Stephen Curry is now arguably the best and most popular player in the NBA but he’s far from the most paid. Prior to winning the MVP award and the Warriors championship, Curry signed a four-year, $44 million contract extension with the team back in 2012. Steph is not only among the lowest paid stars in the league, he’s the fifth-highest paid player on the Warriors. This is something that actually doesn’t bother the young star.
Steph is the opposite of Latrell Sprewell, he believes he makes more than enough to take care of his family.
“I had to make a conscious decision and remind myself over and over [to let it go],” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “I could’ve had a different perspective and said, ‘I want to get everything that I could get, wait it out, test free agency that next year – and who knows what would’ve happened? But for me, a $44 million contract was plenty for me to be able to provide for my family. When I made a decision to sign an extension, I told myself that was the right decision for the moment.
“And, yeah, you should get paid market value, paid for what you’re worth, but at the time, for four years, I was comfortable with it. You can’t look back, because it’ll bring negativity. It’ll cause dissension in the team if you allow it to.”
“After three years, I’ve still got to remind myself every day,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. “Number one, there’s nothing I can do about it. There’s no point to moaning and complaining and trying to change something that really can’t be changed. I knew there might be a time down the road, after all the ankle injuries, that if I’m playing to my potential, it’s going to be human nature to think, ‘Oh, I should’ve done this, or that …’
The Warriors are 24-0, and Curry is playing ball at a level seldom seen in the history of the sport. In the summer of 2017, Steph Curry will stand to be paid a five-year, $175 million-plus maximum extension. He’s right. Things do happen for a reason.
“I’m taken care of, and I’m thankful that I can be on the court able to play at a high level,” Curry told Yahoo. “I’m thankful it’s not the other way around, that I didn’t become an overpaid player. That’s a different conversation.”
