Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
It’s not something that Warriors fans even want to start thinking about. But Stephen Curry, who has been with the organization for 14 years now, will have to retire at some point, and probably in the not-too-distant future, given that he is now 35 years old and will turn 36 in March.
In an interview with Willy Geist of The Today Show, Curry conceded that he understands the end is in sight. But Geist pointed out that one of Steph’s peers, LeBron James, is still playing at a high level at age 38, and that in the NFL, quarterback Tom Brady had success until he ended his career at age 45.
So, hey, we may get another 10 years of Steph. Maybe.
“You do start thinking about (retirement),” Curry said. “The thoughts do creep in of what that timeline really looks like.”
Stephen Curry Still at a High Level
But while that is a sobering thought for the Dubs and their fans, the more important part of what Curry had to say about retirement came just after he said that. Remember, Curry is still playing star-level, Top-10-in-the-NBA basketball, coming off a season in which he averaged 29.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
Curry was second-team All-NBA this year. He also made a whopping 42.7% of his 3-pointers, and that number was no fluke—Curry led the league in 3-pointers attempted (11.4) and 3-pointers made (4.9).
What Curry takes away from considering retirement is not so much going gently into that good night. It’s getting the most out of the years he has left.
“I know it almost puts into perspective how important these next two, three years are in terms of doubling down on the level that I want to be at and continue to play at, and pushing it to the limit as long as I can,” Curry said. “There’s guys like LeBron’s doing it in his 20-somethingth year, what Tom did before he retired was truly amazing. You can learn lessons from guys like that, that it is possible.
“Obviously, you’ve got to be mindful how you approach your offseasons and the work you put in on your body to stay at the level and I’m doing all those things to give myself a chance and be successful.”
Warriors Moved to Maximize Curry’s Remaining Years
And in truth, the way the Warriors have been willing to scrap their plans to unleash a second wave of young stars as guys like Curry and Klay Thompson aged indicates that they’re willing to move on past a developing youth movement and focus on getting Curry players who can help him win in the moment.
The Warriors traded away James Wiseman (sent away at the trade deadline, to Detroit) and Jordan Poole (sent to Washington for Chris Paul), two of the linchpins of their young bunch that also included Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, both of whom are still with the team. Two other promising prospects—Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins—are gone, also included in the Paul deal.
The Warriors kept Draymond Green in free agency this summer and figure to do the same, eventually, with Klay Thompson either this summer or next. That has Curry, whose Warriors were bounced in the second round of the playoffs last season, motivated to win now.
“I just love the fact the timeline almost just gives me much more motivation for the now to take advantage of every opportunity that I have because, you know, the ball is going to stop bouncing at some point,” Curry said.