Golden State Warriors star point guard Steph Curry won’t be around forever, but that doesn’t mean the end is right around the corner either.
Curry appeared on the August 21 edition of the Gil’s Arena podcast, hosted by former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas. Curry said a number of interesting things during the interview, including that he believes he is the best point guard in NBA history.
The four-time champion and two-time MVP also discussed the approaching end to his illustrious career after Arenas inquired as to whether Curry’s retirement timeline might align with that of rival LeBron James. James will turn 39 years old in December and will play his 21st NBA season in 2023-24. Curry will turn 36 in March and will play his 15th year as a pro in the upcoming campaign.
“It’s somewhere in that range, but I never imagined myself being the 40-plus dude trying to hold on for dear life,” Curry said. “But who knows what my body will look like or feel like at that point? I got three years left on my deal, including at least that, and then kind of figure it out from there.”
“I don’t put too much of a timeline outside of my contract now just knowing that will [get me to 38 years old] and 17 years in the league,” Curry continued. “I ain’t skipping out to go play golf just yet.”
Steph Curry Intends to Remain Golden State Warrior for Life
Whenever Curry does retire, Dubs fans can take solace in knowing that he intends to do so while wearing a Warriors uniform.
“I am blessed to know and hope that no matter how many years I do play, playing for one franchise and being a part of that group of the legends that have accomplished that feat and won at the highest level and all that — I don’t ever take that for granted either,” Curry said. “You got the Kobe [Bryants], the Magic [Johnsons], Dirk [Nowitzki], Tim Duncan — those guys helped establish a culture, won, did it with a lot of different roster combinations and different parts in their careers.”
Retiring in Golden State also appears to be a goal of Curry’s future Hall of Fame teammates Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Green signed a four-year contract extension with a player option after the third season, which would allow him to retire or re-up with the Warriors during the same offseason that Curry’s contract ends. Thompson is extension-eligible heading into the last year of his current deal with the Warriors.
Steph Curry Admits He Has Begun to Consider Retirement
While Curry isn’t going anywhere for at least another three seasons, the reality that the end is closer than the beginning has dawned on a player who has nothing left to prove.
“You do start thinking about [retirement],” Curry told Willy Geist of The Today Show during an interview in early August. “The thoughts do creep in of what that timeline really looks like.”
“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 continued. “There’s guys like LeBron doing it in his [20-something] year. What Tom [Brady] did before he retired was truly amazing. You can learn lessons from guys like that — that it is possible.”
Curry is already the most prolific 3-point shooter in history with a record 3,390 career makes on 42.8% shooting from deep over the course of his career. He has also been selected to nine NBA All-Star Games.
