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Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors sits on the bench during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on November 22, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Whenever retirement does come for Stephen Curry, he’ll end his career in the NBA as one of the best players the league has ever seen.
However, that time doesn’t appear to be coming anytime soon, and while Curry is still sidelined for the Golden State Warriors with a concerning knee injury, the star isn’t eyeing retirement just yet.
In an interview with The Athletic, Curry said that his body will decide when he’s ready to step away from the game.
“I think your body is the first point of information,” Curry said amid his knee injury that has kept him out since late January. “Just what it takes to get ready for a game is a lot different now than it was a decade ago. When I’m out there on the court right now, I still get lost in the fun. It’s still my happy place.”
Warriors’ Steph Curry Retirement Plans
The interview article in which Curry spoke about his retirement plans was published on his 38th birthday. While he is one of the oldest players in the league, the Warriors’ franchise star doesn’t have any immediate retirement plans just yet.
“All the work is worth it because I get to go out there and hoop at the highest level,” he said. The competition, the camaraderie, the chasing something that matters — that still gets me going. And I don’t see that stopping anytime soon.”
While he hasn’t played in more than six weeks, Curry is averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 46.8% shooting from the field and 39.1% from three, numbers that most of the league hasn’t matched, despite the Golden State legend currently the ninth oldest player on an NBA roster.
“I had that perspective that I had to be the most well-conditioned,” he added. “So it’s one of my favorite compliments that I get in the middle of a game. Somebody guard me at a free-throw dead-ball or something. We stand next to each other come and be like, ‘Yo, stop moving so much.‘”
While Curry is often considered one of the best-conditioned players in the league, even at his age, Father Time will catch up to him eventually. However, the star has expressed similar sentiments about retirement in the past, as though the performance of many other players his age tends to fall off a cliff, he’ll continue playing as long as he feels healthy and can impact winning.
“It’ll declare itself, whenever the time comes to call it quits, which I don’t think is anytime soon,” Curry told People.com in February. “I’m not really putting too much pressure on that. … Thinking about the end robs you of the now. I’m enjoying the journey of competing and all the work that goes into it. Hopefully that carries me a long way.”
For now, while still out with injury, Curry is in his 17th NBA season, a mark only a few players in league history have ever reached, and he doesn’t seem set on retiring anytime soon.
Steph Curry Injury Update
While, at least for Golden State fans, Curry’s comments about not eyeing retirement are a good sign, the star continues to be sidelined with a knee issue. The latest injury update from ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, as well as confirmed by the Warriors, is that the star is set to be re-evaluated on March 21.
“The Warriors will rule out Steph Curry for another 10 days, stretching five more games, sources tell me and @ShamsCharania,” Slater wrote on X. “There has been notable progress. He’s back on the court and expected to intensify workouts in upcoming days. Absence will reach at least 20 games.”
Despite the latest injury update being the third time in a row Golden State has given a ‘ten-day re-evaluation date,‘ Slater reported that Curry is both preparing hard for a return, and wants to get back on the court as soon as possible.
“Curry has advanced to court work in recent days, which is a significant step in his attempted return,” he wrote. “Team sources have continued to describe Curry as extremely motivated to return for the stretch run and try to work the wobbling Warriors into the playoffs through the play-in bracket. He will intensify court work in the coming days.”
For now, Curry remains out with ‘runner’s knee.‘ He hasn’t played since January 30th, and while he’s been sidelined, Golden State continues to fall down the Western Conference standings. The Warriors are 32-34 and 3-7 in their last ten. Despite Curry turning 38 years old, getting him back healthy in time for a playoff run would be a great help for the team.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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