This is an unprecedented era of longevity in the NBA. Historically, once a player reaches their late 30s, they would be lucky to still be in the league, let alone contribute to the success of their respective teams. That norm has been all but brushed aside by the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.
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Yes, James’ level of play at his age gets highlighted often. But the 37-year-old Curry is not that far behind. NFL legend and analyst Shannon Sharpe hypothesized that the Golden State Warriors star has a lot left in the tank and could overtake the King in longevity.
This is not to undermine LeBron’s greatness. It is unprecedented to continue to be one of the best players in the NBA at 40 years of age. Also, there is a clear difference in the style of play between the two that makes the proposition of Curry playing into the 40s tough.
The Chef runs all around the court at an average of 2.44 miles per game. For context, NBA players run an average of just under two miles per game. He is exuding a tremendous amount of stamina at the age of 37. And, when he is healthy, he hasn’t looked a step slow in the slightest.
Until Curry’s untimely hamstring injury during the Warriors’ semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the four-time NBA champion was on pace to make another deep postseason run. Despite the physical challenge of playing with the intensity that Curry does, Sharpe believes there are many more years left for him.
Sharpe doesn’t view the hamstring injury to be a major setback either. “I can see him [Stephen Curry] play another four or five years,” he said on Nightcap. “I would not be surprised if he played into his 40s.”
Curry takes tremendous care of his body. It’s evident in the way he has survived his style of play. Sharpe’s co-host, Chad Johnson, however, had an interesting question: “Will he [Curry] go somewhere else or finish his career in Golden State?”
Well, Sharpe was confident while answering this one. “I think he is going to be a Kobe [Bryant],” said Sharpe.
“Or like Dirk [Nowitzki]. Dirk played all 20 [years of his career] there [Dallas Mavericks]. Kobe played all 20 there [Lakers]. It all depends… It’s not that Golden State is not going to surround him with talent. We know that,” he elaborated.
“They got Kevin Durant [in the past]. We have seen them get Jimmy Butler… So they will do whatever it takes in order to win the championship. The question is, if and when Steph will ever feel that he doesn’t have a legitimate chance of winning a championship with Golden State. Then, will he be willing to say, ‘I need to move on’, and just walk away?” added Sharpe.
The midseason addition of Butler to the Warriors’ roster alleviated a significant amount of the offensive burden on the two-time MVP, allowing him to return to playing off-ball. A full season with a well-orchestrated roster could position the Warriors to be a dangerous team in the Western Conference.
James and Durant aren’t the only players alongside Curry who are stretching the envelope of longevity in the league. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are a few other names who have thrived in long careers. These players have set the standard extremely high for the next generation to follow.
