Stephen Curry came into the league without much fanfare due to his small frame, inability to defend, and lack of ceiling according to several scouts. He came on slow, adjusting to the game in his first few years and his contract extension back in 2012 was questioned due to his bad ankle and the inability to catapult the Golden State Warriors to the next level. There were some legitimate cases for the doubts cast on Curry’s abilities and nobody expected his rise to stardom to be what he is today.
But after winning four championships in his career, now at 34 years old, can father time finally pay its visit and rob Curry of his greatness on the court? He is still one of the best players in the league right now despite entering the twilight of his career. Will he sustain his great play like LeBron if he reaches deeper in his 30s? If history is our guideline for this discussion, Stephen Curry will have a hard time sustaining his brilliance once he turns 36. He has a history of significant injuries throughout his career and it’s hard to bet against those things once his age catches up with him. Small guards tend to regress badly with age, especially with an extensive injury history.
Chris Paul regressed badly after his finals run in 2021. While he is still a great player, he can no longer sustain his brilliant play night in and night out. Steve Nash was a two-time MVP but he regressed hard during the latter stage of his career and his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers was forgettable, to say the least. Even Kyle Lowry has lost a step or two in a Miami Heat jersey. It’s odd to fathom but big men are more durable than small guards when it comes to the twilight of their careers.
Maybe Steph can become an anomaly and hold off father time until he reaches 40. He can still shoot the lights out any given night but after missing a bunch of games this season, you can question how much he has left to sustain his brilliant play for the Warriors in the upcoming years. His outside touch will never go away but he heavily relies on creating his own shot around 30 feet away from the basket or running around through screens to get his shot off. Will he slow down in the next couple of years or can he still be the elite shooter and shotmaker we all love and admire? The best we can do is enjoy the show and hope he avoids any serious injuries in the future. We all want Chef Curry to torch the league for years to come.
