Stephen Curry just finished his 16th season in the NBA, and while you’d imagine the end of his career isn’t too far away, his father, Dell, declares that is not the case. During an interview with RG, Dell said his son is not even close to retiring.
“He still loves the game,” Dell said. “He’s a competitive guy. He wants to win another title, so we’re not even close to that window yet. But when the time comes, I think he’ll make the right decision.”
Curry averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Golden State Warriors in 2024-25. The 11-time All-Star’s importance to the team was on full display in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1 against the Timberwolves, and he would play no further part in the series. The Warriors did go on to take a 1-0 lead despite his exit, but then lost four in a row to be eliminated in five games.
The series was just more proof that the 37-year-old Curry is still one of the most impactful players in the NBA today. Dell reckons his son can play into his deep 40s because of his style of play.
Curry isn’t reliant on his athleticism like so many other stars and can continue to provide value with his exceptional shooting. As for what would make him walk away from the game, Dell spoke about that as well.
“I think it’ll come down to—not necessarily his skill, or what he can do in a game in the season,” Dell stated. “I think it’s a matter of, can he go through the rigors of preparing himself to play in an NBA season? I know when I retired, that was a big factor. I just didn’t feel like I had the energy, the effort to work and train throughout the summer. So I wouldn’t short myself, my teammates, or the fans and give my all during that season. I think that’s what it’ll come down to.”
Dell played 16 seasons in the NBA after the Utah Jazz selected him with the 15th pick in the 1986 Draft. He didn’t have the motivation to work his socks off for another offseason and called it quits in 2002. His son doesn’t have that problem and wants to keep going.
Curry made it clear he’s greedy for a fifth championship and admitted it’s the only thing he’s really playing for. It has been three years since he won his last title when the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals.
In the years leading up to that triumph, many had thought that Curry’s days of winning titles were over. The Warriors had failed to make the playoffs in 2020 and 2021 after losing in the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors in 2019. They then managed to shock the basketball world by going on another incredible run.
Time will tell if the Warriors can pull off something like that again. They have won just two playoff series in three years after winning the title, but who knows what might have been this time around, if not for Curry’s injury. It will be interesting to see how far the Warriors can go next season if the injury bug stays away.
