Even the eternal wonders of the world have a shelf life. The NBA's best shooters are no exception.
Stephen Curry, 36, told ESPN's Marika Andrews that he's been thinking about retirement “probably more than ever.”
“It's okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near,” Curry continued. Video posted by NBA to ESPN. “But that's only because we can enjoy what's happening right now. But I think the more we talk about it and the more we acknowledge it, the more urgent the moment becomes.”
The future Hall of Famer has 2025-26 left on his contract and is probably not going anywhere yet.
Still, the question remains: How many more times will the basketball world get to enjoy classic Curry?
Steph's father, Dell, played a total of 16 seasons in the NBA. This year, 2024-2025, will be Steph's 16th year.
AP
And while there's no question that the four-time champion, 10-time All-Star, two-time leading scorer, and two-time MVP is still playing basketball at an elite level, Total points scored and usage have been steadily declining for some time now.
In the 2022-23 season, when he turned 34, Curry averaged nearly 35 minutes and 30 points per game.
The following year, those averages dropped to about 33 and 26, respectively.
Through the first 26 games of this season, Curry played 31 minutes every night and averaged 21.8 points per game.
His 43.5 field goal percentage is the second-worst of his career, and his 40.3 arc goal percentage is his third-worst.
And last week, Curry was as bad as ever in Golden State's blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. For the first time in history, he did not make a single field goal in a contest (minimum of 12 minutes played).
Even if Curry is ready to admit the end is near, Golden State isn't.
The franchise continues to build around aging superstars and recently acquired Dennis Schroder. In exchange for the 31-year-old, the Warriors traded De'Anthony Melton, Reece Beekman and three second-round picks to the Nets.
All in all, despite the comments and denials, of course Curry isn't going to call it off tomorrow. But when the Warriors and Lakers face off in the Christmas Spectacular, when 39-year-old LeBron James takes on 36-year-old Curry, take a deep breath and hug your loved one.
These are good times, we live in them.
