Warriors guard Stephen Curry sure has had a lot of time off lately. But will he put himself back to work and join the U.S. Olympic basketball team for the upcoming Tokyo games?
For now, Curry has finished third in NBA MVP voting, but Golden State is home for the playoffs. He’s is enjoying a second consecutive offseason with more time to spend with his family and in the community.
Within a feature story detailing Curry’s efforts to revitalize an Oakland playground, Curry divulged his thinking regarding the Tokyo games. Will Curry, who is yet to win a gold medal in the Olympics, join the U.S. basketball team, to the delight of everyone involved with the Olympics?
He told the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s split on the decision, right down the middle.
A gold medal is one thing missing from his resume, but he said he has yet to make up his mind. He continues to look at the logistics of playing in Tokyo. He is curious to learn which other players are planning to go and to see how strong the team will be.
“I’m literally 50-50,” Steph Curry said of his decision. “I probably need to decide in the next two weeks.”
San Francisco Chronicle/Anne Killion
So it appears Curry is pulling a Michael Jordan, here. Jordan famously didn’t agree to join the first U.S. Olympic basketball “Dream Team” until he heard who else was on the roster. Plus, the “logistics” Killion refers to are almost certainly related to the pandemic, which is still going quite strongly in Japan.
But will the desire for an Olympic gold medal drive Curry to travel to Japan anyway, giving him a bit less time with his family, which he’s clearly enjoying thoroughly? He has no choice but to decide soon. The team will be named after the NBA Finals conclude, and the Olympic basketball tournament starts on July 25.
As Curry says, it’s a close call. He obviously loves his family but he loves basketball and his country as well. But with the pandemic still a factor and Curry enjoying his family time, my guess is that he makes a tough choice and forgoes the Olympics. Perhaps he can be the U.S. Olympic team’s spot-up sharpshooter in 2024 and earn that coveted gold medal.
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