I can remember sitting on the couch watching a SportsCenter highlight of Tracy McGrady throwing an alley-oop to himself off the backboard like it was yesterday.

Undoubtedly, seeing McGrady pull that off in a game was one of most amazing highlights I had ever witnessed. A decade has transpired since McGrady’s Orlando Magic days, and there’s a new highlight collector making my jaw drop every time I turn on one of his games. That man is Stephen Curry, and he is the most exciting player to grace the NBA since McGrady. And for my money, Curry should win one of the tightest NBA MVP races I can remember.

Truly, the 2015 MVP race is tearing apart friendships — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve argued with one of my best friends as to why Curry is the MVP over Russell Westbrook — so naturally, I have to shout from the rooftops as to why Curry is the right choice. Forget the numbers, I’ll address those later, which, for the most part, emphatically back up Curry’s strong case for MVP. But first thing’s first — you have to look the part, and the eyeball test is most important in judging any MVP.

Whether it’s a new version of a no-look pass that I simply have never seen before, or whether he’s dribbling through three guys before pulling up and draining one of the many 3-pointers he swishes, Curry is the Ethan Hunt of the basketball court. Just when you think you’ve got Hunt cornered in the movies, he uses a gadget or his wits to evade the opposition and accomplish his mission. What Curry does on the court is no different than what Hunt does in the Mission Impossible movies, except, you know, Hunt is a fictional character and Curry is real life. For his magician-like maneuvers, Curry is undoubtedly the most exciting man in the NBA. And that’s usually where my friend cuts me off.

“Have you not been watching Westbrook?”

It’s hard not to get chills down your spine when Westbrook lets out one of his ebullient roars after seemingly leaping from one building to another before hulk-busting the rim with a dunk. It’s true, when I watch Westbrook play both ends of the court, it’s hard for me to fathom how a player could possess such intensity, durability and energy to go from one end of the court to the other at a blazing speed, averaging a triple-double in the process. It’s mind-boggling in every sense of the word. This guy takes knees to the face and comes back looking like a cyborg, both with his mask and with his inhuman play. But he’s no Curry.

While both Curry and Westbrook certainly pass the eye test, the numbers favor Curry quite heavily. The number I think tends to matter most when talking about the most valuable player on the floor is RPM (real plus minus). Curry leads the league with 8.87, meaning his presence on the court equates to a plus-8.87 point differential. James Harden, who is also getting major love for MVP, is second with an 8.47. Westbrook is at 6.84.

And while Westbrook’s pace could seemingly make a triathlon participant fatigued, statistics show the Warriors play at the fastest pace in the league, while leading the NBA in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. Curry is one of the major reasons for both, but most specifically for his offensive spark. Not since Steve Nash’s Phoenix Suns days have we seen a player create his own shot off of the dribble, as Curry is banking 42 percent of those shots. Curry, who shoots 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point land, creates his own shot, receives praise from his teammates for the type of leader he is and, oh by the way, is leading the Warriors to one of the more memorable seasons ever with 60 wins and counting.

If a player amazes with innovation, provides the numbers necessary and leads his team to a historic pace, how can you not give him the MVP?

JAKE MARTIN is the sports editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or jake.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.