With both players approaching retirement, Steph Curry’s six-word Lionel Messi comment says a lot.

The four-time NBA champion is still putting in the hard yards just months after he signed a contract extension as Curry, 36, is currently averaging 22.7 points per game this season, as well as 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season. While it’s not a vintage Curry output, he hasn’t been helped by Steve Kerr’s currently underperforming team, that doesn’t look like coming close to the star-studded side that dominated the NBA between 2014 and 2022.

An eight-year stretch saw Steph and the Warriors alter the very landscape of basketball as Golden State clinched the championship in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 with a powerhouse side, led by Curry and his dominant three-pointers. The Warriors have struggled through the current campaign however and have a record of 19-20 as they sit 12th in the Western Conference.

Nevertheless, Steph, speaking after his team were beaten by the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, disclosed how the Miami linchpin is helping him stay motivated as he nears retirement. “Greatness inspires greatness in many ways. There’s nothing specific you can apply from football to basketball,” he told reporters.

“It’s about longevity, creativity, and [Messi’s] impact on the sport worldwide. We appreciate greatness, of course, he inspires you to keep going and to keep doing things your way. I have the utmost respect for him for how he takes care of himself both on and off the field. I try to emulate the same.”

While he has not slapped a date on the day he calls it quits, Curry, who has a contract with the Warriors through to 2026, did tell ESPN in December 2024 that he is thinking about the day he drops the ball for good. “More than I probably have before,” he said when asked about retiring, before adding: “It’s okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near.”