How Important Is It To Keep Stephen Curry Happy?

Ever since Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber took over the Golden State Warriors in 2010, the organization has been unafraid to make controversial decisions.

Most recently, management fired the popular Mark Jackson in favor of Steve Kerr, and then negotiated — but ultimately declined — a trade involving several key Warriors for Kevin Love. While the jury is still out on whether or not these were the correct decisions, Stephen Curry has made his opinions on the subjects clear through media coverage. Being the undisputed leader and face of the franchise, Curry needs to know that his impact on this organization reaches beyond the hardwood, but trust that the owners are dealing in the team’s best interest.  

The key to any successful organization is when everyone involved is working towards a common goal. The front office has done a tremendous job so far in building a roster that can compete with the best of the NBA. However, it has had to make unpopular decisions to get to this point.  In 2012, fan-favorite Monta Ellis was traded for Andrew Bogut. While many fans were upset to see Ellis go, the decision turned out to be the right one and the Warriors have built a top-tier defense around the Aussie. With the team as close to a championship winner as we have seen in the past two or more decades, Lacob and Gruber are considering anything that can push the Warriors to the top. 

Choosing Steve Kerr over Mark Jackson has been met by reluctant criticism both from fans and players alike, including Curry. 

“One thing I can say about this organization, they want to win,” said Curry. “Each decision is geared toward winning. That’s something that flies well with a lot of players — that they’re going to try to put us in the best position to win. Obviously, I had a certain opinion of Coach Jackson that they made a decision otherwise, and I heard the reasons, but I won’t dwell on it.” 

While Jackson was indeed popular among the players and fans, the front office was critical of his tactical prowess and many others had the same sentiment. The decision to not trade Klay Thompson for Kevin Love has disappointed many fans  but was a favorable one among players like Curry and Iguodala. 

Said Curry: “I love Klay. love playing with him as well as David Lee. Those are my teammates, the guys that I love. We’ve fought so hard the last three years together growing, and it would be very, very difficult to see that end. As great as Kevin Love is, it would be very hard to see your teammates and your brothers leave at this time. So we’ll see what happens, but it’d definitely be a tough situation.”

The current roster is the tightest group of players the Warriors have put together in years and it is clear that these players have developed a chemistry that they are unwilling to sacrifice.  

Star players have more impact on their teams than ever before. Requesting or even demanding a trade from an underperforming team can not only set the team back in terms of talent but can also be a huge distraction from the goal of winning. Being the star of the Warriors, Curry has to be included in any decision-making. On the other hand, the Warriors have improved steadily throughout the last few years and Curry should trust that the owners are doing whatever they can to achieve their mutual goal.