Steph Curry injures hamstring after running 1.99 miles in Game 7

Stephen Curry has long been known for his durability and resilience, never once missing an NBA game due to a hamstring injury – until this Thursday, when the Golden State Warriors are set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it appears Curry may finally be sidelined.

This potential absence could be a direct result of the intense physical demands placed on him in the previous series, where the Warriors needed to win a Game 7 to defeat the Houston Rockets after taking a 3-1 series lead.

The strain from that series, particularly in the first half of Game 1, could have led to the hamstring injury Curry is now dealing with.

As Brian Windhorst pointed out during Wednesday’s Hoop Collective Podcast, he is not a medical expert, but noted a significant statistic that might be worth considering.

“I’m not trying to play doctor here, but I’ll just say something worth noting: in Game 7 of the Warriors’ series against Houston, Curry ran 1.99 miles,” Windhorst explained.

“That’s the longest distance we’ve ever tracked him running in a game, and we’ve been tracking this for a decade. It’s an astonishing feat considering how conditioned he is. In that game, he also recorded 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and two steals. To top it off, he did all of that at 36 years old, just 48 hours before suffering a hamstring injury. While I can’t say for sure if these events are connected, these facts stand out, and they may be significant.”

Curry’s stamina has always been one of his defining traits, and the effort in Game 7 was undeniably remarkable. But it was a performance that came at a cost.

Throughout the series, the veteran guard faced intense pressure from Amen Thompson, a 22-year-old powerhouse of an athlete and one of the best in the league.

Thompson, too, experienced his injury in Game 7, dealing with a calf strain – an indication that the physical toll of such an arduous series might have impacted multiple players, underscoring just how grueling the competition had been.

While it’s unclear whether Curry’s injury is directly tied to the demanding nature of the series or simply a case of bad luck, the correlation between his extended exertion in Game 7 and the subsequent injury certainly raises questions.

Even the best-conditioned athletes, like Curry, may eventually face the consequences of such intense physical strain.