Warriors' Steph Curry Talks Legacy, Chasing Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant's Ring Counts

Stephen Curry turned 35 years old Tuesday, and the Golden State Warriors star is thinking about his legacy.

Specifically, the four-time champion is thinking about catching Kobe Bryant (five), Tim Duncan (five) and Michael Jordan (six) in rings before he retires, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape:

"It would mean everything, because at one point it was believed that we were done even before last season. So, it's just a matter of feeling like you can get greedy, and you obviously understand every championship that you get, you put yourself in another echelon of legends that have won at the highest of high levels. Obviously, Bill Russell, nobody's going to catch that. But to get to Jordan winning six and Kobe winning five, the [San Antonio] Spurs' Tim Duncan. So, all that stuff is about the inherent legacy that you'll continue to create even though we've done a lot and that's why we still work tirelessly to make that a reality again."

Curry and the Warriors won last season's NBA title after missing the playoffs entirely in 2019-20 and losing in the play-in tournament in 2020-21. While the previous two seasons could be partially explained by injuries, including to the future Hall of Famer himself, it was still an impressive bounce-back effort and only added to his legacy.

The sharpshooter also won his first career NBA Finals MVP in the victory over the Boston Celtics, further cementing his status as one of the best and most transformative players in league history.

While he has missed time with injuries in 2022-23, he is still playing at a high level, averaging 29.6 points, 6.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game to go with a 43.6 percent shooting clip from downtown.

It is easy to be optimistic about his future, and he has discussed continuing his career with NFL stars as well:

"How I feel right now is not how I thought I'd feel at 35. That number sounds crazy, but in my head, I feel like I got a lot left. The work I put into this I still enjoy. Who knows how [the future] looks? I talked to Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and other guys who have been on the other side of the halfway point. I know quarterbacking is different, but you can check yourself [mentally] into not fast-forwarding too far. They really did a good job of disciplining themselves for what is happening in real time. They're 40 feeling like they can still play. I'm trying to stay in that mode. Thirty-five is a big milestone, but the next one is 40. The way I feel right now, who knows?"

Curry is not someone who physically overpowers opponents while attacking the basket, so his game could age better than those of players who solely rely on their explosiveness and athleticism to make plays.

His shooting alone will make him valuable for years to come, and he has shown few signs of slowing down this season when it comes to beating defenders off the dribble and carrying the Warriors when needed.

That fifth ring may not come this season considering Golden State is in fifth place in the Western Conference at 36-33, but Curry has proved time and again it would be unwise to doubt him.