Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Stephen Curry makes stunning admission about his basketball mortality

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Dec 25, 2024 9:48 AM ET

Basketball fans probably dread the day they'd have to bid goodbye to Stephen Curry, one of the most beloved players in history.

While Curry is still playing at an elite level, the 36-year-old has admitted he's nearing the end of his storied career.

In a recent interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews, Curry was asked if he had given any thought to his retirement from the sport.

"More than I probably have before," Curry responded. "It's OK to accept and acknowledge that the end is near, at whatever point. But only because it allows you to enjoy what's happening right now. But I think the more you talk about it and acknowledge it, it levels up the sense of urgency in the moment now."

.@malika_andrews with Stephen Curry on his 16-year NBA career and how much longer he wants to play professional basketball. pic.twitter.com/s8SDWSHCwm
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 24, 2024

Curry, who turns 37 in March, elaborated on the sense of "urgency" he feels to win a fifth NBA championship.

"...I know I only have a certain amount of years left, and I want to win desperately," he added.

Over the past year, the Warriors front office has aggressively tried to maximize Curry's waning window. Following their failed trade pursuit of LeBron James last February, they reportedly tried to acquire All-Stars Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this past offseason.

Ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, the Warriors are again expected to swing for the fences to land Curry a co-star, with the likes of Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram being earmarked as potential targets.

Curry is averaging 21.8 points this season, his fewest since his injury-riddled years in 2019-20 and 2011-12. However, the dip in numbers can be attributed to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr's insistence to field 12- and 13-man rotations. That would explain why Curry is clocking his fewest minutes per game (31.0) in over five seasons.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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