Stephen Curry excited about Warriors' future despite playoff exit
Stephen Curry said Thursday he is excited about the Golden State Warriors' ability to challenge for more championships in the future despite a disappointing early exit from the NBA playoffs.
The Warriors bowed out of the postseason on Wednesday after the Minnesota Timberwolves romped to a 121-110 victory to complete an emphatic 4-1 win in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.
Curry spent the final four games of the series as a frustrated spectator after suffering a hamstring injury in the Warriors' Game 1 win last week.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday as the Warriors held their final media availability of the season, the 37-year-old superstar insisted that the team's veteran lineup, whose core players are all well into their 30s, can approach next season with optimism.
Curry said the last two months of the regular season, with the team transformed by the arrival of Jimmy Butler in a trade from the Miami Heat as well as a win over the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, had convinced him that Golden State could reach the pinnacle again.
"You look at the sample size the last two months and even the Houston series when we had our mind focused on a goal, we had enough to accomplish it and get to a point where we were playing pretty high-level basketball," Curry said. "Does that mean we can win a championship? We hope so. That's really all you want is a fighter's chance.
"You look at the league right now. I know there's a lot of youth taking over, but we were one of the last eight teams that realistically had a shot, and if you can run that back, make some tweaks that can help our overall roster ... I feel like we had enough that we showed we could be that team."
Curry is hoping the summer will provide some much-needed recovery time following a grueling 12-month period that saw him spend last year's offseason preparing for and playing in the Paris Olympics.
"I don't have any Olympics, and it's going to be just about rebuilding — one, getting rest, getting away from the game a little bit, and then rebuilding everything for another great run," Curry said.
"I'm going to take full advantage of the offseason knowing I've been playing a lot of basketball for the last year, and a lot left in the tank to prepare for, so I'm excited about it."
Curry indicated that he expected Butler, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr all to be similarly motivated.
"Me, Draymond, Steve, Jimmy — our contracts are all two years, and we want this ride to last as long as possible," Curry said.
"That's all I'm really focused on right now. I'm excited about it because there's clarity, although there are a lot of decisions that need to be made over the summer."
Curry said the prospect of renewing his partnership with Butler was a particular cause for excitement, describing Butler's integration into the team as "seamless."
"Me and him complemented each other so well," Curry said of Butler. "He gave us so much belief that we could beat anybody any given night and make a legitimate run at climbing up the standings and even having some playoff experience to look forward to.
"I think it was a success, and now you have to build off of that with a full season hopefully in front of us. I'm excited about it."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Japan Times
10 hours ago
- Japan Times
French Open champion Coco Gauff proud to represent 'Americans that look like me'
Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff, the first Black American to win the title in a decade, said on Saturday her victory in Paris was for people back home who looked like her and struggled amid ongoing political turmoil. Gauff battled from a set down to beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 for her first French Open crown and her second Grand Slam title after the 2023 U.S. Open. She is the first Black American to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. "It means a lot (to win the title), and obviously there's a lot going on in our country right now with things — like, everything, yeah. I'm sure you guys know," she said, smiling but without elaborating further. "But just to be able to be a representation of that and a representation of, I guess, people that look like me in America who maybe don't feel as supported during this time period, and so just being that reflection of hope and light for those people." There has been ongoing political turmoil in the United States following the election of President Donald Trump last year. Trump's first few months in office have featured an unapologetic assault on diversity and inclusion efforts, unraveling decades-old policies to remedy historical injustices for marginalized groups in a matter of weeks. In his second term, Trump revoked a landmark 1965 executive order mandating equal employment opportunities for all, slashed environmental actions to protect communities of color and ordered the gutting of an agency that helped fund minority and female-owned businesses. The actions have alarmed advocates, who say they effectively erase decades of hard-fought progress on leveling the playing field for marginalized communities. "I remember after the election and everything, it kind of felt (like) a down period a little bit, and my mom told me during Riyadh (in November 2024) 'just try to win the tournament, just to give something for people to smile for.' "So that's what I was thinking about today when holding that (trophy). "Then seeing the flags in the crowd means a lot. You know, some people may feel some type of way about being patriotic and things like that, but I'm definitely patriotic and proud to be American, and I'm proud to represent the Americans that look like me and people who kind of support the things that I support." Trump has previously denied claims he has employed racist attacks and an agenda throughout his political career.

Japan Times
13 hours ago
- Japan Times
Thunder roll past Pacers in Game 2 to even NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by an efficient 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, thumped the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday, punching back hard to even the NBA Finals at one game apiece. Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA MVP, connected on 11 of 21 shots and added five rebounds, eight assists and four of Oklahoma City's 10 steals as the Thunder bounced back from an agonizing Game 1 defeat on their home floor. Jalen Williams added 19 points, and center Chet Holmgren bounced back from a lackluster six-point Game 1 to score 15 points with six rebounds for the Thunder, who limited Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton to 17 points, three rebounds and six assists with five turnovers. Haliburton, who drilled the last-gasp, game-winning shot for Indiana in its 111-110 series-opening triumph, had just five points through the first three quarters. Despite his 12 points in the fourth, the Pacers never looked like they could mount the kind of comeback that saw them erase a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in the opener. "We know with them (defense) is where it starts," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They're a high-powered offense, they play fast, score a bunch of points, and if you don't get stops you end up running all game, and they can beat you that way." The Thunder denied the Pacers the 2-0 lead they had grabbed in their three prior series, climbing back on even terms as the best-of-seven championship showdown heads to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday. "We did some good things tonight," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We did some things bad, and we've got to be able to get better, get ready for Game 3." Alex Caruso scored 20 points off the bench, and fellow reserve Aaron Wiggins made five 3-pointers on the way to 18 for the Thunder, who closed a back-and-forth first quarter on a 9-0 run to lead 26-20. Holmgren punctuated the period with a 3-pointer, and Oklahoma City only ramped up the pressure in the second. Another 9-0 run included a 3-pointer from Williams off a feed from Holmgren and a Holmgren dunk. After Wiggins drilled a step-back 3-pointer, Gilgeous-Alexander drove for a reverse layup that pushed the Thunder lead to 52-29. The turnovers that stymied the Pacers in Game 1 began to creep up again, but Indiana offered a glimpse of just how dangerous it can be as it reeled off 10 unanswered points to slice the deficit to 13 before Oklahoma City pulled away again to take a 59-41 lead at halftime. The Thunder took a 93-74 lead into the fourth and were up by 22 after a 3-pointer from Wiggins on a possession kept alive by three offensive rebounds. Haliburton finally started to heat up, making three straight Pacers baskets, but his driving dunk with 8:12 remaining only cut the deficit to 20. Myles Turner added 16 points and Pascal Siakam had 15 as seven Pacers players scored in double figures, but the Thunder maintained their record of not losing back-to-back games in these playoffs. "Basketball, it's a game of ups and downs," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "The season's full of ups and downs. The series is full of ups and downs. "The team that can stay level headed and get better throughout the experiences is going to come out on top."

Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Dodgers need more offense to avoid sweep at Cardinals
The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to revive their offense Sunday afternoon and avoid a three-game road sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers went 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position while suffering 5-0 and 2-1 losses during the first two games in this series at Busch Stadium. Their only run Saturday was scored on a wild pitch while Freddie Freeman was striking out. Freeman went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and Will Smith and Tommy Edman each went 0-for-2. That futility puts more pressure on the Dodgers pitchers. "Obviously our offense is better than that," Los Angeles reliever Ben Casparius said after suffering Saturday's loss. "It's a close game like that, but I don't see it as (the pitchers) trying to do too much." The Dodgers, who have lost five of their last seven games, will turn to veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 5.17 ERA) to finish the series. Kershaw will continue his comeback from knee and toe surgeries while making his fifth start. In his first four starts this season, Kershaw has completed just 15 2/3 innings while rebuilding his endurance. He struggled with his command in his last outing while needing 92 pitches to work 4 2/3 innings. Kershaw allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks against the New York Mets on June 3. He struck out two in a game the Dodgers eventually won 6-5 in 10 innings. In his career, Kershaw is 11-6 with a 2.87 ERA in 22 career starts against the Cardinals. The Dodgers bolstered their pitching staff Saturday, activating Kirby Yates from the 15-day injured list and Michael Kopech from the 60-day IL. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is congratulated by teammates after scoring the game tying run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on Saturday. | Imagn Images / via Reuters "It's great, they haven't pitched in a while," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But to have those guys, who are mainstays for our club, to get them back kind of solidifies things for sure." The Cardinals, who have won three of their last four games, will bid for the sweep while striving to remain one of the National League's more surprising playoff contenders. "They just embrace competition man, it doesn't matter who's across the way," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "This is a very respected (Dodgers) team across the way, a really good roster. And they've been looking forward to this matchup. It tells out a lot about this group. It's young, but it plays the right way. It's fun." Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado went 3-for-4 with a run in Friday's victory, then he came off the bench to hit the walk-off RBI single Saturday. "Obviously (the Dodgers) have some stars over there that people want to watch, but we've got a great team, man," Arenado told FanDuel Sports Network. "We're not afraid of anybody." After getting well-pitched games from starter Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde, the Cardinals promoted prospect Michael McGreevy (1-0, 0.00 ERA) from Triple-A Memphis to make Sunday's start. With the team in a stretch of 28 games in 29 days, McGreevy could stick in the majors as a sixth starter. McGreevy defeated the New York Mets on May 4 in his only previous start this season. He blanked the Mets on one hit for 5 2/3 innings in that game. This will be his first career appearance against the Dodgers.