Stephen Curry has accomplished just about all that a basketball player can over the course of his career, but there’s one thing still missing on his Hall of Fame résumé.
Curry has never played in the Olympics, and he’s hoping that soon could change.
Speaking Monday at Warriors media day, Curry said he intends to suit up for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“If all things stay the same, I want to be playing,” Curry said. “Definitely want to be there, definitely want to be on the team and hopefully all things line up that way.”
Curry’s comments come shortly after Kevin Durant shared his intentions to play for the U.S. at the upcoming Summer Games. LeBron James also appears to be on board and was reportedly spearheading a movement to convince some of the NBA’s top players, including Curry, to join him.
Curry has won gold with Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup, but he has yet to play in the Olympics. He’s had several opportunities, but the timing has never worked out in the four-time NBA champ’s favor.
Curry was in the running to make the 2016 team for the Rio Olympics, but ankle and knee issues caused him to withdraw. Four years later, Curry declined to take part in the 2020 Tokyo Games in order to rest and recover.
At 35, though, Curry’s playing clock is running out. And while he continues to defy Father Time, this could be his last chance at making an Olympic squad.
Steve Kerr is in place to coach Team USA in Paris next summer. He oversaw a young roster that finished fourth at this summer’s World Cup, which qualified the U.S. for the Paris Olympics.
Sprained ankle sidelines Green
Forward Draymond Green has a sprained left ankle that will sideline him for at least the first two weeks of training camp.
The 33-year-old Green is scheduled to be reevaluated in two weeks as he enters his 12th NBA season, the team said Monday at media day.
“Didn’t quite foresee this coming into the season, but everything happens for a reason,” said Green, who missed a portion of training camp last year when he took a brief leave of absence after punching then-teammate Jordan Poole.
Green said he was scrimmaging in an informal setting when he drove for a layup and landed awkwardly on the foot of teammate Jonathan Kuminga and hurt his ankle.
“I’ve had some bad ones. It could have been as bad, I thought it was going to be, initially,” Green said.
“We were just playing pickup, I was going in for a layup, came down on JK’s foot. I feel like I’m improving fast, I’m a quick healer.”
Green and the Warriors hope to make another deep postseason run with the core lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins returning from the 2022 championship team, along with the new additions of veterans Chris Paul and Rudy Gay, after Golden State lost to LeBron James and the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Green was in good spirits Monday and walked without a limp for his podium interview.
“How’s everyone?” Green said, grinning. “Welcome back to the real world, life.”
Thompson open to playing for Bahamas Warriors star Klay Thompson would seriously consider playing for his father’s native country of the Bahamas in the Paris Olympics next year.
“That’d be cool,” Thompson, 33, said at Monday’s media day, “because my dad never got the opportunity.”
The Golden State guard won a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2016 Rio Games and would have to go through several steps to become eligible to play for another country — such as having a passport from the Bahamas, being released by the Americans and receiving approval from the International Basketball Federation. Thompson’s father was born in Nassau.
Veteran Suns guard Eric Gordon, whose mother is from the Caribbean country, joined the Bahamas national team as it tries to qualify for Paris.
A five-time All-Star who has helped the Warriors to four championships, Thompson finally feels like he will be his dominant self again after missing more than 2 1/2 years after the 2019 Finals recovering from surgeries for a torn ACL in his left knee then a torn right Achilles tendon repair.
He fully expects to be an All-Star again.
“I feel awesome. I feel like I can do anything with the ball in my hands,” Thompson said. “I think that’s the confidence you have to have if you want to be great.”
While chasing another championship and his personal goals are top priority for now, the Olympics clearly are on his mind and potentially in the plans.
“The Bahamas is a place where my story cannot be told without it,” Thompson said. “It’s dear to my heart, so yeah, that would be sweet.”