Curry is 36 years old and is already old. It is already very difficult to win the championship again.

On June 10, when Stephen Curry stood on the 2024-25 season, the superstar who changed the history of basketball was already 36 years old. Time left traces on him, his once agile footsteps became a little heavy, and the attacks outside the three-point line were no longer as unsolvable as before. Although he still maintains his elite shooting ability and can still contribute about 25 points per game, it is undeniable that Curry, who once scored 402 three-pointers in a single season and led the Warriors to 73 wins, is experiencing an inevitable decline in his career.

Since the Warriors won the championship in 2022, Curry's dominance has begun to show a slow downward trend. Last season, the Warriors lost to the Kings in the playoffs and missed the playoffs, which was Curry's first time since 2014. Although he was still able to make amazing long shots at critical moments, the decline in physical fitness and explosiveness allowed him to no longer be at ease when facing the young defender's defense. Data won't lie: Curry's real hit rate dropped from 67% at his peak to 63%, and the number of breakthroughs per game decreased by nearly 30%. These are reminders that even the greatest shooter in history cannot escape the erosion of time.

The Warriors management is clearly aware of this problem. Last summer, they paid huge luxury taxes and traded All-Star forward Paul George to try to create the final championship roster for Curry. This deal has indeed improved the team's forward strength, but it also exposed a deeper problem - the Warriors' lineup is seriously aging. In addition to Curry, Klay Thompson is 34 years old and Draymond Green is about to be 35 years old. This core lineup of "Death Five" that once dominated the league now has difficulty competing with young emerging teams such as the Thunder and the Timberwolves in terms of speed and physical fitness.

From the perspective of technical characteristics, Curry's influence on the game is changing. He remains the most dangerous off-ball threat in the league, but his ability to create opportunities with the ball has declined. On the defensive end, his already general single-defense ability becomes a weak point for opponents as he grows older. Modern basketball has increasingly demanded the overall quality of guards, and Curry's playing style is always based on his super shooting ability. When this ability declines slightly, it will directly affect his dominance in the game.

What is even more worrying is the competitive landscape in the West. The Denver Nuggets are at their peak, and the combination of Jokic and Murray keeps the team competitive in championships; the Thunder have Alexander, the new MVP, supplemented by young talents such as Homegren; the Mavericks' Doncic and Irving's two stars shine; not to mention traditional strong teams such as the Suns and the Lakers. In contrast, the Warriors' lineup depth and age structure are at a disadvantage. It is easy to imagine how difficult it is to break through in such fierce competition.

Of course, we can never underestimate the heart of a champion. Curry proved in 2022 that when the outside world believes that the Warriors dynasty has come to an end, he can still lead the team to the top. But this time the situation was obviously different - Curry was only 33 years old at the time, and young players such as Wiggins and Poole were able to provide enough vitality to support. Now, the Warriors need Curry to play close to the MVP level in every game to maintain competitiveness, which is really a heavy burden for a 36-year-old veteran.

From the perspective of historical rules, the decline of point guards after the age of 35 is often very obvious. Although Nash can still provide exquisite assists after the age of 35, his scoring ability has dropped significantly; Kidd transformed into a pure organizer after the age of 36; even Westbrook, known for his physical fitness, cannot regain his courage after the age of 34. Curry may delay this process with his unique playing style, but he cannot violate the objective laws of basketball.

Finance, the Warriors are also facing tremendous pressure. Curry, George, Thompson and Green's total salary exceeds the luxury tax line, which makes the team stretched to strengthen their role players. Although young players such as Kumingga and Moody have shown their potential, they are not enough to bear the heavy responsibility. This salary structure locks down the operating space, making it difficult for the Warriors to significantly improve their strength through trading or free market contracts.

Perhaps the most realistic goal is to strive to enter the finals again before Curry retires, rather than be obsessed with winning the championship. The Spurs adopted this strategy later in Duncan's career, both maintaining competitiveness and not over-exploiting veterans. The Warriors can consider allowing Curry to appropriately reduce the regular season load and focus on the playoffs. But even so, it still requires miraculous performance to break through the siege in the west with strong hands.

Curry's legendary status has long been established, and the honors of two consecutive MVPs, four championships, and three-point champions in history are enough to make him firmly ranked among the top ten in history. But the cruelty of competitive sports is that no matter how great an athlete is, he cannot beat time. Looking at Curry's figure struggling on the court, we can't help but ask: Can this epoch-making superstar who has changed the sport of basketball still bring us the last championship surprise in the dusk of his career? The answer is likely to be no, but this does not affect his status as one of the greatest players of this era. For real basketball fans, being able to witness every moment of Curry's career is a blessing in itself.