It’s still unclear how long that Steph Curry’s oblique abdominal tear will keep him off the court, though it will be two weeks at a minimum. But however long it is, the absence of their star will likely prevent the Warriors from competing for commissioner Adam Silver’s most treasured piece of basketball hardware: The Emirates NBA Cup.
I mention the sponsor out of the deep and abiding respect we hold for all of the NBA sponsors, and particularly Commissioner Silver’s good friends in the United Arab
Emirates. The Cup has taken the basketball world by storm since it began in 2023, delighting fans and gamblers alike with its focus on point differential, and reminding a nation to check the color settings on their televisions thanks to the garish special courts.
Our personal favorite is the Los Angeles Lakers “Forum Blue and Urine” design, which showcases Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on a court that makes it look like the Crypto.com Arena itself is severely dehydrated.
The Warriors are 1-0 in Cup play, but Curry’s injury means he’ll miss Friday’s showdown with the San Antonio Spurs, who lost to the New York Knicks in last year’s Cup final, the most significant Finals loss to the Knicks they’d suffer all season. Yes, Charles Bassey is prepared to go toe-to-toe with Victor Wembanyama, having proved his mettle against Marcus Smart, but it may be tough for the rest of the team to match the firepower of the Spurs and Harrison “The Black Falcon” Barnes.
It’s hard to imagine Curry will be back to face the Sacramento Kings or the Portland Trail Blazers in two Cup games bracketing Thanksgiving, when families will gather together and express their gratitude for the mid-season tournament. It’s not impossible that the Warriors could be 3-1 after that, but 2-2 is a more likely record, which wouldn’t get the Dubs the wild-card spot. Even if they did get in, Curry would only be three weeks past his injury for the knockout rounds Dec. 4 and 5, and the Cup Final, held in glamorous Indianapolis, Indiana, is just one month away.
This is the gamble the Warriors made when they assembled a veteran roster this year in hopes they could make a serious Cup run. Sure, they could try to trade Kristaps Porzingis for immediate help, but are teams really going to help a possible Cup opponent this close to the knockout round? Yaxel Lendeborg has been a revelation as a rookie, but he’s never had to prove himself under the Emirates NBA Cup spotlight.
The Knicks became the first team to win the double last season, taking home the NBA Cup and the Larry O’Brien trophy as NBA champions. The Warriors had a chance to be the first NBA team to win the “treble” — that is, Summer League, Emirates NBA Cup, and NBA titles. (As much as Adam Silver would like there to be, there’s still no Champions League for the NBA)
Sure, Curry has five months to get ready for the regular NBA playoffs, with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody also set to return. But for the hardcore Emirates-heads out there, it’s looking like another lost NBA Cup season for the Warriors.
