Warriors reveal if Stephen Curry will play season opener vs. Lakers after injury scare originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Golden State Warriors will have Stephen Curry available for their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Curry completed a full practice Monday, and coach Steve Kerr said the star guard will play, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. The update came less than 24 hours after Curry left an open practice and sent Warriors fans bracing for another injury setback.
Curry’s exit looked especially concerning because he limped toward the locker room after a noncontact play. The initial fear was that he had aggravated the right knee that forced him to miss 27 straight games last season. The Warriors later clarified that Curry had sprained his right ankle, not injured his knee. Kerr said after Sunday’s practice that Curry told him he was fine.
Steph Curry practiced fully today and Steve Kerr says he’ll play in Wednesday’s season opener against the Lakers in LA @NBCSWarriors https://t.co/ex3i0VzLrT
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) October 19, 2026
The ankle scare is over; the workload question remains
Curry’s full practice and Kerr’s assurance that he will play are welcome news for a Warriors team that took a cautious approach with him through the preseason. Curry averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds last season, but appeared in only 43 games because of injuries. He missed more than two months with the knee issue, so even a brief limp during a practice was bound to attract attention.
The update does not necessarily mean Golden State will ask Curry to carry a heavy workload in the opener. The Warriors have reason to value his availability over the full season, especially after his limited time on the court last year. But having Curry available immediately matters: the 38-year-old remains the central figure in Golden State’s offense, and the Warriors begin the season against a Lakers team with its own championship ambitions.
Curry’s return gives the opener its headline
Golden State opens on the road against Los Angeles on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. Curry’s clearance removes the biggest question hanging over the Warriors before the game, though his ankle will remain worth watching as the season begins.
For a moment Sunday, the scene at Chase Center looked like a repeat of the knee trouble that interrupted Curry’s previous season. Monday’s news changed the picture: the knee was not the problem, the ankle injury was considered manageable, and Kerr expects Curry to be on the floor against the Lakers.
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