Stephen Curry, the perennial All-Star figure from the Warriors, is set to miss the All-Star game for the second time due to injury after being selected for the 12th time in his career. The lingering right knee issue has caused the Warriors’ star to miss four games in a row, including tonight’s matchup against the Grizzlies.
Steve Kerr spoke to the media before the press conference and confirmed what they were worried about initially, that Curry will not be available for the Warriors’ upcoming game against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, as well as the All-Star weekend.
The Warriors’ superstar is suffering from patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee. Stephen Curry also spoke about his injury with ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
“It’s a matter of learning as I go what works rehab-wise,” Curry said to ESPN. “Because it’s still painful. You have to try to get rid of all the inflammation and pain. It’s something we still have to monitor and injury-manage, but it’s something where, if I come back too early, it could flare up.”
The 37-year-old guard will join Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the only other initially-selected starter expected to miss the All-Star weekend. This will be the second time he misses the All-Star game being selected.
The first time was in 2023 when he had to miss it due to a leg injury and was replaced by Anthony Edwards, who this season also does not seem inclined to play. Moreover, Giannis Antetokounmpo may also miss out due to his calf injury. A lot of stars might sit out this All-Star weekend.
Curry was averaging 27.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. Just hours before this confirmation, the Warriors also confirmed that Kristaps Porzingis will be sidelined until after the All-Star break as well.
Additionally, the Warriors also issued an injury update on Jimmy Butler, who had suffered a season-ending injury against the Heat recently. He has successfully undergone surgery in Los Angeles for the reconstruction of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, a renowned sports physician from California.
Butler has so far missed nine games since the injury and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season as he now begins his rehabilitation process. The front office is expecting he would be back on the team next season, where he is set to earn $56.8 million.
The Warriors are severely shorthanded without three of their key stars before the All-Star break. While Curry will be reevaluated after the All-Star break, Porzingis will certainly be back.
Despite being shorthanded tonight, the Warriors gave a tough fight to the Grizzlies and came out with a resounding victory. They held the Grizzlies to five points in the last eight minutes to pull off a 114-113 win at the Chase Center. It will be interesting to see how they perform when they are the healthiest they can be this season.
