Stephen Curry was drafted into the NBA by the Golden State Warriors by using the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. It’s been 14 years since then, and Steph has only gotten better with each passing season.
The greatest weapon that Stephen Curry has in his arsenal is his shooting ability. And since he doesn’t really rely on athleticism, many have wondered for how long Stephen Curry can continue playing basketball. Although Steph is about to turn 35 years old soon, he still wants to play at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Well, in a recent exclusive interview with NBA insider Marc Stein, Curry revealed that he initially planned to play just 16 years in the league like his father, Dell Curry.
Via Stein Line:
Stein: It’s often said that, because of your shooting ability, you should be able to play until you’re 40 if you want. What are your longevity goals?
Curry: When I got to the league, all I wanted to do was get to 16 years, because that’s what my dad [Dell] played. And now I’m halfway through 14. I’ve talked to a bunch of people who’ve been in similar situations and you start to have different conversations like, “At what point did you know it was time to leave?” or whatever the case is and then figuring out what that might mean for you.
Well, looking at the way Curry is playing, even in his 14th season in the NBA, retiring in two years doesn’t make sense for the Golden State Warriors superstar.
Stephen Curry On His Longevity Goals
Marc Stein asked a two-part question to Stephen Curry where he wondered if he would be able to prolong his career until the age of 40. Curry explained that he doesn’t really have any longevity goals.
I don’t have any [longevity] goals other than maintaining the feeling that I have right now in my body and the night-in, night-out expectation of how I play and having that energy and joy and being able to recover from game to game. Those are just like the mini-goals that you focus on so that maybe you look up at Year 20 like where Bron [LeBron James] is, four or six years from now, and think, “I still got plenty more left in the tank.”
The key being: That’s the only way you can get to that level — if you just focus on what’s happening now. Even Tom Brady was telling me that every year the conversation with himself in the offseason is, “All right, what’s it going to take me to get two more years out of this?” And then that would pass and it’s, “What’s it going to take me to get two more?” Just kind of evolving through that process that way as opposed to saying, “I want to get to 40” and forgetting the details of what it takes.
Although Curry denied that he has any longevity goals, he still revealed he has plenty more left in the tank. If you are a fan of Stephen Curry, then this is definitely a piece of good news for you.
It feels like Curry will end up playing until he turns 40 and further tightens his grip on the Golden State Warriors all-time GOAT pyramid. He may already be the tier 1 GOAT for the Warriors, but it will be exciting to see how Steph continues to further widen the gap.