Stephen Curry – Hard to match what the Warriors have accomplished

Stephen Curry said he doesn’t think there will be another dynasty in the NBA like the Golden State Warriors.

Curry told ESPN, following Klay Thompson’s departure to the Dallas Mavericks last week, that he believes what the Warriors built with Thompson, Draymond Green and himself is unlikely to be repeated.

“I mean, defining a dynasty can obviously have a lot of different perspectives,” Curry said in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “People thought this was over in 2019 … but 2022 was an amazing championship because we defied expectations … That’s 11 years of almost 12 years of championship relevance built around a certain core.

“I do not think [it will be replicated] Just because it’s really hard to keep it all together in this league. A lot more player movement. Me, Klay and Draymond, we complemented each other so well for such a long time. We all brought something different, so we’ll see. Records are meant to be broken. Dynasties come in all shapes and sizes in us, so we’ll see.”

Curry said it “sucks” not having Thompson as a teammate anymore, noting that he was “desperate” to get him back in a Warriors uniform this season. But he had equal respect and understanding that Thompson needed a fresh start.

Curry said his greatest wish is for Thompson to experience again the joy he has played with for so long in his career.

“It’s something I never expected, but we want him to be happy,” Curry said.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr used the word “bizarre” to describe what it will be like not having Thompson on his roster this season. It probably won’t feel real to him or the Warriors until they get to media day in September and don’t see Thompson there.

“This has become a family over the years and people have seen us grow and stay together and succeed and fail,” Kerr said. “So Klay leaving, it’s like, yeah, it’s crazy for us, it’s crazy for everybody. [But] Everyone here is given a lot of freedom and they have to do what they want. Best for Klay, he needed a change.”

In part, the Warriors needed a change, too. Not a change from Thompson specifically, but a change from the past two seasons, when they were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round in 2023 and then eliminated in the play-in tournament in 2024.

With Curry still having two years left on his contract, the Warriors’ priority is to make the most of what he has left.

Golden State has acquired Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield since agreeing to trade Thompson to the Mavericks. The team is expected to place more emphasis on emerging players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Curry said he is fully aware that the Warriors will look different than ever, which will lead to a bigger learning curve. He also knows that what they can accomplish is more unknown than ever.

Curry felt comfortable stepping onto the court next to Thompson each night. Even when Thompson was sidelined for two seasons with injuries, having him on the bench or in the locker room — even when Curry had to give him a pep talk — provided an overwhelming sense of familiarity that’s rare in the NBA.

“We would have liked to have kept the core and finished it together,” Curry said. “… So you have to be able to celebrate what we’ve accomplished and get moving.”

As for Curry as an individual, he still plans to finish his career with the only team he’s ever known.

“Being in one place for my own career, and it’s like a broken record, but I know it’s really hard to do that,” he said. “I want to be greedy and say we can be relevant and be in the mix and give ourselves a realistic chance to win while I’m still growing gray hairs and taking high school visits in the Bay [Area] for my daughter. It’s crazy. [It’s] just the nature of where I am. But yeah, all that to say I love the Bay and the Bay is my home and I never want to change that.”