At 37 years old, Stephen Curry has proven to be the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. Curry has won four titles with the Golden State Warriors, made more threes than anyone in the sport, and will end his career as one of the best players to ever step foot on a basketball court.
While Curry’s career is far closer to ending than it is to the beginning, the future Hall of Fame guard discussed his thoughts on retirement and how he would like to end his playing career.
“I just want to be in a position where I’ve put myself in a position where I can say, ‘I’ve done everything I can to get everything out of this game,'” Curry said in an interview with Complex. “I’m not anywhere close to that, though.”
Curry is entering his 17th season next year, making him one of the oldest and most experienced players in the league. Last year, he averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, six assists, and 1.1 steals on 39.7% shooting from three. He was named to the All-NBA second team, becoming the oldest guard to earn the honor two years in a row.
The Hardest Parts Are The Offseasons And Rehab
Curry has spent his entire career on the Warriors, becoming the longest-tenured player in the NBA and one of only 12 players in history to spend at least 16 seasons with the same franchise. As he enters this later stage of his career, Curry discussed the hardest part of continuing to play at a high level at his age.
“The offseasons for me are the hardest,” Curry said. “Once you get into the 82 games, it’s repetition, it’s ‘you know what you need to do’…. The games are the most fun. If you get hurt in the middle of the season when you’re walking off the court and know something’s wrong with you, that’s the worst feeling in the world. All you’re thinking about is the rehab process.”
While Curry has remained relatively healthy over the past few years compared to the early ankle worries from his college and early NBA career, he has still faced multiple injuries that have cut seasons short. Most recently, he missed a majority of the Warriors’ second-round playoff matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering a hamstring strain in Game 1 of the series.
“Rehab is scary, and you don’t want to do it,” Curry said about walking off the court with an injury. “So if I can get through offseasons, I feel like that’s the marker as to how long I can push it.”
Warriors’ Quiet Offseason
While Curry just discussing the topic of retirement might scare Warriors fans, it doesn’t look like he’s on his way out the door in the short future. He said that by having some motivation and taking things in ‘two-year chunks’ makes it easier to go out on his terms rather than having an ‘ungraceful ending’ to his career.
“I do know I’m kind of taking it in two-year chunks. You have to give yourself some motivation to go after,” Curry said in an interview with Complex. “I’ve talked to all the guys that have been in this situation where they’ve extended their prime. There are more ungraceful endings than there are (graceful ones).”
While Golden State looks to keep Curry for the time being, they have been quiet so far in the 2025 offseason. The Warriors’ summer has been highlighted by losing Kevon Looney in free agency to the New Orleans Pelicans, their last roster move since adding Jimmy Butler at the previous trade deadline.
Their lack of offseason moves has been reportedly due to Jonathan Kuminga, as the 22-year-old is looking for either a new contract with the team or a trade that sends him elsewhere with a larger role. Golden State reportedly wants to keep Kuminga, but as of now, the wing is holding them back from making any other offseason decisions.
Steph Curry Addresses Retirement, ‘Hardest’ Part Of Still Playing