Stephen Curry hopes to return shortly after All-Star break
Feb 13, 2023, 5:37 AM | Updated: 7:42 pm
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry speaks at a news conference before an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards in San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry hopes to get back to some on-court work during the All-Star break but will miss time afterward as he recovers from a left leg injury.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP missed his fourth straight game after getting injured against Dallas on Feb. 4 in a collision while defending McKinley Wright IV as he drove to the basket. Wright’s knee hit Curry’s shin.
“It was pretty big knock that kind of jolted the bone and ligaments in there, which was all terms I didn’t know existed before,” Curry said. “It was just a timing thing. If my foot’s elevated and it’s just more like a contusion you can kind of deal with it but because my foot was planted and a lot of weight on it, the force of the impact was a little more serious than I wanted it to be.”
Curry said he will likely have a better idea of the timeline and a possible target date for his return once he actually tests the leg on the court. An MRI exam showed partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligament and interosseous membrane in his left leg. He also had a bruise.
Because of the ligament damage, Curry said it’s hard to know how long his healing will take.
“At first it felt like it was a normal contusion, just a real serious one, that’s why I went to the bench and thought I could kind of just shake it off, then I got up from the bench and felt something different and was like ‘Nah, that’s not right,'” Curry said. “I knew it was something more than just a normal contusion because I couldn’t put any weight on it and was hobbling around. Thankfully there weren’t any broken bones or anything.”
Curry is looking forward to welcoming back newly acquired guard Gary Payton II and having everyone healthy to try to make a run at another title. Curry is averaging 29.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists. He will miss the All-Star game but posed with his No. 30 West jersey.
Curry sat out his 19th game overall this season for the defending champions, 11 of those with a partially dislocated left shoulder. He remains confident about Golden State’s chances despite its struggles and inconsistency.
“I know we’re a different team than we were, I know we have different challenges than we did last year but it still has been proven that if we’re healthy come playoff time and we have a shot to get into a series, that we’re a tough out,” Curry said. “That’s where all the optimism is until proven differently.”
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