After signing a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension Thursday, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry reiterated that he wants to finish his NBA career where it started.
In an interview with The Athletic's Marcus Thompson, Curry said his decision to sign the extension was a vote of confidence in the organization. The front office was not able to acquire another star this summer, but it did attempt to trade for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen. Curry has consistently maintained that he wants to be a Warrior for life as long as he believes he and the franchise are on the same page in terms of trying to compete. This signifies that they still are.
From The Athletic:
"It's not different from my perspective," Curry told The Athletic. "You have an appreciation for the position and the opportunity and the support from people who've been with you on the journey. I've always said I wanted to play for one team my whole career. So it's good to get (the extension) question out of the way and give complete focus to basketball and to the season."
…
"It's still about winning," Curry said, "and taking the steps necessary to give ourselves a chance. The standard hasn't changed. The expectation hasn't changed."
Signing the extension does not guarantee that Curry will never play for another team, but it does send a clear message that Golden State plans to make a run at a fifth championship for the next three seasons. Had he wanted to maximize his leverage on the front office, he could have instead decided that, after Klay Thompson left this summer, he wanted to play out the 2024-25 season and see how the roster changes in the next year before extending. In exchange for his commitment, Curry locked in another $62.6 million in guaranteed money -- not a bad salary for someone who will turn 39 during the last year of his deal.
In the interview, Curry also described his time with Team USA at the 2024 Olympics as "a 12-out-of-10 experience." Curry scored 36 points and shot 9 for 14 from 3-point range in the semifinals against Serbia, leading the United States to a comeback victory. In the Americans' victory against France in the gold medal game, Curry scored 24 points and shot 8 for 12 from deep, including four straight 3s late in the fourth quarter, another career highlight.
"It was the most surreal feeling, especially the way it ended," Curry said. "I felt like a kid again."
Ideally, he will be able to feel that way again in a Warriors uniform. In 2023-24, Golden State's season ended with a loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in.
