For all the Warrior fans, thinking about Stephen Curry retiring is equivalent to perhaps the end of the franchise itself. That’s how ingratiated the ‘Chef’ has become with the Bay Area. But don’t worry, this isn’t an exclusive on Steph’s retirement news. In contrast, the man is hoping to bring a fifth title to the dynasty under his leadership before he potentially hangs up his boots.

Joining Scott Van Pelt of ESPN’s SportsCenter, Curry was asked about his retirement in a rather interesting manner. Well, in all honesty, it was more of a segueing from one topic to retirement. We’ll come to Van Pelt’s story later. But for now, why don’t we hear what Steph had to say about his 16 years in the NBA? 

Stephen Curry explains the significance of ’16’ while leaving retirement speculation open

“16 for me is special because when I came into the league not knowing anything about what my career was going to be, 16 was always a number of accomplishment, because that’s what my dad played. He played 16 years in the NBA and that was always a goal of mine. So this is a cool full-circle moment for me and him,” the 4x champion noted. 

Dell Curry, selected 15th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1986, retired in 2002 after playing for five different teams. Though best known for his decade-long tenure with the Charlotte Hornets, where he provided instant offense off the bench with his sharpshooting, his impact on the game is undeniable. For someone like Steph, who was often underrated and overlooked early in his career, reaching the milestone of playing 16 years in the NBA—especially at the peak of his abilities—must be an extraordinary and deeply fulfilling achievement.

“So yeah, it’s a moment, it’s always a reminder to appreciate what’s happening right now, continue to give everything you have to the game because you know it’ll end at some point,” Stephen Curry admitted. “But yeah, I’m thankful that I’m still in a position where I can compete at the highest level, still try to win, play the game that I know how to play. And with all the work that I put in and my body is still giving me the ability to do that. So I’m appreciative all the way around. And just trying to maintain that motor and that killer instinct that has driven me this whole time, along with my teammates.”

We don’t have to look too far back for an example of this. Just think of what he did for Team USA in the final two games in Paris. It was an unreal performance from the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin,’ as Steph silenced all the doubters by leading the charge to bring that gold home. He left his opponents reeling and his teammates slack-jawed in disbelief!

So, yeah, Stephen Curry is simply the embodiment of everything that is modern basketball. And the mere thought that this might be the last season we witness him in action—celebrating with his iconic ‘night-night’ gesture or breaking out into his signature shimmy—is almost too much to bear. But does it have to be so?

The 2x MVP leaves that open-ended. “You can acknowledge it, but still put the ellipses at the end until we know there’s a lot more in the tank for sure,” he asked of Van Pelt. Well, that’s better than a definite ‘Yes,’ right? Only time will tell.

That said, let’s go back to what I promised in the beginning. What story was the veteran sportscaster referring to?

Scott Van Pelt recounts an emotional moment that resonated deeply with Steph Curry

“A couple of years ago I did a thing about my daughter on the show and you [Steph] happened to be a guest the very next night. And you referenced it as a girl dad, which I really appreciated. I bring it up tonight because last night [all Swifties, gather!] that little girl was at a Taylor Swift show with her mom in South Florida. Mom sends Dad a picture and I said, ‘Who is that woman standing next to you? And what happened to my little girl?’,” Van Pelt said as Steph laughed knowingly. 

After all, Riley’s growth has made us wonder, ‘Man, has it been this long already?’ Also, the instance Scott mentioned was a May 9, 2019 episode. The midnight edition show closed with a segment called “One Big Thing,” and on that night, which was his daughter’s birthday, Scott talked of his hopes of having a son. However, the ultrasound showed that he and his wife were going to have a little girl. 

And what was the first thing he did? “I dropped my wife back at school where she was teaching at the time, went right to my office at home, and Googled ‘how to raise a girl’. I suppose I convinced myself that had it been a boy, I would have taught him how to throw a four-seam fastball, handed him a beer, and said: ‘That’s about it son, you’ll figure out the rest.’”

The ESPN talk show host has had two boys since the birth of his daughter. But the man admitted that he wouldn’t change a single thing from his past. “There’s no greater love than you’ll ever know and nothing that will change your world view more than holding a little girl and imagining the world through her eyes – wanting to be, for her, the very best version of yourself in the hopes that you might be worthy of the way she looks at you.”

This is an emotion that all ‘girl dads’ can universally relate to. For Steph, the father of four—two of whom are his beloved daughters—it surely hit home. His 36-year-old eldest is no longer the adorable little munchkin who sang Blessings at the top of her lungs while sitting on Daddy’s lap at a post-game presser. She’s growing into a beautiful young woman, looking like a picture-perfect reflection of her father.

But like Scott Van Pelt, becoming the father of a girl was just as eye-opening for Steph. In a 2016 interview with Graham Bensinger, he said, “It puts everything into perspective. I don’t ever have a bad day knowing when I go home, I have my wife and daughter to enjoy life with.”

It won’t be too long before Riley Curry also turns 16. Four years, to be exact. There’s no doubt the Currys will be celebrating her Sweet Sixteen the way only Currys can. But whether that will be as an active NBA player or a retired one is something we will also leave with “ellipses at the end.”