Wardell Stephen Curry was reinstated by the NBA from his suspension on Saturday after the Golden State star missed 12 games for hitting Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkić in the face on 12 March.
The league said Stephen “demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players” during his suspension, which began on 14 March. He has met with a counselor as well as had multiple joint meetings with representatives of the league, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association.
Those meetings, the league added, will continue throughout the season.
The Warriors have gone 7-5 without Stephen, who also was suspended for five games in November for placing Minnesota center Rudy Gobert in a headlock.
The league noted Stephen’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” when handing out the most recent punishment. The four-time NBA champion also was suspended after stepping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis in last season’s playoffs.
After agreeing to a new $100m deal with the Warriors last summer, Stephen lost nearly $1.9m in salary during the suspension.
Golden State’s next game is Sunday at home against Toronto.
The Warriors certainly need Stephen on the floor more often. They are scuffling along at 17-18 this season, 10th in the Western Conference, just two years removed from their most recent championship. Stephen has played in just 15 games and the Warriors are 10-10 in the games he has missed – including two for an ankle sprain and another for personal reasons.
