What ‘meaningful basketball’ means to Stephen Curry at this point in his Warriors career

LOS ANGELES – As of late, “meaningful basketball” has been Stephen Curry’s defining phrase, as he barrels toward the end of his and the Golden State Warriors’ historic run.

Whether it’s been his one final wish in a career full of MVPs and titles, a goal for him and the Warriors to strive for amidst a season of injuries and misfortune, or simply a saying to define what he, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr are playing for when contention is off the table, “meaningful basketball” has been Curry’s characterization for this final chapter.

“I ain’t going to trademark it. It’s not my proprietary,” Curry joked when asked about the phrase after the Warriors’ Tuesday practice.

“It was a concept of how I wanted to frame or how we would end this run that we’ve been on. It’s hard to keep this thing together. We all know that what we’ve done over the last decade plus has been very special [and] unique. Been at the top of the mountain, had to fall down, climb back up.”

“Meaningful basketball is just a way for us to, with the core of me, Draymond, Steve, when Klay [Thompson] was here, it was just an idea of trying to keep it together and still be competitive and still try to chase championships.”

As of this moment, the Warriors aren’t in a place to chase championships. Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL tear and a storm of injuries have derailed those chances, both this season and likely next season.

And as of right now, Curry and the Warriors sit in the 10th seed, facing the Los Angeles Clippers and needing to win two do-or-die games to save what’s been a season from hell. But even still, with the eyes of the nation falling on this game, and the spotlight being at its brightest, these are the games that give basketball, at this stage in his career, weight and meaning.

 The twilight of the Stephen Curry show

“Even though it’s a different narrative than when we came into the season, it is [meaningful],” Curry said of this upcoming Play-In game. “[It’s] an opportunity for us to keep our season alive and give ourselves a chance to get into a playoff series.

We’ve had every experience, from playing to being a lower seed and winning home court advantage. Number one seeds, like everything, we’ve pretty much experienced it all. So we’ll tap into whatever you need to get ready for tomorrow.”

It’s the opportunity that gives Curry meaning in these games. As he said, the opportunity to crash the big dance. And in a greater sense, it’s the opportunity to fight off father time and prove he’s still the Steph Curry we are all in awe of.

However, it’s also a dwindling, finite opportunity. Basketball was meaningful when Curry was collecting rings and lifting trophies. But it’s even more so now with the end drawing near. How many more chances does Curry realistically have to play with stakes like these? How many more opportunities do we have to watch Curry’s magic in a do-or-die scenario?

The knee issue that sidelined Curry for 27 straight games unveiled his mortality. It showed how fragile the remainder of his career is.

From our perspective as onlookers of Curry’s immortal career, these games are as meaningful to us as they are to him. Because we know he only has so many left. Because he knows games like these are a final opportunity to experience the joy, the thrill, and the rush of meaningful basketball.

Rising to the moment

The Warriors have no doubt Curry will rise to the moment, as he has for the past decade. The message has been the same from player to player and coach to coach– if we have Stephen Curry, we have a chance. And anything is possible.

“He’s magical,” Kerr said of his longtime superstar in moments like these.

“He’s one of those guys who’s clutch, who doesn’t appear concerned with the repercussions of missing. He just puts everything into winning, and he manages to have a wonderful time while he’s competing at the highest level. And that joy, people can see it on his face.

“And if we lose, he’s absolutely devastated and crushed because it means that much to him. But he never stops and thinks about anything like a lot of players do, like I did. Where it’s like, oh man, if I miss this, we could lose. Like that never enters his mind. He just plays. He just seeks this state, this flow state. I think it’s what everybody loves about him.”

Again, fighting for their lives in the nine-10 Play-In isn’t what the Warriors sought entering the season. But the magic of Curry that Kerr spoke of, the focus, the flow state, and the joy, that’s what bubbles to the surface when basketball matters.

So like it or not, this game matters.

In the larger, grander sense, because Curry’s career is almost at an end. And in a smaller, more present sense, because it can save their season. And that’s exactly how Curry wants it, and how all of us should want it. Because, as we all know, there’s no better show, no better showman, than when Curry’s in his element in meaningful basketball.

“Embrace that challenge,” Curry said. “Win one game, and then have to go do it again. It’s pretty straightforward, and then [we’ll] see what happens.”

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