In 2012, Stephen Curry was emerging from a promising rookie to an absolute superstar in the league. But the Golden State Warriors guard was still not a threat to his opponents as he is now. As a result, he was not offered a high salary yet, considering his umpteen potential. That year, Curry signed a friendly four-year contract with the Warriors, tying him to the Dubs Nation till 2016 in a deal worth $44,000,000.
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LeBron James’ teammate, Iman Shumpert, realized how Stephen Curry emerged in his current potential only after 2013. In a game against the New York Knicks on February 27th, 2013, Curry proved his potential to be a real threat to the league. In that game, Curry dropped 50 points at Madison Square Garden, which made everyone compare him with sharpshooter Gilbert Arenas.
Stephen Curry explained his reason behind choosing a $44 million four-year contract
Stephen Curry had reasons for choosing a relatively low salary after his rookie contract expired. Back in 2012, Curry chose a four-year $44 million contract, the baby-faced assassin was earning an average annual income of $11,000,000. However, it is crucial to understand how this contract helped establish Stephen Curry in the league and create the legendary Warriors dynasty.
In the 2016-17 season, Curry earned only $12.1 million, making him the 82nd highest-paid player in the NBA. This was well behind the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who were earning $30.9 million and $26.5 million that season, respectively. Curry gave further perspective behind his choosing this deal in an interview with Tim Kawakami from The Mercury News.
“My perspective was: ‘Man, I’ll be able to take care of my family with this. Blessed to be able to know I’ll be playing at least in the NBA for four years and see where it goes from there.”
It’s evident from Steph’s words that he did not regret this deal at all. Unlike Scottie Pippen, who regretted signing a seven-year $18 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. The situations of both the legends cannot be compared, but it puts a perspective how different players approach differently to their situation.
Steph’s patience worked out for good, as he became the highest-paid athlete in the league. Curry finally earned a deal worth his potential in 2017 and again in 2022. He became the highest-paid athlete in the NBA, signing a five-year contract worth $201,158,790 in 2017. Once again, Curry signed another $215,353,664 deal with the Warriors, which ties him to the franchise till 2026.
Step Curry is contemplating retiring by the end of his mid-30s
Stephen Curry has recently been contemplating retirement following the conclusion of his current five-year deal with the Warriors. In an interview with the TODAY Show, Curry revealed his plans for his family and other ambitions following retirement.
Curry joked about becoming a swing coach for golf, given his crazy aspirations and love for the game. However, for Curry, his family comes first. Perhaps, he might start attending more to the needs of his children, who are fast growing into living up to his legacy. We might even see Curry pursuing a side hustle for his golfing ambitions if we are lucky enough.
