The ESPYs have been very, very good to Stephen Curry over the years. With eight trophies to his name—including Best Male Athlete and multiple Best NBA Player awards—he’s become a fixture at the annual awards show. He even hosted the event in 2022, a gig he took great pride in. But this year, the story was different. Curry, despite another nomination for a legendary performance, left the 2025 ESPYs completely empty-handed.

The nomination was for “Best Championship Performance,” honoring his incredible gold-medal run with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was a performance for the ages, capped by his iconic “Golden Dagger” three-pointer that sealed the victory over France. But the competition was fierce. He was up against gymnastics icon Simone Biles for her all-around dominance at the same Olympics, Rory McIlroy for completing the career grand slam at the Masters, and Freddie Freeman for his World Series MVP performance. In the end, the honor went to Biles.

It was a huge night for the sport of basketball, even with Curry coming up short. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the star of the evening, taking home two of the biggest awards: Best Male Athlete and Best NBA Player. The college game was well-represented too, with Duke’s Cooper Flagg winning Best College Athlete for men’s sports and USC’s JuJu Watkins earning the honor on the women’s side.

But it wasn’t just the loss that had people talking. Curry was also a no-show. While stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles were accepting the night’s top awards for Best Male and Female Athlete, there were no official photos of Curry at the event. So, where was the eight-time ESPY winner? He was in Lake Tahoe, trading his basketball shoes for golf spikes to compete in the American Century Championship.

The absence is particularly interesting when you look back at his history with the show. When he hosted in 2022, he opened his monologue with a playful jab at LeBron James. “I’m the second NBA player to host this awards show, which is kind of crazy to think about,” he said. “LeBron hosted this show back in 2007 after losing in the NBA Finals. So yes, that’s right, this year it’s going to be a little different because the Warriors won the championship!” This year, however, there were no victory speeches or jokes from the stage. There was just an empty seat.

But while the outside world was focused on award shows, Curry is already thinking about next season. He’s heard the noise all offseason: the Warriors are too old, their window has closed, the dynasty is over. He just doesn’t buy it.

Curry mocks the “too old” narrative surrounding his team, focused on another Warriors title run

“We’ve heard it for even before the ‘22 championship,” Steph told NBC Sports Bay Area. “It all comes down to health. I mean, if you look at every team… [Oklahoma City] had a relatively healthy run. And that’s what you need.” He knows that last season’s playoff exit was a direct result of his own hamstring injury, a “tough way to go out.” But he’s not dwelling on it. “You just want to build off that for another year to build chemistry with Jimmy [Butler]. You know Draymond will do his thing. Hopefully, some of our young guys are able to take another step.”

That optimism is classic Curry. It’s the same mindset that took him from an undersized kid at Davidson to a four-time champion and the greatest shooter of all time. He’s built a Hall of Fame career on proving people wrong. “It’s been that way my whole career,” he said of being doubted. “But those narratives take a life of their own. I just want to win. That’s it.”

At this point in his career, he says the outside noise doesn’t faze him. “It is white noise because I’m self-motivated enough. I don’t really need any outside motivation,” he explained. “I still love to play the game. And if I have that and I have great teammates and I have a great culture and organization, then I can just be in that space.”

That self-motivation also applies to his health. For any Warriors fans concerned about him competing in a golf tournament so soon after a hamstring injury, Curry offered a reassuring update. “Uh, like a week after the season,” he said when asked when he started playing again. “Let the hamstring heal for real, a little bit. Thankfully, um, I got four months for basketball starts again, so I can get right.”

That culture could soon include a familiar face. Rumors have been swirling all summer about the Warriors potentially signing his younger brother, Seth Curry, a move that would add another elite shooter to the roster. Seth himself has been coy, saying, “you never know what can happen.” Even his father-in-law, Doc Rivers, has called Golden State “the perfect place” for him.

For now, the Warriors are still underdogs. The oddsmakers have at least eight teams ahead of them in the title race. But for Steph Curry, that’s just how he likes it. “We’re excited about the opportunity,” he said. “You know. being in that fight… there is nothing like it.”