Stephen Curry is 36 years old and close enough to retirement that’s already talking about how he wants to go out.
Speaking with Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard, Curry addressed his approaching retirement and used an interesting comparison point to explain what he does and doesn’t want in his last few years with the Warriors.
Specifically, when asked about the right way to end his career, Curry said he didn’t a repeat of Kobe Bryant’s last few years with the Lakers.
From the Standard:
“Competitive,” Curry emphasized last week. “I’ve seen different scenarios. Like everybody talks about Kobe [Bryant] and his last years. From my vantage point, I’m comparing it to guys that only played for one franchise. Dirk [Nowitzki], Tim [Duncan], Kobe, from our era. … You don’t want to be in a situation the Lakers were in those last three years [with Bryant]. I know he came off the Achilles injury, but it was, like, they were a lottery team, and it was more just how many points can Kobe score down the stretch of his career. I don’t want to be in that scenario.
“My whole thing is, you have to be realistic. There’s probably not a move or a scenario where you’re gonna walk into a season or a playoff series as the perennial favorite. There’s just a lot of talent around the league. But to be competitive, where you have a chance — that’s what we want to see. I’m sure that’s what our fans want to see. Playing meaningful games, no matter how it ends. I think that’s what we deserve, and I hope that is the reality I get to live in this last part of my career.”
The Lakers enjoyed plenty of success during Bryant’s career, which spanned from 1996 to 2016, but their last few years together were indeed lacking in moments for the highlight reel. With Bryant regularly hurt after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2013, the Lakers posted an average record of 22-60 between 2013 and 2016. Even when Bryant was playing, they only went 25-82.
Bryant at least finished his career on a legendary note with his 60-point outburst against the Utah Jazz, but it’s easy to forget his contract made him somewhat controversial for the Lakers toward the end.
Meanwhile, Curry is doing his best to keep the Warriors afloat, though he’s also averaging his fewest points per game (23.3) since 2013.
Golden State entered Wednesday with a record of 27-26, good for 10th place in the Western Conference and the final play-in spot. The team got a significant upgrade with the addition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, and the contract Butler signed just happens to coincide with when Curry’s deal ends in 2027.
Curry is under contract for the next two seasons after this one, with salaries of $59.6 million in 2025-26 and $62.6 million in 2026-27. It’s hard to predict what he will do when that contract ends and he’s 39 years old, but Warriors fans can feel confident about one thing.
He’s not playing for another team, via the Standard:
“That’s the gas in the tank of why personally I want to only play for only one franchise and have made that a goal,” Curry said. “And why all my actions are kind of pointed toward that.”
For now, the Warriors are scheduled to host the NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco this weekend, with Curry acting as the face of the team.
