In an era of load management, Warriors star Stephen Curry has largely stayed durable.
After overcoming concerning ankle issues early in his career, the two-time MVP went a handful of years without missing extended regular season time due to injury.
As Curry has gotten older, however, a few injuries have popped up. It’s virtually impossible to play for more than a decade and a half in the NBA without being seriously impacted by injuries, and Curry has faced a few notable absences since turning 30.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Here’s a complete look at every major injury and absence Curry has dealt with in his NBA career.
Steph Curry injury history
Curry has missed extended time at a few different points since entering the NBA. Let’s take a look at those injuries and how they impacted the perennial all-star.
2024-25: Hamstring injury threatens Curry’s playoff status
Curry suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Warriors’ second round series against the Timberwolves, going back to the locker room and later being ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Kerr said after the game that he didn’t expect Curry to play in Game 2 against Minnesota, and the injury threatened to put a strain on Golden State’s depth despite a series-opening victory on the road.
2022-23: Ligament tears in leg force Curry to miss a month
Curry missed a month with partial tears to the “superior tibiofibular ligaments and the interosseous membrane” in his lower leg late in the 2022-23 season.
Golden State stumbled out of the gate with four losses in its first five games without Curry, but the Warriors recovered with five consecutive wins before their star’s return. Curry was able to lead Golden State to the second round of the playoffs before falling to the Lakers.
2019-20: Broken hand knocks Curry out for months
The worst season of the Steve Kerr era went off the rails just days into the schedule when Curry suffered a broken hand against the Suns in October 2019. The injury knocked Curry out for four months, by which point the Warriors were far removed from playoff contention.
Curry was able to make his return in March, but the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic after he played only one game. The Warriors never played again because they didn’t qualify for the bubble, and Curry played only five games in the 2019-20 season.
NBA PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket
2017-18: Curry impacted by ankle, knee injuries
Curry missed a total of 31 games during the 2017-18 season due to ankle and knee injuries, missing 16 of the Warriors’ final 17 regular season games after spraining his ankle and then injuring his MCL in his first game back.
The injuries put an otherwise dominant Warriors season at risk, but Golden State’s decision to play it safe with Curry paid off. The Warriors preserved Curry for the playoffs, where he helped knock off the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals before easily cruising past the Cavaliers to win his third championship.
2015-16: Curry misses playoff games with MCL sprain
Curry suffered a sprained MCL in his knee two games into the Warriors’ first round playoff series against the Rockets in 2016, forcing him to miss the remainder of the series and the first three games of Golden State’s series against the Trail Blazers.
The injury was initially expected to keep Curry out about two weeks, and he returned 15 days after going down by exploding for 17 overtime points in a Game 4 win over Portland.
The season didn’t end well for the Warriors despite setting the single-season wins record with 73. Curry didn’t look quite as dominant in the NBA Finals, when Golden State lost to the Cavaliers in seven games, and some wondered whether the injury took away some of his explosiveness.
2011-12: Curry misses 56 games with ankle, foot injuries
Ankle injuries threatened to derail Curry’s career early on, as he missed more than two thirds of the 2011-12 season with nagging ankle and foot injuries before undergoing surgery in the offseason.
The Warriors decided to go forward with a four-year, $44 million contract extension for Curry as the 2012-13 season was starting up, a decision that was viewed as high-risk because of the ankle uncertainty but high-reward because of his raw talent. Golden State certainly reaped the rewards with Curry staying mostly healthy for the duration of the deal and emerging as one of the faces of the NBA.
Comparing recovery timelines
Most of Curry’s notable injuries have impacted his legs, but his broken hand suffered in 2019 marked the longest uninterrupted absence of his career at nearly four months. Ankle injuries also cost Curry nearly 56 games during the 2011-12 season, though those games were not consecutive.
When it comes to more recent injuries, Curry has generally been able to avoid extended absences. He was able to return from an MCL injury to be available for the playoffs in 2017-18, and he seemingly returned to full strength after his leg injury late in the 2022-23 season.
Now on the wrong end of his 30s, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Warriors play it safe when possible with Curry — but Golden State still relies heavily on the future Hall of Famer.
Warriors without Stephen Curry
The Warriors have generally struggled during Curry’s extended absences in his career. Golden State was 13-13 with Curry on the floor and 10-30 without him all the way back in the 2011-12 season, and a Golden State team that won 58 games and a championship was just 6-10 when he missed the final stretch of the regular season.
In 2016 and 2023, however, the Warriors survived shorter absences from Curry. That might be something the franchise has to get more comfortable doing as Curry gets older.
| Season | Injury | Missed games | Record |
| 2011-12 | Ankle, foot | 56 | 10-30 |
| 2015-16 | Knee | 6 | 4-2 |
| 2017-18 | Ankle, knee | 16 | 6-10 |
| 2019-20 | Hand | 58 | 13-45 |
| 2022-23 | Leg | 10 | 6-4 |
| 2024-25 | Hamstring | TBD | TBD |
Stephen Curry load management strategy
The Warriors play it safe with their star, but because of how heavily they still rely on Curry, he’s avoided some of the worst effects of the load management era in the NBA and played at least 70 games in his two most recent seasons.
In 2023, Curry explained that load management comes from the organization rather than as a collaborative process.
“I campaign to play every game,” Curry told reporters. “That’s the misconception about load management and how it goes. It’s never the player that’s saying, ‘Hey, I want to sit.'”
As Curry gets older, he doesn’t seem to be particularly close to retirement — but the way the Warriors preserve his health could evolve.
How old is Stephen Curry?
Curry turned 37 in March 2025. His current contract runs through the 2025-26 season, when he will be 38.
As of 2024-25 season, Curry was one of seven active players remaining from the 2009 NBA Draft.
