In a recent chat with ESPN, Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry opened up on the looming matter of his NBA retirement. At 36, Curry knows that the end is near and wants to make it count with whatever time he has left.
“I want to do this for as long as I can,” Curry said, via ESPN. “But the clock’s ticking. We all know that. It’s fatiguing, but I love it. It’s the game within the game, and you have to find some lightheartedness in it to deal with the pressure.”
Curry, like his friend and on-court rival LeBron James, is one of the last active players from his generation. Drafted 7th overall in 2009, Steph joined the NBA in the days of Kobe Bryant’s Lakers and Tim Duncan’s Spurs. The Warriors were barely a blip in the radar back then, with hardly any notable achievements credited to the franchise.
For the past 15 years, Curry has transformed the Warriors from bottom-feeders into one of the most valuable organizations in sports. But now, as a 10x All-Star, 4x champion, 2x MVP, and 2x scoring champion, Steph is nearing the end of his illustrious career with only a few more seasons left to go.
This season, in 28 games, Curry is trying his best to keep the Warriors on top with averages of 22.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game on 45.2% shooting. Unfortunately, the Warriors are still ranked 8th in the West with a record barely above .500 at 18-17.
So far, with the departure of Klay Thompson and the absence of a true high-quality center, the Warriors haven’t had enough talent to keep up with the Western elites, and many doubt that this group will ever be in a position to win the title again.
We know that Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. is hard at work finding a suitable trade for his team but Curry doesn’t have a lot of time left before his career is done for good. For the Dubs to improve in time, they’ll have to sacrifice their future to elevate their position now and give their legendary superstar one more chance to compete.
As for how much longer Curry has, only he can say for sure. After signing a four-year, $215 million extension this offseason, Steph is under contract for the next three years, up to the summer of 2027 when he’s set to make a whopping $62.5 million.
At that point, Steph must decide if he wants to stick around. While he’s currently still an elite-level player, like 40-year-old LeBron James, Curry’s stats are down across the board this season and it could be a sign of things to come. If his game takes a steep decline or he’s unable to get healthy for any period, Curry may not return at all to preserve his legacy and avoid losing his love for the game.
However long Curry has left, the Warriors owe it to home to build him the best team possible. With weeks to go before the deadline, they have several options to consider, and it’s best to strike now while Curry is still playing at a high level.
In the meantime, the Dubs will focus on one game at a time, starting tonight against the Miami Heat at Chase Center. On Thursday, January 9th, the Warriors play the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena before heading to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a game against the Indiana Pacers on January 10th (7:00 PM EST).
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