Steph Curry’s offseason was supposed to be about resetting after a frustrating injury-hit campaign. Instead, a few seconds of footage from China have reopened the biggest health question surrounding the Golden State Warriors.

Clips from Curry’s Li-Ning “Wide Open Tour” appeared to show the 38-year-old moving cautiously and, at times, favoring a leg. He was also seen wearing a knee sleeve, enough to trigger concern among fans with training camp approaching.

Stephen Curry has spent his career doing the impossible with one basketball, now he tries three in China

There’s been no official confirmation from Curry, the Warriors or Li-Ning of a new setback. Some later footage from the trip also showed him participating in basketball activities and moving more freely, so the videos alone cannot establish whether his knee has worsened.

The concern comes from what happened last season. Curry initially expected his right-knee problem to keep him out for only a short period.

“I thought I was going to be out a week,” he said. Instead, he missed 27 consecutive games and the 2026 All-Star Game before finally returning in April. Curry later explained that every attempt to progress his recovery seemed to trigger another reaction.

The issue may no longer be about recovery alone

Curry’s knee trouble began in late January and was eventually diagnosed as patellofemoral pain syndrome, commonly known as runner’s knee.

Imaging reportedly showed no major structural damage, but the inflammation proved stubborn enough to keep him sidelined for nearly two months.

That history is why Warriors insider Monte Poole’s recent reporting has drawn attention.

“There’s at least some lingering concern about the knee,” Poole said. “From what I’ve been told, it can be managed, but it has to be managed and that’s a new thing for Steph. People always say he is the most conditioned guy in the league, and now he has to manage a knee.”

Poole also reported that Curry and his training staff have developed ways to support the knee and work around the possibility that it may not feel completely normal.

That’s a significant change for a player whose conditioning has long been one of his greatest strengths.

Golden State needs Curry available more than ever

There’s also reason for optimism. Poole said Curry remains confident he can play “70-plus games,” suggesting the Warriors aren’t preparing for another lengthy absence as things stand.

Golden State badly needs that confidence to prove justified. The Warriors went 9-18 during Curry’s 27-game absence last season, and their margin for error entering 2026-27 is even smaller. 

Jimmy Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, while Moses Moody is also expected to miss time as he rehabilitates a serious knee injury. That makes Curry’s health more important than any individual viral clip.

The China footage shows how closely every movement will be watched after a knee problem that refused to disappear last season. And whether Curry can still perform at an elite level, and if Golden State can manage his body well enough to keep him on the floor.