Warriors Get Concerning Stephen Curry Injury Detail
Stephen Curry’s lingering knee issue has quietly shaped the Golden State Warriors’ season, and a small courtside moment has shed new light on just how uncomfortable the two-time MVP has been.
According to former NBA forward Richard Jefferson, Curry spent an entire game on his feet before the All-Star break—not strictly as a hype man, but because sitting made his knee hurt more. Curry reportedly told him that staying upright was the lesser of two evils. It’s a striking window into the daily reality of what the team has called patellofemoral pain syndrome—often referred to as runner’s knee—compounded by bone bruising.
Why that detail matters: runner’s knee typically flares during movement, especially with stairs, squatting, or extended activity. When simply taking a seat worsens the pain, it suggests persistent inflammation that doesn’t fade when the action stops. That aligns with the team’s recent findings: no structural damage on imaging, but notable irritation and bruising that can be stubborn to calm down.
From flare-up to shutdown
Curry initially tried to push through the discomfort in late January before being shut down. He has now missed 11 games while the Warriors carefully throttle his workload. Post All-Star break, he returned to the facility intending to test things in a scrimmage, but the knee wouldn’t cooperate. A subsequent MRI again cleared him of structural issues yet confirmed bone bruising—often the kind of nagging complication that punishes any rush back.
The team set a 10-day window for re-evaluation, a signal they’re prioritizing healing over short-term wins. The earliest targeted return date discussed has been March 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers, pending how he responds to treatment and incremental on-court ramps.
Why Golden State is tapping the brakes
At the time of this update, the Warriors sit at 29-27 and hold the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They’re 6-11 without Curry this season, a snapshot that tracks with the eye test: the offense loses its orbit when he’s not bending defenses with off-ball movement and deep-range gravity. Role players have had to stretch beyond comfort zones, and the margin for error shrinks without the franchise’s engine on the floor.
Still, the calculation is simple. If sitting stings, sprinting, planting, and absorbing contact are risky. Runner’s knee is notoriously temperamental; push too soon and you reset the clock. Golden State already learned that lesson when Curry attempted to play through it and had to exit early. The medical playbook here is rest, inflammation control, and a careful build-up—no shortcuts.
A timeline shaped by the playoffs
The Warriors’ approach points to the bigger picture. The goal isn’t winning a random night in February; it’s giving Curry the best chance to be himself in April and beyond. The re-evaluation on March 1 will guide next steps, and the team will continue to monitor response to increased activity before granting full clearance. Expect a progressive ramp that starts with controlled drills and conditioning, moves to contact work, and ends with game action only when swelling and pain are reliably managed.
Publicly, Curry has kept the message consistent: he feels the progress, even if it hasn’t moved as quickly as anyone hoped, and the priority is being right when it matters most. That squares with what we’re seeing—no panic, no shortcuts, just an acceptance that bone bruises and patellofemoral irritation set their own pace.
The bottom line
That small sideline admission—standing beats sitting—says more about Curry’s current reality than any timetable can. It explains the caution, the rest days, and the guarded optimism. Golden State needs the best version of Curry to have real postseason teeth, and that means listening to the knee, not the calendar.
