Curry ready to remind NBA what Dubs can do
SAN FRANCISCO >> It’s been 539 days since Stephen Curry played in a game of consequence.
The last time he stepped onto a court, in March, it was to test his surgically-repaired hand in a meaningless game after the Warriors were already eliminated from the playoffs. Even at the start of the 2019-20 season, there was an understanding that t he Wa r r ior s were emba rking on a rebuilding year. It hasn’t been since Game
6 of the 2019 Finals, nearly 18 months ago, that what Curry did impacted the NBA. And he knows it.
“Watching the bubble was weird,” Curry said in his media day news conference Wednesday. “It was nice to be a fan for a little bit, but I definitely want to be playing competitive basketball and in games that matter.”
During the nine months since the end of last season, Curry celebrated his 32nd birthday, interviewed the country’s lead expert on infectious diseases,
Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared virtually at the Democratic National Convention, watched the Lakers win the championship, played golf with Phil Mickelson and launched his own brand with Under Armour. All the while, he continued to strengthen his left hand and stayed in shape, ready for when he’d have a chance to reclaim his spot at basketball’s center stage.
That wait is almost over. On Dec. 22, Curry and the Warriors will kick off the 2020-21 NBA season against the Nets in Brooklyn. A few days later, they will again occupy the marquee against the Bucks on Christmas Day. Despite the Warriors stumbling to a league-worst 15-50 record last season and losing Klay Thompson for a second straight season, Curry still demands eyeballs and expectations.
But first there’s the matter of his time away. Curry has played in only five real games in 17 months, and right out of the gate he’s going to share the court with former teammate Kevin Durant and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. When the NBA shut down in March, Curry was still working his way into game shape after having missed most of the season following hand surgery.
With gyms and facilities closed by the pandemic, Curry conducted home workouts with his trainer via video conference. As restrictions eased, he started playing in scrimmages that culminated in 5-on-5 workouts with teammates last month.
“It was good to kind of shake the cobwebs off and not wait until December to get competitive live action before playing regularseason games,” Curry said. Training camp started Wednesday with individual workouts, and group workouts will begin next week.
Even though he’s had ample time to prepare for his comeback season, Curry like many others was surprised when the league rushed to start the condensed schedule in December instead of waiting until next year. He’ll have to do so without Thompson, who is expected to miss the season with a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in a workout in Los Angeles.