Stephen Curry has more playing days behind him than ahead of him at 34-years-old. The reigning Finals MVP in NBA history has accomplished everything an NBA player could want to after winning his fourth title in the last eight years and earned back-to-back regular-season MVPs, becoming the first unanimous MVP selection in NBA history.
When Matt Sullivan of Rolling Stone asked Curry how much longer he’d like to play in the NBA, the Baby-Faced Assasin revealed that he’d like to “at least” play through his current four-year deal before contemplating retirement. Golden State’s main focus going into next season will be maximizing their championship core while developing their young hoopers like Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman.
“The championships are just getting in the way,” Curry told Sullivan.
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Curry averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and a career-low 38.0 percent from beyond the arc. Curry has the type of game that ages gracefully, relying more on finesse than physicality. However, Curry was able to unlock another level of physicality alongside his legendary stamina that helped him dominate when it mattered most in the playoffs.
Heading into his 14th season, Curry says that the hardwood remains “his safe space” even as his veteran status increases. The eight-time All-Star is renowned for his conditioning and can lean on his improved physicality to ward off the lengthy wings that match-up against him. Although he shot a career-low from three last year, it’s likely an outlier, not a sign of things to come. Curry is a career 42.8 percent shooter from three-point territory.
“There are more thoughts, as you get older, of that healthy insecurity: ‘How long can this go?’ ” Curry told Sullivan. “I’m not afraid of what’s next, but the invisibility — the fact that when you’re in your actual prime, you’re not thinking anything else — now I have a healthy balance of both.”
Curry and the Warriors will look to start their title defense against the Lakers on Oct. 18.
