Stephen Curry says ‘the end is near’ for career

NBA great Stephen Curry said he appreciates his 16th season, knowing he is nearing the end of his record-breaking career.

“It’s OK to accept and recognize that the end is near,” Curry said in a clip of an interview that was broadcast to NBA on ESPN’s account on X. “But only because it allows you to enjoy what’s happening right now. But I think the more you talk about it and the more you acknowledge it, the more it levels the sense of urgency in the moment, now.”

Curry, 36, has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA titles. He is a two-time league Most Valuable Player, a 10-time All-Star and the leader in 3-pointers made with 3,841.

And despite being limited to two points in a blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last week — he was 0-for-7 shooting — Curry remains a highly productive NBA player.

This season, he is averaging 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. And while his scoring output has dropped from 29.4 points per game in 2022-23 and 26.4 last season, he surpasses career averages in rebounds (4.7) and assists (6.4).

He plays 31.0 minutes per game, down nearly four minutes from two seasons ago. And he’s shooting 36.3 percent from 3-point range, far off his career average of 39.7 percent, but his numbers from 2-point territory are well above his lifetime production (.571 this season vs. .517 career).

Curry is 21 games shy of 1,000 games played in the regular season, plus he has played 147 more in the playoffs. And he’ll surely want at least one more postseason run.

The Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers in a Christmas showdown in California on Wednesday, and sit in eighth place in the Western Conference, a half game behind the Lakers.

Curry didn’t hit on when he might retire, hinting only that he’s thinking about retirement “more than I probably have before.”

He is under contract with Golden State through the 2026-27 season after signing a one-year deal. $62.59 million contract extension on August 29.

–Field-level media