Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Getty
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry knows exactly what a fifth championship would mean for his legacy. It would place him in a tier with NBA legends he’s admired his entire career.
Curry opened up to The Ringer’s Howard Beck about his motivation to win another title despite all the obstacles standing in his way. The 37-year-old point guard admitted he’s getting greedy, but he knows what number five represents from a legacy perspective.
“If we get in the mix, we always feel like we can get it done,” Curry told Beck. And by “get it done,” he means win another championship, his fifth, which would place him and Draymond Green in a tier with legends like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan. “Getting greedy,” Curry says with a smile. “We know what number five means in terms of who we would join, from a legacy perspective.”
The pursuit is audacious given the circumstances. Curry is 37 years old. Green is 35. The Warriors are 27-24 and eighth in the Western Conference. Jimmy Butler is out for the season with a torn ACL. But Curry likes that audacity.
The Legacy Conversation
Stephen Curry Finals MVP
GettyGolden State Warriors star Stephen Curry celebrates with his NBA Finals MVP trophy during the team’s 2022 championship victory parade.
Winning a fifth championship would elevate Curry into truly rarefied air. Only a handful of players in NBA history have won five or more titles as key contributors to their teams.
Bryant won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic Johnson won five with the Lakers in the 1980s. Tim Duncan won five with the San Antonio Spurs between 1999 and 2014. These are the players who defined excellence across multiple eras, who sustained championship-level performance for over a decade.
Curry has won four titles with Golden State in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. He’s already cemented as one of the greatest players in NBA history. But a fifth championship would elevate him into an even more exclusive tier alongside iconic winners like Bryant, Magic, and Duncan – legends who defined excellence across multiple eras. It would also further validate his decision to stay with one franchise his entire career rather than chasing championships elsewhere.
“The reason we got here, it hasn’t been about the money,” Curry told Beck. “It hasn’t been about anything other than winning, and that’s kind of the gas that’s still in the tank for what we’re trying to do now.”
The Obstacles Are Real for the Warriors
Jimmy Butler
GettyJimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Curry concedes that chasing a fifth title sounds “outlandish” given the Warriors’ current situation. Golden State sits in the play-in tournament range rather than among the West’s elite. Butler’s absence eliminates their best two-way wing.
But dynasties aren’t supposed to last this long anyway. It’s been 12 years since the Warriors began their dynastic run and four years since their last title. Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently called Golden State a “fading dynasty.” That assessment is accurate even if it’s painful to hear.
The best most aging stars can hope for is remaining reasonably healthy, reasonably impactful, and on a reasonably competitive team. Fairy-tale endings are rare in the NBA. Few players get to walk away on top.
Yet no one associated with the Warriors has quite given up on the dream of one more title run.
Why Curry Still Believes
The Warriors were surging before Butler’s injury. Golden State won 12 of 16 games heading into that January 19 matchup against the Miami Heat. The offense was humming. The defense was stout.
After acquiring Butler last season, the Warriors won 23 of their final 31 games and knocked out the higher-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round. They won the opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves before Curry went down with a hamstring injury.
The Warriors firmly believe they were one healthy hamstring away from a Western Conference finals appearance. That belief fuels Curry’s conviction that another championship remains possible if circumstances break right.
“There’s still enough of a chance,” Curry told Beck. “I tell Coach all the time: We just want to play relevant, meaningful games, meaningful basketball.”
The Giannis Factor
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Reports have surfaced that the Milwaukee Bucks are ready to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the Warriors mentioned as a strong suitor.
A single trade could infuse new life into what Kerr called their fading dynasty. Landing a 31-year-old two-time MVP would instantly transform the Warriors from play-in team to championship contender. It would give Curry the co-star he needs to chase that fifth title.
Whether Golden State can pull off such a blockbuster before Thursday’s deadline remains uncertain. But the Warriors have never stopped trying to extend their dynasty. They acquired Butler last year. They’re reportedly pursuing Antetokounmpo now.
General manager Mike Dunleavy faces enormous pressure to make something happen before the deadline. Standing pat means accepting mediocrity. Making a move means potentially trading franchise icons like Green or young assets like Jonathan Kuminga.
Final Word on the Warriors
Curry’s admission that he’s getting greedy reveals how much that fifth championship means to him. He knows the odds. He understands the obstacles. But he also knows what joining Bryant, Magic, and Duncan in the five-title club would mean for his legacy.
The Warriors’ window is closing rapidly. Curry is 37 years old. Time is running out for him to add another championship to his resume.
But Curry hasn’t given up. The gas is still in the tank. The desire to win remains as strong as ever. Landing Antetokounmpo could provide the jolt needed to make one more championship run realistic.
If the Warriors somehow pull off the improbable and win a fifth title, Curry would further cement his place among the greatest winners in basketball history. He’s already established himself as one of the all-time greats, but a fifth championship would elevate him into an even more exclusive tier alongside Bryant, Magic, and Duncan.
That’s what drives Curry now. Not money. Not individual accolades. Just winning. And the knowledge that a fifth championship would place him forever among the legends he’s chased his entire career.
The audacity is real. So is the long-shot nature of the pursuit. But Curry embraces that audacity. He knows what number five means. And with the trade deadline looming, the Warriors have one more chance to give him the pieces he needs to make it happen.