Sure, Stephen Curry heard the scrutiny. It was everywhere. Even the two-time reigning NBA MVP wasn't immune.
Curry's forgettable NBA Finals last year ended with Kyrie Irving hitting the deciding three-pointer in his face and then being unable to shake Kevin Love as Cleveland took Game 7 to complete a masterful comeback and steal a championship on Golden State's home court.
A month later, Steph was stepping back again as the Warriors welcomed Kevin Durant to their star-studded roster.
When the 2016-17 season began, Curry unselfishly gave up some of his own scoring chances so Durant could seamlessly find his way, not making as many threes - or half-court buzzer beaters for that matter - and lacking the same efficiency and flair.
"I thought it was kind of ridiculous to be honest," Curry said of the critics.
"Ignore is probably not the word. I heard it, reacted to it as almost like, I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone type of situation.
"Because I know what I was doing on the floor and what my job is every night on this team, so I could go to sleep at night pretty proud of the way I was playing."
Curry is fully healthy this postseason and ready to reclaim that championship that got away last June, as the Finals begin with Thursday night's Game 1.
And this time the focus heading into the Finals is on LeBron James and KD.
That might be just the opening Curry needs to shine brightest again on the big stage after the struggles last year, when he shot just 40 per cent and had more turnovers (30) than assists (26).
"I'm just playing aggressive, playing confident," he said. "Obviously shots are falling.
"I'm trying to do other things other than just scoring so I can help my team put us in the best situations to win.
"That's it, really.
"This is what we live for as basketball players to be playing in these type of games that matter the most.
"We have four wins left, we have to do whatever we can to get them."
The Warriors are the first team to begin a postseason 12-0, so it has made for plenty of rest and downtime - far different than a year ago when Golden State went seven games in the Western Conference finals against Durant's former Oklahoma City.
It has made a big difference for Curry, who missed six play-off games in 2016 because of ankle and knee injuries and was never 100 percent after that.
"It's just been such better progression for Steph this postseason," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
"I mean last year, right from Game 1 against Houston he was injured and fighting an uphill battle.
"I thought he was amazing under the circumstances of his injury but to me he looks fresher, faster, stronger than he did a year ago."
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