moves in NBA history on the OKC court after the shot. #ULTIMATEDISRESPECT