Curry Reflects on Retirement Moment in New Podcast with NBA Legends

DENVER, Colorado — NBA Hall of Famer Stephen Curry revealed this week the moment that led him to contemplate retirement. On a recent podcast episode with co-hosts Steve Nash and LeBron James, the trio discussed their legendary careers and iconic matchups.

The conversation began with a look back at a preseason game in 2014 when a young Curry, then 26 years old, scored 25 points during a 116-75 victory in Ontario. Nash, 40 at the time, struggled to keep up with the energetic Curry.

“He’s running everywhere, and my back is broke,” Nash joked. “I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100%. After three or four more days of thinking, I was like ‘Yeah, it’s time.’ And that was it.”

Curry’s performance in the 2014 season helped him win the first of his two MVP awards and led the Golden State Warriors to an NBA title. Nash announced his retirement later that season but began a new chapter with the Warriors as a consultant the following year.

“Next thing I know, you show up at our practice and you’re teaching us pick and roll,” Curry said, recalling Nash’s contributions.

Throughout the podcast, the legends also discussed Curry’s unique one-motion jump shot. Nash praised Curry’s skill set, stating, “You’ve gone on to become the greatest shooter of all-time by a long margin.”

Curry admitted his shot form may not be ideal for teaching. “I would teach Klay Thompson’s form to anybody who asks, ‘How do I shoot a basketball?’” he said.

Both Nash and James expressed admiration for Curry’s relentless movement without the ball, a key aspect of the Warriors’ success in defeating James’ Cavaliers in three out of four Finals from 2015 to 2018. “He’s most dangerous when he doesn’t have the ball,” James said.

Curry reflected on advice he received from former Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who suggested he should shoot 15 three-pointers a game. “I was like, ‘What? Do you know how hard it is to get 12 good looks up?’” Curry recalled.

This podcast episode is the first in a series featuring these basketball icons, with more discussions about their Finals encounters expected in future episodes.

In injury news ahead of the Warriors’ game against the Nuggets on Friday night, the team reported that Curry will remain in the Bay Area to recover from an illness. Jimmy Butler is questionable due to a lower back strain, while Draymond Green is set to play despite a ribcage injury.