Steph Curry, Warriors
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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors on the bench.
A clearer — if still cautious — picture has emerged regarding Stephen Curry’s knee injury, and a medical expert says the latest MRI results help explain both the concern and the Golden State Warriors’ conservative approach.
On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors formally disclosed the full scope of Curry’s injury, confirming the diagnosis and outlining the immediate timeline.
“Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who has missed the last five games due to patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising in his right knee, underwent an MRI Wednesday night,” the team said in a statement. “The MRI confirmed the injury and showed no structural damage. He will be re-evaluated in 10 days.”
The update was reassuring on its surface — no ligament or cartilage damage — but it also confirmed a condition that can linger unpredictably, especially for a veteran player who relies on constant movement.
Why the Bone Bruise Matters for Warriors
Shortly after the Warriors’ announcement, Dr. Nirav Pandya, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco and director of sports medicine at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, offered an immediate reaction.
“Bone bruising is a bit more concerning…” Dr. Pandya wrote on X.
A few hours later, he expanded on that assessment, connecting the MRI finding to Curry’s prolonged absence.
“The bone bruising in the recent press release from the Warriors indicates a greater degree of inflammation or irritation that would help to explain the duration of Stephen Curry’s symptoms a bit more,” Dr. Pandya explained.
While “bone bruise” sounds minor, it often signals deeper inflammation within the joint — pain that is difficult to simply play through, even without structural damage.
What Patella-Femoral Pain Syndrome Actually Is
Dr. Pandya has previously published a detailed video explanation breaking down patella-femoral pain syndrome — commonly known as runner’s knee — and why it can be especially frustrating for elite basketball players.
In simple terms, the condition is a catch-all diagnosis for irritation at the front of the knee, not a single injury. That irritation can involve cartilage beneath the kneecap, the surrounding fat pad, the lining of the knee joint, or the muscles and tendons that stabilize the area.
The most common cause is overuse, which is why the condition is frequently associated with runners. Age, alignment issues, and the way the kneecap tracks during movement can also contribute.
When rest does not immediately resolve the pain, doctors often order an MRI — not to confirm runner’s knee itself, but to rule out more serious damage such as cartilage injuries or meniscus tears. In Curry’s case, the MRI came back clean structurally, reinforcing that inflammation — not instability — is the problem.
Why There’s No Clear Return Timeline
According to Dr. Pandya, treatment focuses almost entirely on reducing pain and inflammation. That starts with rest and load management, followed by physical therapy to address any mechanical contributors. Anti-inflammatory treatments — and in some cases injections — may also be used.
The challenge, Pandya explained, is that there is no defined recovery timeline.
“Sometimes it can be a couple days, sometimes several weeks, sometimes several months,” Pandya said in his video explanation. “Each knee responds differently based on what’s causing the inflammation and how much load led to it.”
For basketball players, pain and swelling alone can make high-level performance unrealistic, even if there’s little risk of further structural injury. Altered mechanics can also increase the risk of secondary injuries — to the ankle, calf, or hip — as the body compensates.
What This Means for the Warriors
The good news for Golden State is that patella-femoral pain syndrome is rarely season- or career-altering. The key, Dr. Pandya emphasized, is patience — allowing inflammation to fully subside so the player can move normally without aggravating the injury.
Curry will miss at least four more games before his scheduled re-evaluation, leaving the Warriors to navigate a critical stretch without their franchise cornerstone.
Without Curry, the Warriors lost 121-110 to the Boston Celtics on Kristaps Porziņģis debut in a game they fell behind by 33 points.
While the MRI ruled out worst-case scenarios, the presence of bone bruising explains why Golden State is proceeding carefully. For a team with championship aspirations — and a 37-year-old superstar whose game depends on constant motion — caution may be the smartest play.
For now, Curry’s return is less about beating the clock and more about quieting the knee enough for him to be himself again.