Father Time stays undefeated. No matter how much time, effort, and resources any of the all-time greats invest in maintaining their physical peak, the body ultimately succumbs to age.
However, Golden State Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry is not one to dwell on his eventual retirement from basketball. In an interview with PEOPLE Magazine, HE shared a philosophy that has worked for him from the jump: focusing on the present rather than worrying about the future.
Not giving retirement a thought
The NBA’s old guard just won’t quit. At age 41, LeBron James continues to defy time and logic, playing well for his Los Angeles Lakers. The same can be said for Kevin Durant, who, at 37, is leading the young Houston Rockets to new heights. Meanwhile, Curry, who’s also 37, is trying to drag the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors to another postseason appearance.
With that mission in mind, Curry said he hasn’t given retirement any serious thought and is focused on the task at hand.
“It’ll declare itself, whenever the time comes to call it quits, which I don’t think is anytime soon,” he shared. “I’m not really putting too much pressure on that.”
James has been incessantly asked about his future all season long, and time and again, he has shut down those questions, claiming he doesn’t know when the end will come. Curry is also taking the same approach in the twilight of his career, refusing to speculate or set a specific timeline.
“Thinking about the end robs you of the now,” he added. “I’m enjoying the journey of competing and all the work that goes into it. Hopefully that carries me a long way.”
Nobody can fault Curry for his mindset; after all, it has worked wonders, as he remains an elite scorer and playmaker, averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range.
A badge of honor
Curry holds numerous entries in the NBA’s record books. However, these days, all his latest accomplishments have “oldest” attached to them and he absolutely doesn’t mind. In fact, he has embraced the challenges that come with aging in a league dominated by young, athletic stars.
“It is a badge of honor to now be the oldest player doing all of these great things,” the 6’2″ guard asserted. “To redefine what greatness looks like at this age.”
“Every time you do something cool, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re the oldest to do such and such’ or ‘You’re the oldest point guard to fill in the blank,'” he added. “So I wear all of those things like a badge of honor, because I know how much work goes into it — to play this game that I love.”
The end of the road will undoubtedly come for Curry, James and Durant — players who have defined a generation of basketball. But until then, they will continue to defy the odds and push boundaries, inspiring future generations to do the same.
About the author
Jonas Panerio
Sr. NBA Writer at Basketball Network