Since the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship in 2022, change has been a constant in the Bay Area, and Stephen Curry might be the last guy standing.

Klay Thompson’s departure marked the beginning of the official breakdown of the key players for all four titles, demonstrating that even the dynastic Warriors are not immune to everything that occurs in professional sports.

The Warriors, who were already the 10th seed in the previous season, could be further eliminated from contention as the Western Conference gets stronger. Would Curry remain around to witness that?

In a Sunday afternoon interview in Las Vegas, Curry stated to Yahoo Sports, “I meаn, I can clearly sаy I want to be a Warrior for life.” “That’s always been my goal, and I’m saying that right now while seated in this chair, but life is unpredictable, especially in the NBA, as you mentioned.”

Curry’s contract expires in two years, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports that he may sign an extension this summer. Thompson declined a shorter contract from the Warriors last summer, opting instead to finish the season and become a free agent. After receiving offers from the Dallas Mavericks and other organizations, Thompson has joined the defending Western Conference winners.

“Even after 13 years together, it still hasn’t really clicked that you don’t have Klay man,” Curry remarked. You know, Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors, cracked a joke. ‘Sometimes you can’t really locate Klay in the offseason, and you don’t really hear from him as much, but he comes up at training camp ready to go,’ he said.

“I kind of think he’ll still [show up] in October, like, ‘Hey guys, what’s up?'” But I’m aware that it’s not taking place.

Curry is aware that there is a notion that he doesn’t use his tremendous influence to make changes within the company. It seems like he just goes about his business in a little quieter manner than LeBron James or even Kevin Durant.

“It’s like, ‘Oh, is that something Steph would want? Or does Steph communicate with the company? “I know what’s going on, like, if you know basketball, you know how this works,” Curry remarked. “I am aware of every decision’s consequences. You are aware that I don’t make the choices. However, you know that you prefer a cooperative approach.

Teams are having to make tough choices as a result of the unfair luxury tax aprons. Although they were implemented to better fairly distribute talent throughout the league, they have penalized teams that have made strong draft selections and retained their own players.

Additionally, someone will be pressed between the sides when one takes into account that older players’ salaries increase and allow them to take up more cap space; in this case, that someone was Thompson.

It shows the Warriors are being frugal with their money even as the opposition becomes more formidable. They’ve been able to outspend other teams, but once those times pass, it’s unclear if Curry will stick around merely to keep the building occupied and the owners’ bank accounts bulging.

Curry remarked, “It’s incredible that we’ve been able to do this for this long. Winning is hard in this league, man.” It has been incredible to try to hold the core intact for this long. It’s obvious that Klay is the first person to not be a Warrior, so the dynamic is very different.

“I just want to win, that’s all.” Furthermore, simply cashing a check, playing hoops, and getting by is hardly contentment. There is pressure to succeed, like in “I want to win.”

Curry, who turns 37 toward the end of the upcoming season, is still the most dangerous player in the league despite not being at his consensus MVP level from 2016. It seems like Durant, James, and Curry are rewriting the definition of elegant aging.

This Olympic team does not yet have a nаme, but without those three, it would not be magnificent.

Naturally, as teammates, Curry and Durant created history by playing some of the most efficient and visually stunning basketball the game has ever seen. During those NBA Finals battles, Curry and James went from being cordial and supportive to bitter rivals and, now, teammates for the first time at the Olympics.

“It’s strange to have Bron as a teammate because you figҺt so much back and forth,” Curry remarked. You found his game admirable. You understand his philosophy, and it’s amazing to witness his work firsthand every day. It’s also amazing to observe how he practices and gets ready, since I’ve never had that perspective on him.

“I’m eager to witness how our respective games enhance one another and foster the chemistry that will guide this team,” the player said.

Their relationship has fluctuated in intensity. James traveled to Detroit in 2008 to witness Curry’s Davidson team compete in the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight. The Cleveland Cavaliers prepared “3-1” cookies to ridicule the Warriors after their upset victory in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Curry stated that it “started out great at the beginning, not to sаy it was bad at any point.” “Then, the year before we played Cleveland, in Akron, he invited me to his house.”

Then it changed when Curry evolved into more than just a 3-point shooter and the Warriors into more than just a cutesy tale. James’ position as the game’s top dog was in jeopardy simply because of the way he was altering the rules.

“Obviously, when someone stands in the way of a goal in the Finals, that brings out the healthy anger. You’re going to have some ill will out there, Curry continued. “Yet despite everything, I firmly think that you can be fiercely competitive, possess a kιller instinct, and see blооd on the other side while still having the highest regard for your opponents.”

During a brief Sunday afternoon media session, James brought up the friendships between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and Magic and Isiah Thomas, who tested their friendship in the Finals. James even went so far as to suggest that this was a media fabrication that he and Curry had to contend with.

“You are aware that basketball games don’t endure forever. You don’t want to lose the chance to become close to someone and have that relationship fall apart because of you two, James remarked. “You know, I don’t want to miss such opportunities.

“Despite the fact that KD and I have had a lot of disagreements, and you are aware that Steph and I have had a lot of disagreements, I am able to move past my own obstacles, ignore the long-standing false narratives, and appreciate the man for who he is.”

If there was any rivalry, it was comprehensible on both sides because there was genuine fire. Even on the instances when his performance was excellent, James had to endure the ordeal of being constantly harassed by the press for failing to live up to expectations. Curry, who was hailed as a sweetheart, had appeared out of nowhere and avoided going through that vehicle wash.

Curry may have been competing against someone, but instead of wanting to be acknowledged by someone he looked up to or trusted for advice.

The Finals and all the attention they get highlight small problems. Things that are readily rolled off the back can go under your skin, exposing scabs and scars as well.

Nevertheless, those tense times have passed, and a deep respect has been revealed. Before the previous season started, Curry claimed that James was the one who contacted him initially to find out whether he would be interested in competing in these Olympics.

“There’s still competition, especially since we’re in the same conference and they defeated us in the playoffs last year,” Curry remarked. “Yet, I believe that at this point in our careers, we both deserve to be able to fully enjoy this experience and get to know him as a much deeper teammate.”

Curry is at the point in his career where he must assess both the team he plays for and himself. His style is so adaptable that it could work as a co-star almost anywhere.

He wants to stay with the Warriors, like he said, but whether he says it explicitly or not, the door is ajar.

“Winning doesn’t guarantee anything, but I want to be in the best position to make that happen. Until that changes, and I feel that energy changing, then I go about my business the same way, and that’s where I’m at,” Curry stated.

We’re attempting to adjust and develop since things change swiftly and the league has undergone rapid transformation. Until then, I’ll keep everyone updated if that changes.