Jun 20, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry poses with the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy during the Warriors championship parade in downtown San Francisco. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors should want Stephen Curry playing at a high level for the rest of eternity.
Sadly, given he’s in the back half of his prime already, that’s just not physically possible. What is possible though is for Curry to still be an elite option well into his 30s. The two-time MVP currently sits at 34 years old.
There is no player in NBA history that has the skill set Curry possesses. Sure, some are good shooters like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, but none are quite at the level of the former two-time MVP who recently claimed his first NBA Finals MVP.
Who can one look to for a potential comparison when it comes to ending a career?
Steve Nash, who was also a two-time MVP, seems like a good option. Nash was still playing at an All-Star level at 34 and even had his last appearance in the All-Star game at 37.
Nash spent all but two years of his career with two organizations (Phoenix and Dallas), and the 2011-2012 season was his last with the Phoenix Suns and truly started the steep downward slope of his career.
Nash led the league in assists for five seasons, so different than the score-first Curry.
But, a similar trait is, like with Chris Paul, Nash played the game at his pace, and as he aged, he just slowed the game down instead of becoming a liability. 37 himself, Paul may be headed for a similar drop like Nash.
Nonetheless, Curry has earned the right to age uniquely in the sense of he could stick around for another decade and be as effective as a late-career Allen. Or, Curry hit that wall at 37 and opt to call it a historic career.
Either way, expect Curry to mimic both Paul and Nash and have three more strong seasons in the NBA.
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