While fully focused on his first Olympic Games, Stephen Curry remains astonished by his now former teammate Klay Thompson’s decision to leave the Golden State Warriors.
The star of the San Francisco franchise believed they were building a dynasty alongside Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, aiming to finish their careers together with the Warriors. However, Thompson, now with the Dallas Mavericks, had other plans and decided to move to Texas.
In a one-on-one interview with the site andscape.com, when asked about the future of the Warriors, Curry responded: “It’s still weird, man. I really haven’t figured out the emotions yet just because it’s one of those pieces that really won’t sink in until you get into October and you go to the locker room and you’re in your familiar sights and sounds of the Chase Center.”
Throughout their career together, Curry and Thompson formed a legendary duo renowned for their three-point shooting prowess, capturing four NBA titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Over their 11 seasons playing side by side, they defined a golden era for the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry #30 and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate a basket during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Two of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at Chase Center on May 20, 2022 in San Francisco, California.
Also in the interview, Curry asserted that every cycle comes to an end: “All things have to come to an end at some point. I wish it would’ve turned out differently. I wish we could have rode into the sunset, all three of us [Curry, Green and Thompson] as Warriors for our whole career. [Thompson] made a decision that he felt was best for himself. What we were able to do for how long we were able to do it and together, it’s special and it speaks to how hard it is to do that. So, I’m going to choose to celebrate all the things we accomplished and all the experiences we had instead of feeling any type of resentment or getting pissed off about it. It’s still weird though.”
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Curry and the future of the Warriors
When asked about the future of the franchise and whether he feels they need another player on par with Klay Thompson, Curry stated: “I always say I want to win and I understand how hard it’s to win in this league. What we look like, I don’t know. It’s hard to envision all the change that’s happened. I know we have some talent that’s ready to blossom. It’ll look different.
“You have to make the necessary adjustments and evolve how we play to maximize the team that we have. I have an optimistic attitude that it’s going to work and that we are going to be a competitor, be in the mix until proven otherwise. That’s the only way I can think right now.”
Stephen Curry and the excitement for his first Olympic Games
Surprisingly for many, this will be Stephen Curry’s first time competing in the Olympics representing the USA. In the three previous editions where he could have been selected, Curry made it clear why he didn’t participate:
“In 2012, I didn’t get picked because I wasn’t on the level I needed to be. In ’16, I was coming off the Finals run and I didn’t feel I would get the rest I needed to get ready for the next season. And in 2020, it was a COVID year. And just that whole process, I don’t remember what was going on family wise. But it wasn’t a good time for me.”
Stephen Curry #4 of the United States strikes a pose as he falls out of bounds after making a basket and drawing a foul against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of Canada in the second half of their exhibition game ahead of the Paris Olympic Games at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The United States defeated Canada 86-72.