What Brady told Steph was key to extending his prime originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
As Steph Curry’s age continues to become more of a talking point, the 34-year-old reached out to a legend familiar with staving off Father Time: Tom Brady.
Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke at Warriors Media Day, the Warriors star explained his mindset as he approaches the latter stages of his career and revealed what the 45-year-old quarterback told him.
“Coming into my career, 16 years was always the goal,” Curry told Burke. “But times have changed and I feel like, obviously I know I can extend my prime. I’m still in my prime — I’m trying to extend it as long as I can.”
Curry’s original goal of 16 seasons was set because of his father, Dell, who played in the NBA for 16 seasons from 1986 to 2002.
Considering how sports medicine has changed over the years and with players finding more efficient ways to prolong their careers, that is why he approached Brady — arguably the greatest football player of all time — to pick his brain on how to approach the next few years.
“But the way that you do that and talking to the ultimate prime extender in Tom Brady, I talked to him a little bit. And just basically, it sounds cliche, but you literally just [ask], ‘What are you going to do this year to do it?’ ” Curry said.
Curry added that with each passing year, Brady told him to ask himself the same question and answer accordingly. That way, the Warriors star can stay in the present and be mindful of his current situation, as opposed to what might or might not happen.
“So you don’t get too ahead of yourself and thinking, ‘What’s four years going to look like?’ because who knows?” Curry said. “So right now, I’m just saying, ‘I know I can do it this year.’ “
Ultimately, Curry told Burke that he has prepared for the 2022-23 NBA season and that remains his current goal.
“I know I’ve prepared my body for the tasks, my mind’s sharp, and I’m going to give it my best shot to hopefully have another championship at the end to show for it,” he concluded.
Despite turning 34 toward the end of last season, Curry was effective, averaging 25.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in 34.5 minutes a game. Those numbers are in line with his career averages, although his overall field goal percentage (43.7 percent) and 3-point percentage (38) were the lowest of his career — the 2020 season, where he only played five games, notwithstanding.
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With Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the coaching staff doing their part in helping extend Curry’s prime, Golden State is hopeful that their superstar can stay elite for years to come.
Considering how Curry still is surprising some of his younger teammates like Moses Moody, it’s entirely possible that he can continue to be a dominant force well past what anyone thinks.
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