While Stephen Curry was leading the Warriors to multiple championships, it seemed like a no-brainer that he would wear the same uniform for his entire career. But with the departure of his Splash Brother Klay Thompson and his team struggling to get back in the title picture, it has become a major concern whether Steph should stick to his “Warrior for life” mindset or skip town to chase another ring somewhere else. Amid the uncertainty, Steph recently made an ambiguous claim about his future in the Bay Area, but media veteran Rob Parker warned him to not repeat the same mistake that LeBron James and Tom Brady made in their careers.
Discussing Steph’s future on The Odd Couple Podcast, Parker expressed his displeasure with the culture of ring chasing in sports: “I do think that people are so caught up in this thing like it’s a birthright.” Then, he reminded the world how LeBron James has impacted so many franchises negatively, solely in the pursuit of his fifth ring before he ends his career.
“You’ve seen LeBron James destroy franchises by giving up young players because he’s gotta be in the mix. That hasn’t helped LeBron.”
Likely talking about how the Lakers gave up future stars like Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball back in 2019 to acquire Anthony Davis. While that trade worked out well in a way, as the Lakers won a title a year later, the following move that brought Russell Westbrook to LA backfired tremendously as the Lakers again lost key players like Kyle Kuzma and KCP while Russ struggled to fit in the new environment. All that just so LeBron could win his fifth title!
Then, the media veteran claimed that NFL legend Tom Brady also made a mistake leaving the New England Patriots to join Tampa Bay in the later stages and should have retired wearing the same jersey that he wore for 20 years of his career.
USA Today via Reuters
Advising Steph to learn from the two legends’ mistakes, Parker said, “My point though is still Steph Curry would be crazy to leave the Warriors. His legacy is about his longevity there, what he was able to do, the Championships, what he means to the city. Why put on some other team’s uniform? He doesn’t need to do that.”
Maybe, he won’t win another title in Golden State, but Parker believes it won’t affect his legacy the same way it didn’t affect Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki’s legacy after they spent their entire careers playing for one franchise.
What did Stephen Curry say about his Warriors future?
While Rob Parker advised Steph to never leave the Warriors, the four-time champion put some fear in Dub Nation’s hearts with his latest statement. During a recent interview with Marc Spears, Steph claimed it is highly likely that he will remain a Warrior for life, “It’s tough, right? I’ve always said I want to be a Warrior for life. At this stage in my career, I feel like that’s possible. And you can still be competitive, it doesn’t mean you are guaranteed the championship. It doesn’t mean winning. Winning is always a priority, but obviously, you’re realistic.”
But what caught everyone’s attention was what he said after his initial comment, deviating a little from his original point, “I’ll continue to make the decisions that are best for me and for my career at the end of the day when it comes to just the imagination. I want to win. Let’s put it this way, it’s a longwinded way of saying that it if it is a situation where you’re a bottom feeder and it’s just because you want to stay there, I’d have a hard time with that. But I don’t think that’s going to be the reality.”
While Rob Parker advised Steph to never leave the Warriors, the four-time champion put some fear in Dub Nation’s hearts with his latest statement. During a recent interview with Marc Spears, Steph claimed it is highly likely that he will remain a Warrior for life, “It’s tough, right? I’ve always said I want to be a Warrior for life. At this stage in my career, I feel like that’s possible. And you can still be competitive, it doesn’t mean you are guaranteed the championship. It doesn’t mean winning. Winning is always a priority, but obviously, you’re realistic.”
But what caught everyone’s attention was what he said after his initial comment, deviating a little from his original point, “I’ll continue to make the decisions that are best for me and for my career at the end of the day when it comes to just the imagination. I want to win. Let’s put it this way, it’s a longwinded way of saying that it if it is a situation where you’re a bottom feeder and it’s just because you want to stay there, I’d have a hard time with that. But I don’t think that’s going to be the reality.”
Although a long shot, if things go south for the Warriors in the coming years, Steph might consider parting ways with the city he has called home his entire career. However, we will have to wait and see how the Warriors perform next season to get more clarity on Steph’s decision.