“All we wanted…” — Stephen Curry and Golden State Warriors had one ultimate goal in playoffs before elimination

When Stephen Curry stopped at midcourt after Game 5 for a heartfelt embrace with Draymond Green, he showed sportsmanship, but it was also a silent acknowledgment of a season that slipped through their fingers. Now, as the championship dream of the Warriors has evaporated, Curry candidly shared what they wanted in the playoff race to the championship.

Stephen Curry makes candid admission about their playoff run

The Golden State Warriors fell 121-110 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, facing a 4-1 series loss in the Western Conference Semifinals . Stephen Curry was sidelined since the second quarter of Game 1 with a strained hamstring, watched helplessly from the bench as his team battled without their leader. And with that, what could’ve been a deep playoff run became, in his words, “the great ‘what-if.’”

Steph Curry said “everything was aligned” for his Game 6 return. Just needed to clear some final testing.

Here is sound from his exit interview on his summer and the two-year window ahead pic.twitter.com/nPDYv6uC9A

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 15, 2025

“Everything was kind of aligned for Game 6. I had some testing to do, who knows how that would've went,” Curry said. “Dealing with this injury, I was optimistic, but there were a couple more checkpoints to get through. But it's the great 'what-if.'”

Before Curry’s injury, the Warriors, boosted by Jimmy Butler’s midseason arrival, were armed for the battlefield to make noise in the West. They had clawed out of the play-in, defeated Houston in a tense seven-game series. Golden State went 29-15 since Butler joined. Of course, playoff Jimmy was in the display.

“All we wanted was a chance,” Curry added. “And to finish the year like we did, to sneak in the playoffs and win that first round, there’s a lot to be proud of for sure, considering where we were,” Curry reflected after the loss. “But definitely disappointed, and frankly just sad that I wasn’t out there able to play.”

Now at 37, Curry is confronting the reality that postseason opportunities may become rarer. With 16 seasons behind him, he knows nothing in this league is promised, especially not another ring.

“One, it’s an ultimate compliment because it’s part of the level that you’re playing at. Like, ‘Oh, he’s still doing it at this age,’” Curry said about being called “the old guy.” “Two, it’s a reminder of your basketball mortality and appreciating every moment that you have.”

Curry wasn’t alone in his hope for one more ride. Jimmy Butler, whose impact was immediate and consistent, isn’t convinced the Warriors' window is closing.

“Yeah, and then if we win some, it could be longer than that because I still think that we have a lot of great basketball left ahead of us,” Butler said. “I don’t think this age thing is anything the way that everybody is taking care of their bodies, doing right. I think the potential is there.”

Still, Curry is optimistic about the road ahead for the Warriors.

“We want this ride to last as long as possible,” he said. “But it’s just about, what does this team need for next year? Answering those questions over the summer, everybody preparing themselves individually... that's all we're really focused on right now.”

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The Warriors veteran’s candid reflection revealed that the team had all the intent, but many would argue that without Steph on the roster, the dream of the championship derailed against Anthony Edwards and company.