SAN FRANCISCO – Steph Curry is itching to get back on the court and help a struggling Warriors team as soon as possible. He also knows his body better than anybody and isn’t going to let his frustrations from a lingering knee injury steer him in the wrong direction.
Curry missed the Warriors’ final five games going into the NBA All-Star break with right patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is more commonly known as “runner’s knee.” The hope was the extra time off and not playing in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game would have Curry on track to play in the Warriors’ first game coming out the break. But that wasn’t the case.
Upon returning from the All-Star break, Curry still didn’t feel right and underwent a second MRI Wednesday night. The MRI didn’t show any structural damage, however, the Warriors announced Thursday that Curry would be re-evaluated in another 10 days. NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday spoke with Curry during an exclusive interview that gave an update on the current status of his right knee.
“Feeling good,” Curry said. “I mean, it’s not going the way that I wanted it to, but I think we’re in the right direction of getting back out there as fast as possible.”
The Warriors without Curry on Thursday night trailed the Boston Celtics by as much as 34 points in an eventual 121-110 loss at Chase Center. The injury first kept Curry out of the Warriors’ 108-83 loss to the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Jan. 26. He then returned for the next two games but had to leave the second with four minutes left in the third quarter as pain and swelling continued.
Golden State now is 2-5 in the seven games Curry has missed with runner’s knee. The Warriors are 6-11 without him this season. The Warriors have been the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference for the past two months and are five games back of the No. 6 seed to get out of the NBA play-in tournament.
“The goal is to be healthy come playoff time and be available when it matters most,” Curry said.
Curry, who turns 38 years old on March 14, is guaranteed to miss at least another four games before being re-evaluated on March 1. He will miss games against the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors then play the LA Clippers on March 2.
In the 39 games he has played this season, Curry is averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while also shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range. He’s leading the league in 3-pointers made per game (4.5), 3-point attempts per game (11.5) and free throw percentage (93.1 percent). Since he won’t reach the 65-game threshold, Curry will not be eligible for All-NBA or any other major awards.
“Obviously, I’d love to be playing right now,” Curry said. “If you’re healthy, you’re able to play. I’m headed in the right direction and hopefully it won’t be too much longer.”
The wait continues, but the eager and ultra competitive Curry will give his all to soon be back in a Golden State jersey on the court again over the Warriors’ final 26 games of the regular season.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast