Basketball legend Stephen Curry has always been seen as a Warriors lifer. But when asked if his loyalty to the franchise was unconditional, the 2x MVP admitted that it would be tough to keep going if the Warriors continued to be uncompetitive.
“I’ve always said I want to be a Warrior for life. At this stage in my career, I feel like that’s possible. And you can still be a competitive, it doesn’t mean you are guaranteed the championship… Winning is always a priority, but obviously you’re realistic,” said Curry via Andscape. “It doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen if you stay the course. You need to shake things up and keep reimagining what it looks like to evolve with what league is at right now, with where some of these talented teams are now.”
“I’m taking it one step at a time to be honest,” Curry said. “I think that’s the only way that will protect my happiness. Also, it allows me to enjoy being myself when I’m out there playing. And I’ll continue to make the decisions that are best for me and for my career at the end of the day when it comes to just the imagination. I want to win. Let’s put it this way, it’s a long-winded way of saying that it if it is a situation where you’re a bottom feeder and it’s just because you want to stay there, I’d have a hard time with that. But I don’t think that’s going to be the reality.”
Curry, a 10x All-Star, has had an extraordinary career with the Warriors. Since being drafted 7th overall in 2009, Curry has become a legend of the game for his unprecedented three-point shooting that radically changed the NBA.
Even now, 15 years after it started, Curry is still one of the best players in the game and he has every expectation to compete for championships. In the 2023-24 campaign, he kept the Warriors alive with averages of 26.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game on 45.0% shooting.
But even with Steph at his best, the Warriors couldn’t make a dent in the playoffs and flamed out after a loss to the Kings in the Western play-in tournament. Coming into this season, without his longtime backcourt partner Klay Thompson, Curry has an extra reason to be concerned about the state of the team.
While the Warriors did make some moves this summer by trading for Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield, they are mostly running it back with the same team that finished 10th last season. Against Western elites like the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Mavericks, and Thunder, that might not even be enough to even the odds.
Still, whatever the case, Curry has grown attached to the Warriors and it makes sense after winning four titles with them. The history and accomplishments he’s made with the franchise have given them a permanent bond and it would take a lot for Curry to break it up now.
With good health and a long-term commitment, the Warriors should be dedicated to building the best team possible around their greatest franchise star and it remains to be seen how they’ll answer to rising concerns about their viability to make another title run.
At the very least, they can rely on Curry to give them a fighting chance and that’s more than most teams have going for them right now.
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