Stephen Curry has completely transformed the NBA over the course of his career as he’s established himself as one of the league’s top shooters of all-time. For Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, he simply can’t wait until Curry decides to retire from the sport.
Following Monday’s game between the Raptors and Warriors, Rajakovic had an opportunity to ponder what Curry has meant to the game of basketball, and what it’ll mean when the Golden State star announces his retirement.
“It’s a privilege for all of us to live in an era and to work in this era in the NBA when he is playing,” Rajakovic said. “I’ve been (coaching) against him for a long, long time. I can’t wait for him to retire. I’m going to get drunk that night; I promise you that.”
Curry poured in a game-high 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting (4 of 10 from 3) while registering seven assists and seven rebounds on Tuesday. While Curry thrived at points during that game, the Raptors were able to come away with a 104-101 home win as they were paced by a 23-point performance from forward Scottie Barnes.
Tuesday’s showing was the latest in a string of tough games for the Warriors, who have lost four of their last five. Golden State now has a 19-20 record on the season, and are currently outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.
Despite Golden State’s struggles, Curry has still managed to showcase himself as one of the league’s top shooters. The Warriors star is averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 41.0% from beyond the arc.
It’s fair to say many other NBA coaches may share Rajakovic’s sentiment regarding Curry retiring since he’s wreaked havoc on the league for the last 16 seasons.
