It wasn't all that long ago when Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors broke onto the scene to become the NBA's latest dynasty, winning three championships in a four-year span. The two-time MVP and four-time champion is now 37 years old and approaching the end of what has been a legendary career.
However, 37 is just a number, and this is something Steph Curry is out to prove.
As he prepares for Year 17 in the NBA, Curry is more motivated than ever to compete for his fifth championship, which would put him in elite company with some of the greatest of all time, like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Still, many keep asking the question of how much longer Curry actually has left, as the countless title runs and mileage on his legs continue to add up. To keep things short, Steph continues to focus on the only thing he can control, which is making the Warriors as great as they can be.
Retirement will come in time, but Curry continues to shoot down the narrative that he's entering the last couple of years of his career.
“It's the question you ask yourself every morning,” Curry acknowledged in an interview with ABC7 News Bay Area. “You wake up, and you want to, you know, go spend some time in the gym and keep working on your craft. I still love it, so it's not really a question of urgency now.
“But, you know, I got some advice from some pros who extended their careers—it's like, you just take it every two years and give everything you've got to it, and then you kind of reassess at that point. So, I'm starting a new cycle over, and you know the work you have to put in to stay at your level.”
When asked the very next question whether that time was coming soon, Curry's answer was what many would expect: “Nope.”
This latest response from Curry regarding his inevitable retirement comes after he relayed similar remarks in July, stating that he is focused on his health and putting himself in a position to feel like he has done everything possible in his illustrious career.
Even then, Curry admitted that he was nowhere close to the point where he could hang everything up and say, “I'm good.”
Last season, Curry was named an All-Star for the 11th time in his career and made the All-NBA Second Team, his fifth consecutive All-NBA selection and 11th overall. In 70 games, he averaged 24.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 39.7 percent from 3-point range.
Steph led the league in 3-pointers made per game (4.4), 3-pointers attempted per game (11.2), and free-throw percentage (93.3%).
Stephen Curry, Warriors' championship aspirations
In the same interview with ABC7 News Bay Area, Curry discussed where the Warriors stand as an organization and the new life they've found in their title aspirations since acquiring Jimmy Butler.
While Golden State fell short in the playoffs after Steph suffered a hamstring injury in the second round, everyone associated with the team remains confident in their ability to contend in the Western Conference.
“We’re going to find out. I think we can,” Curry answered when asked if three guys over the age of 35 can win a championship. “There’s a level of know-how. I think what we did last year, when we were top three in the league, both offense and defense, all the metrics showed we were a really good team.
“Obviously, we have to stay healthy, get through the regular season at a high level. But I like the identity that we have and the foundation of knowing how to play together towards the end of last season that we can hopefully translate to this year.”
All that matters to Curry at this point in his career is winning. More specifically, winning in May and June to capture another championship for the Warriors.
With veteran experience and a roster full of players who have been in big, championship moments before, Curry remains very optimistic about the Dubs' chances of having at least one more parade in San Francisco before the end of his career.
“This group still knows how to win. We just have to put it together, stay the course, and give ourselves a shot.”
