Steph Curry, the standout player for the Golden State Warriors, said to reporters that he was delighted to hear he wouldn’t require surgery after suffering a left shoulder injury.

As Curry attempted to defend against Jalen Smith, who collided with the Warriors star’s arm, he sustained a shoulder injury. During the timeout, Curry stooped to clutch his shoulder and headed to the locker room.

“It was just a matter of making sure I didn’t need surgery and [that] my shoulder will be able to heal on its own, however long that took,” he added. “There’s kind of two or three different outcomes.”

Curry grinned and said, “Because I know the surgeries are four to six months [recovery time] and nobody wants to be dealing with that right now.” 

Curry’s shoulder ailment was determined to be a subluxation, necessitating his absence for “a few weeks,” as ESPN initially revealed.

A joint subluxation, according to verywellhealth.com, is a partial dislocation of a joint. It frequently results from acute injuries or repetitive motion injuries, but it can also be brought on by illnesses that compromise the ligaments’ structural integrity.

Whatever the case, Curry is optimistic that because this is his first injury to his shoulder, his recuperation period would be shortened more quickly than if he had ongoing shoulder issues.

Curry responded, “It’s hard to say, just because it’s the first time I’ve done it,” when asked when he will return. I’ve seen a few individuals with somewhat more severe cases; you have to kind of hazard a guess based on their timeframes. 

“But knowing that it’s the first time, you try to mentally distance yourself from me, attempting to avoid knowing how long it will last because [my shoulder] will alert me to it.” 

Whether or not Curry is replaced, the 14–15 Warriors will have a lot of work ahead of them. 

Despite the team’s early problems, the 34-year-old has been playing well this season, averaging 30 points on 50% shooting, 43.4 percent from 3-point range on 11.6 attempts per game, 6.8 assists, and 6.6 rebounds.

With the Warriors struggling mightily on the road (2-13) and receiving no help from the bench, Curry was asked how he thought the team would fare the remainder of the season. He grinned and responded, “That’s always kind of a good sound bite, just because it gives you something to key on.”

“However, I believe that right now, our main goals are to win a road game and move on.”

The Warriors travel to Toronto, New York, and Brooklyn to finish their six-game road trip with a 0-2 record. On Friday night, Golden State will start their quest to win a road game without the player who has been the heart and soul of their team.