Over the course of 12 years, winning four titles and facing countless obstacles on and off the court, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have looked the modern sports world in the face and cried in the opposite direction. Ta. In a world of omnipresent trade demands, free agent coups, and endless holdouts, this unique trio has endured and thrived by demonstrating values above all else: loyalty.
Loyalty to the franchise. Loyalty to the Bay Area. The most important thing is loyalty to each other.
Some would argue that Green’s now-infamous chokehold on Rudy Gobert, for which he was suspended for five games in mid-November, was born out of unwavering loyalty. “I don’t live my life with regrets,” Green said after the incident. “Whenever I’m in a position to defend my teammates, I’m going to defend my teammates.” A noble excuse for otherwise unacceptable behavior.
But Green’s latest disappointment — he hit Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the side of the head and was suspended indefinitely by the league — is a sign of the loyalty he professes to uphold. It’s testing its limits. This is reckless. This is performative. This is dangerous.
this. teeth. sufficient.
Less than two months ago, former Warriors general manager Bob Myers was asked how he would address James Harden’s long-standing trade request. The answer for the 2016-17 NBA Executive of the Year was simple. Go to your star player and do what he tells you to do. It didn’t take a world-famous mentalist to read between the lines. Meyers has dealt with a lot of issues throughout his 12-year tenure in Golden State, especially regarding Green’s multiple and various upsets, but only one man’s opinion matters when making difficult decisions. Ta.
“Steph Curry’s importance is at the top of this building. This was my importance.” [lowers his hand to the floor]”Myers” spoke on ESPN In late October. “I go to him and ask, ‘What do you want?’ If he’s not happy, it doesn’t matter. That’s where the whole conversation ends.
“Draymond Green, he said I was always messing things up. I called Draymond and said, ‘What did I do wrong? Why did you say that?’ ” Then I called Callie and said, “Steph, what do you want to do?” And he says, “Draymond is better for us.” ”
And it was done. It’s a stark, unmitigated expression of the power Curry had over the direction of the series that brought him worldwide fame.
Why Draymond is still a Warrior 19 ejections, a suspension from the NBA Finals that likely cost him another title, a suspension from the organization for hurling insults during a game at then-teammate Durant, a punch to the face of Jordan Poole, and now, 2023. Two more suspensions have been imposed just 23 games into the year. -24 seasons?
Because Stephen Curry wanted him to be there. The incident has been resolved. End of story.
But now, with the Warriors languishing at 10-13 and the tragic stench of a corrupt dynasty stifling more than ever, Green’s antics and diversions are becoming invaluable on-court value to the team. may have finally surpassed that. If current Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. approaches Curry, as Myers once did, and asks what needs to happen for Green moving forward, what will the answer be?
With three years and about $75 million left on his contract, Green would be difficult to trade. However, his play has been reinvigorated in recent seasons, and it’s not impossible for potential candidates to seriously consider one of the best defenders and playmakers in the game. However, the final go-ahead will likely come from Curry.
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When asked Tuesday about Mr. Green’s recent events, the usually sophisticated and thoughtful Mr. Curry sounded exasperated, searching for words that were both foreign and all-too-familiar.
“We always told him you can’t change who you are as a player, your competitive spirit, the physicality with which you play,” Curry said. “But you can’t give people a reason to leave, you can’t give them a reason to look at you a certain way, you can’t give people a reason to have to be judge and jury every time a case happens. So this is a difficult thing. Because we need him there.” And obviously the sending off changed the momentum and the emotion of the game. ”
Curry, as always, said the right thing, but the end of his response echoed the message the league sent with its indefinite suspension. It’s time to change – It really changes — before returning Green to the basketball court.
“It’s going to be difficult. We’re here to support him. We’re here to make sure he can do it. And yeah, we’re obviously here to support him. We need to win.”