Steph Curry Gives Fresh Perspective on Potential Retirement
At 37 years old and entering his 17th NBA season, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has been asked at every turn this offseason about whether he has any upcoming plans to retire or perhaps announce his NBA farewell tour. Curry usually shuts down those assertions outright, but he had a somewhat different answer this time around.
When asked about retirement in a July interview with Speedy Morman, Curry previously said that he was "nowhere close to retirement" . However, when asked by ESPN's Malika Andrews about the timeline of the remainder of his career at Warriors Media Day this past week, Curry acknowledged that the end of his career may come earlier than previously stated.
"I just know it's closer than it was, even yesterday," Curry said. "It's just a matter of, like, acknowledging it's fun, because the more I talk about it, the more you appreciate what all goes into preparing yourself." He might be one of the best in the game, but your mind and body won't always align.
"Acknowledging that it does take a little longer to get warmed up for practice for a game or recovery might take a little longer, but all that stuff is just the privilege that you've earned because of all the work that I put into it. I'm trying not to put any timestamps or anything other than knowing that there's a sense of urgency on the net."
Working Through Age
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One of the biggest challenges for Curry in his 17th season in the league will be keeping himself healthy for the entire 82-game regular season slate and a potential postseason run. The Warriors' 2024-25 campaign effectively ended in Game 1 in the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when Curry went down with a season-ending hamstring injury.
"You know, you have to stay healthy," Curry said. "It's a war of attrition for every team in the league and, you know, for us to hopefully not have any position where we're chasing like we were down the stretch last year and give ourselves some breathing room head into a playoff race on a playoff run, I feel like that's motivation enough. I'm excited to get back out there and hopefully be on the floor."
The Warriors are scheduled to open the regular season at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21, with the game airing on NBC as the second leg of the NBA's season-opening double header (following Oklahoma City vs. Houston) in the league's long-awaited return to the network.
Chiefs Player Faces NFL Punishment for Actions in Ravens Game
The Kansas City Chiefs are going into their Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jags on Monday, October 6, with a 2-2 record, and while they wish it was better, it sure feels good that the team was able to win two games in a row. On Sunday, September 28, the team pulled off a big win over the Baltimore Ravens with a 37-20 final spread and lots of bragging rights. But, coming out of that Ravens game, one Chiefs player is being hit with some disciplinary actions.
Each week during the season, the NFL penalizes some players for actions taking during the previous week’s games. “To protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity, the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures,” the NFL explains. The league also updates the roster every Saturday afternoon with offenses from the previous week.
The NFL’s report for Week 4 is up, and one Kansas City Chiefs player is being disciplined by the NFL for his actions in the Ravens game. So, let’s look at this player and incident
Kansas City Chiefs Player Hit With NFL Punishment
The NFL explains of their gameday accountability process that “players are notified of violations and may appeal any ruling. Cases are heard by appeals officers and former NFL players, Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster or Jordy Nelson, who are jointly appointed and paid by the NFL/NFLPA.” Then, they say that “the decisions made are final and binding.”
On Saturday, October 4, the NFL announced that it’s fining Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for “unnecessary roughness” and a “low block.” He’ll have to pay $7,903, but that bag will go to a good cause, though. The NFL says that the money raised from these fines are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to “support legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
One Ravens player was also penalized by the NFL for his actions in the game. Marlon Humphrey was fined $11,593 for “unnecessary Roughness” with a “facemask” violation.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jags
The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, October 6, on the road. Even though Mahomes showed up on the Chiefs’ injury report on Thursday, October 2, he’s expected to play, so there shouldn’t be any major surprises.
According to ESPN Research, “the Jaguars enter Week 5 leading the NFL in drops this season (10) and are the only team with a double-digit drop total.
ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for the game, saying, “Jaguars slot CB Jourdan Lewis will not allow a single reception to Chiefs WRs Hollywood Brown or JuJu Smith-Schuster while covering them. Lewis has allowed 0.7 yards per coverage snap this season (fifth best among slot corners with at least 80 coverage snaps) along with a minus-17% completion percentage over expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Even though this game won’t be at home, the Chiefs are largely favored to win. But, considering that they lost their first two games of the season, they should know that anything can happen and should be on point.
