Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry remains aware of the wisdom passed on to him by Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade about making sure to take time to appreciate a level of success that is hard to come by.
“Nothing lasts forever,” Wade told The Undefeated about his conversation with Curry. “We just came off that same high they were on. I wanted to let him know to enjoy it because it’s not ever guaranteed to be this way for the rest of your career.”
Curry spoke to The Undefeated about Wade’s advice from a few years ago. He has kept it in mind as his Warriors try to return to the level that saw them win three NBA titles and win five consecutive Western Conference championships.
“That is a message that is real,” Curry said . “When you’re on top, it’s hard to see anything other than when you’re on top and being in that environment. Atmosphere is everything. That’s the energy and the juice and a level of basketball that you appreciate the most. So when you get on the other side and you’re trying to get back there, you do have an appreciation for the climb and for what that journey is.
“But I got what he’s saying. And not to take any of those years for granted, you remember how hard it is to win in this league and to get to that level.”
At the time that Wade offered his philosophy of “nothing lasts forever,” Curry was celebrating the Warriors’ third title in four years.
Wade had a similar run with the Heat, reaching the NBA Finals four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014, winning in both 2012 and 2013. That run ended when LeBron James left in free agency, with Wade never again getting to play in the finals.
During the past two seasons, the Warriors’ success has reduced dramatically, with Curry missing most of last season due to injury.
Impacted by a severe injury to Klay Thompson in the 2019 playoffs and the offseason departure of Kevin Durant, the Warriors finished with a league-worst 15-50 record during the 2019-20 campaign.
Prior to the start of this season, Thompson suffered a season-ending injury, though the Warriors are currently battling for a playoff berth with a 30-30 record.
A good deal of credit for the Warriors’ improvement is thanks to the return of Curry, who’s hoping to win his third league MVP award. For the year, he’s averaging a league-best 31.2 points per game, along with 5.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest.
The Warriors may never get back to the finals during the 33-year-old Curry’s career, but it’s clear that the veteran is taking the words of Wade to heart.
