In the aftermath of a brutal series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Stephen Curry reflected on the series of events that led to his team’s downfall. In an unprecedented turn, Curry was sidelined for the final four games of the series, and he says it was one of the toughest moments of his career.
“It’s tough, man, it’s a first for me,” Curry said in his end-of-season press conference. “Every season ends in some way, shape, or form. We’ve had four years where it’s ended great for us, and the other times, you leave it all out on the floor and give it whatever you have to try to make the playoffs or keep your season alive. To sit on the sidelines, it’s weird. You wish you were out there to do something about it, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year. We gave a great effort since February to give ourselves a chance. All we wanted was a chance. To finish the year like we did and to sneak in the playoffs and win that first round, there’s a lot to be proud of, for sure, considering where we were. But I’m definitely disappointed and, frankly, just sad that I wasn’t out there and able to play. So, hopefully, we will have a bright future in terms of coming back next year and coming back again.”
The Warriors were as low as 11th in the West before climbing the standings and winning their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets. Jimmy Butler’s arrival has sparked new life in the team, but they’ll need to stay healthy for it to count for anything. At this stage of his career, Step knows how important health is and how much it can dictate the outcome of a season.
“We’ve been on the other side of it where guys have missed [time for the] teams we played against, and that’s part of winning at the highest level. You have to have health,” said Curry. “You have to have good fortune. You have to have the ball bounce your way down the stretch in certain games.”
The Warriors were feeling good about their title odds before Curry’s injury in Game 1 turned the tide of the series. He played just 13 minutes in the series opener, and then could be seen grimacing in pain after going up for a floater. It was later revealed to be a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which is uncharted territory for the 2x MVP. Had the Warriors managed to win at least one game in his absence, Curry might have been set to return for Game 6.
“Everything was kinda aligned for Game 6,” he told reporters on Thursday regarding his potential return. “I had some testing to do, and who knows how that would have gone, because I haven’t gone live since Game 1. First time dealing with this injury. I was pretty optimistic, but there were a couple more checkpoints to get through. It’s a great ‘what if?'”
After such a feel-good story this season, this was hardly the ending that the Warriors had in mind. But without their leading star, the Warriors had no hope of winning the series, and all they could do was try and extend it long enough to see Curry’s return.
Now that the Warriors are officially eliminated, they can move on to the offseason and start building for the next campaign. With Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler expected to be healthy on opening night, all they need is the proper supporting cast to lead another dominant season.
Whether it’s a center or more help on the wing, Golden State will be active on the market, and they will surely do whatever it takes to build the best team possible around their beloved “big three.” Ultimately, however, their playoff success hinges on the presence of Stephen Curry, and that’s why it’s more important than ever for the Warriors to manage his workload for the 2025-26 campaign.
