Stephen Curry meant business at USC’s Galen Center, and the world needs to know.

Technically, the Golden State Warriors held an optional practice considered voluntary for any player to attend. In reality, young and rotation players had to report, while the stars and veteran players could rest.

But for Curry, that wasn’t an option.

It makes sense the Warriors would hold such a practice during training camp and in Los Angeles following a recent exhibition game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Stephen Curry didn’t observe the custom despite missing Sunday’s exhibition for maintenance purposes. Instead, the Warriors’ 37-year-old star reported to this so-called optional practice at the Galen Center well before it even started.

“I just watched Steph in there,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, shaking his head while standing outside of the practice gym. “He took about an hour before he got even on the court to start his shooting routine that he’s doing now.

“And in that hour, he was stretching, and he was getting treatment. He was doing strengthening exercises. This is every day. It’s really impressive watching the amount of thought and preparation that goes into it for Steph.”

The preparation continued after Kerr talked to reporters.

Inside, Curry continued an individual workout with Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser, which included both shooting drills and resistance-band exercises.

About a half-hour later, Curry spoke with EssentiallySports about his training regimen that he hopes will ensure that he can play at an elite level both in the 2025-26 season and possibly even into his 40s.

“All I’ll say is that I just want the option, and if I’m at a legitimate ability to be able to play,” Curry said. “I don’t know if it’ll make sense or if I would want to, whatever the case is. But if I can make the decision and the decision is not made for me, that’s a big, big point.”

Curry has time to determine his future. The four-time champ remains under contract with the Warriors through the 2026-27 season. Both sides have also often said over the years that it remains a priority for Steph to play his entire NBA career with the Warriors.

In the short term, Curry will have clarity throughout the 2025-26 season on how well he can play at an All-Star caliber level and stay healthy.

The Warriors are considered dark-horse candidates to contend for an NBA championship, mostly because of Curry. But other factors could either widen or shorten their championship window.

Stephen Curry on Balancing Youth, Experience, and Winning

The Warriors still have one of the NBA’s best defenders, who has also spent his entire career with them (Draymond Green). They have a proven All-Star who made an instant impact after last season’s trade deadline (Jimmy Butler).

The team added a valued veteran known for his locker-room leadership and winning habits in Al Horford and another strong shooter with family ties, Seth Curry.

Lastly, the Warriors expect fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga and third-year guard Brandin Podziemski to be prepared for bigger roles. But how will those ingredients mix?

Some of that depends on whether Kuminga and Podziemski can excel more consistently. It also depends on whether Horford (39), Stephen Curry (37), Butler (36), Green (35), and Seth Curry (35) can avoid major injuries.

“There’s only so much you can control. But we’ve got a really good understanding of what it takes to get through an 82-game season,” Curry told EssentiallySports. “We have some youth that can carry us. Hopefully, we can have a good complement of age and wisdom and youth and energy.

“But I know with me, Jimmy, and Draymond, we all understand the work that goes in behind the scenes with recovery and all that type of stuff. If you want to win a championship, health is a big part of it. Every team that gets to the finish line has health on their side. So you cross your fingers and hope you can get it done.”

Curry mostly got it done last season with his scoring (24.5 points per game), his shooting from the field (44.8%) and from deep (39.7%), as well as his playmaking (6.0 assists per game) in 70 regular-season games.

After acquiring Butler from the Miami Heat ahead of the trade deadline, the Warriors snuck into the playoffs through the Play-In tournament as the seventh seed.

The Warriors also went 27-8 in games that Curry and Butler played together, a development that gives the franchise relative optimism on how well they can thrive with a full season together.

Though Curry averaged 22.6 points while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3, along with 5.1 assists in five playoff games, he experienced Father Time’s unforgiving touch.

The superstar played through the Rockets’ physical defense in a seven-game first-round series. But after scoring 13 points in 13 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Curry checked out with 8:19 left in the second quarter and did not return because of a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

He then missed the Warriors’ final four playoff games.

Curry’s trainer, Brandon Payne, told me recently that he spent plenty of his offseason devoted to both strength training and speeding up his decision-making in hopes of maximizing his health, preemptively offsetting any reduced athleticism, and continuously thriving off-the-ball while Butler assumes playmaking duties.

“A lot of it is the foundational work that I’ve put in since I started,” Curry told EssentiallySports. “One, I still love it. I’m blessed with being with a team around me that has helped take the spirit that I’m trying to put into it and give me the framework that keeps the body limber and loose and the injury prevention stuff.

“The rest of it is the toughness to get out there and do the work. I still love and want to keep it going.”

The Warriors anticipate they won’t need to rely on Curry as much as last season. That’s because they will have Butler for a full season.

The Warriors also anticipate they will have firmer playoff positioning than they did last season following the trade deadline. After the Warriors acquired Butler, they sat in 11th place in the Western Conference.

“Ideally, we’re not chasing a playoff spot for the last 30 games like we were last year,” Kerr said. “That’s easier said than done when you look at the West. We’d like to be in a better position down the stretch so that we aren’t chasing things and exposing guys. But to be honest, you can do everything perfectly, and it might not matter.”

That explains Curry’s admission that his extensive off-season work does not guarantee anything. That didn’t dissuade him from trying, though.

“There’s only so much you can control in that respect,” Curry told EssentiallySports. “One, it’s all about rest. Sleep is the easy answer, but it’s the most important. Honestly, it’s also about having a good balance on how to keep your mental health in the right frame of mind, especially in today’s age, where there’s so much noise and distraction around you, whether it’s in season or out of season.

“When I’m out there on the floor, it doesn’t mean that I have to take a bunch of extra time. But it just means every minute that I’m out there has a purpose and an intention. So, it’s about sleep, breathing, work, and getting away from the game when I need to.”

Shortly after discussing his off-season regimen and outlook on his future, Curry went to the trainer’s room for more work before the Warriors left for Portland to play in Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Blazers. Steph’s dedication shows that even at 37, he’s committed to maximizing his performance and health.

How far the Warriors go will depend on his ability to stay healthy, but with his work ethic, they’ll have every chance to contend.