Dell Curry Makes It Clear: Stephen Isn’t Even Thinking About Hanging It Up—And His Sights Are Locked on Ring No. 5

Golden State Warriors fans who have spent the last year nervously scanning every interview for hints of an impending farewell can breathe again. Speaking in Charlotte on Monday, franchise legend Dell Curry laid to rest the latest wave of speculation surrounding his son’s future. “We’re not anywhere close to talking about the end,” the elder Curry said during a courtside conversation with reporter DJ Siddiqi. “Steph still wakes up excited to compete. The fire to win another championship is burning as hot as ever.”

Dell’s comments were more than a proud father’s pep talk. Sources close to the family say the two‑time MVP’s off‑season routine has been indistinguishable from any summer in his prime: 5 a.m. skill work, weight‑room sessions designed to protect his lower back, and lengthy scrimmages with the next wave of Warriors youth. “He’s built his whole life around staying ready,” Dell added. “As long as his body feels this good—and it does—retirement isn’t even a topic at the dinner table.”

If the 37‑year‑old’s 2024‑25 campaign is any guide, there is little reason for front‑office alarms. Curry finished the season averaging 24.5 points and 6 assists while appearing in 70 games—his second straight year crossing that durability benchmark. His free‑throw rate (a jaw‑dropping 93.3 percent) ranked as the second‑best of his career, and he drilled more than five threes per night at a clip that kept defenders glued to him 35 feet from the rim. Those numbers earned him an 11th All‑Star nod and quieted talk that he was on the downslope of greatness.

Golden State’s ability to exhale goes beyond elite box‑score lines. Last September, Curry inked a one‑year, $62.6 million extension that tacks another season onto a mega‑deal signed in 2021. The add‑on locks him into blue and gold through 2026‑27, making him the fourth player in league history projected to eclipse $500 million in career salary. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. framed the move as “a handshake that says we’ll keep building around our franchise pillar until he’s ready to walk away.”

None of that has stopped outside noise. Back on Christmas Day, Curry himself admitted to ESPN’s Malika Andrews that “the end is nearer than it used to be,” a candid remark that many fans interpreted as the beginning of a farewell tour. Dell’s rebuttal on Monday recasts that quote as perspective, not resignation. “Steph was talking about appreciating the moment,” Dell explained. “But appreciating the moment doesn’t mean counting down the days.”

If anything, the chase for a fifth championship has sharpened the superstar’s competitive edges. Golden State’s lone Finals trip since 2019 came in 2022, and the roster has undergone dramatic changes since then—Klay Thompson signed with Dallas, Draymond Green missed time with suspensions, and the front office failed in high‑profile pursuits of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith blasted ownership for “leaving the greatest shooter ever without a co‑star worthy of his prime,” but Curry views the void as an opportunity. Teammates say he has taken 21‑year‑old Brandin Podziemski under his wing the same way Andre Iguodala once mentored him.

Longevity has always been Curry’s stealth superpower, and Dell argues it is no accident. After ankle surgeries early in his career, Steph rebuilt his core strength and refined a high‑repetition shooting form that places minimal torque on his knees. He now swears by Pilates, underwater treadmill sessions, and three independent sleep‑trackers to squeeze every percentage point out of recovery. “People talk about LeBron’s million‑dollar body budget,” Dell joked, “Steph’s might be smaller—but only because he can get a group‑rate discount at his own training lab.”

Those investments have positioned Curry to join rare company. LeBron James and Kevin Durant remain the only active players over 35 logging All‑NBA minutes; Curry’s 39‑point eruption in Game 6 of April’s first‑round series against Memphis suggested he belongs alongside them for at least two more springs. Analysts inside the league office believe a healthy Curry could surpass 4,500 made three‑pointers and 27,000 career points by the end of his current deal, benchmarks once thought unreachable for a 6‑foot‑2 guard reliant on off‑ball motion.

Of course, greatness is measured in banners, not milestones. The Warriors have fortified the bench with rangy defenders—Jonathan Kuminga has quietly blossomed into a switch‑everything wing stopper—and an over‑38 rule tweak will open extensions for veterans earlier in the calendar. Head coach Steve Kerr, under contract through 2025‑26, calls Curry “our cultural GPS,” guiding young pieces while reminding veterans of the standard set during the 2015–2018 dynasty. The franchise hopes continuity and the brilliance of No. 30 will be enough to navigate a fiercely balanced Western Conference that now features Luka Dončić‑Dejounte Murray in Dallas and a healthy Zion Williamson in New Orleans.