Stephen Curry ended speculation about his future by signing a one-year contract extension with the Golden State Warriors until 2027.
The deal is is worth a reported $62.6 million (£47.5m) and means the four-time NBA champion will be guaranteed £178m (£135m) over the next three years.
The 36-year-old, who has twice been named the league’s Most Valuable Player, will become the fourth NBA player to surpass $500 million in career earnings — after LeBron James, Paul George and Kevin Durant.
At the end of his new agreement, Curry’s total earnings on the court will be around $532 million (£403 million), which is currently the second highest in NBA history – behind only James ($580 million).
Curry has spent his entire NBA career with the Warriors since they drafted him with the seventh overall pick in 2009.
This season the 10-time NBA All-Star will be without longtime teammate Klay Thompson.
Despite lobbying by Curry, Golden State was unable to reach an agreement over a new contract and Thompson ended his 13-year association with the military by leaving for the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.
Of the four players who played in each of the Warriors’ NBA title wins, Curry and Draymond Green are now the only two remaining.
They are ready to lead the team into a new era as they plan to lean more on their young players after missing the playoffs last season.
What makes Curry so valuable?
Curry has revolutionized the way basketball is played. He and Thompson became known as the “Splash Brothers” for their shooting prowess from three-point range.
But Curry was the biggest threat. Despite standing at 6ft 2in, his accuracy from behind the three-point line has meant that players in every position are now expected to be able to shoot – and guard against – three-point shots.
During the 2022 season, Curry became the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers. His tally is now 3,747.
At the end of that season, the Warriors became NBA champions for the fourth time in eight years, which was seen as Curry’s “crowning achievement”.
Two years later, his powers showed little sign of waning. Last season, Curry averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 45% overall and 40.8% on three-pointers.
He led the NBA in three-point field goals for the eighth time in his career, with 357 the third most in a single season. Curry tops that list with 402 in 2015-16.
Last season Curry also led the league in points (189), three-pointers (32) and field goals made (59) during the final minutes.
In this summer’s Olympics in Paris, the point guard became only the fifth NBA player to win at least four NBA championships, two MVP awards and an Olympic gold medal – after LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell.
