Stephen Curry: Warriors are still title contenders and achieved plenty with Durant

This summer transformed the Golden State Warriors, but Stephen Curry believes they remain contenders, even without a key star to their dominance.

The Golden State Warriors lost their championship crown in the Finals and their invincibility in free agency, leading to suggestions that their days as contenders were over. However, Stephen Curry disagrees.

When asked about those detractors who believe that the Warriors’ window has shut, his response was relaxed but defiant:

With opening night still over two months away, Curry’s bullish response is unsurprising. Nevertheless, it reassures Golden State fans that their franchise centerpiece expects to challenge again.

After the losses of Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala, the injury to Klay Thompson, and the mental exhaustion of five straight Finals, one could forgive the Warriors if they fail to match their rivals’ motivation in the coming season.

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That may well turn out to be the case; it is far easier to say you are a title challenger than it is to play like one on the court, yet Curry’s words are a gentle reminder that they are not going to decline quietly, if at all.

“We’ve had a lot of support, we’ve had a lot of criticism along the way, it doesn’t change now”, Curry said at the annual Warriors All-Girls basketball camp on Monday. “It doesn’t change how we go about our business”.

Much of that criticism began when Durant arrived in Oakland in 2016, in a move which turned much of the NBA world against the Warriors.

With the 30-year-old now a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Curry was keen to focus on the success they achieved over the past three seasons rather than Durant’s decision rejection of Golden State this summer.

“We won two championships, and I think we both got better throughout the process, as basketball players and people”, Curry revealed.

The dynamic between the pair was heavily scrutinized when they became team-mates, but Curry and Durant were able to put aside individual glory for team success, an achievement which probably does not get the recognition it deserves.

Durant’s tenure as a Warrior was short but sweet, and Curry appears keen to focus on the latter. Equally though, he does not seem keen to dwell on the past for too long, because Golden State has another ring to target next season.