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The NBA’s Resentment of the Golden State Warriors

By Carlos Murillo

January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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During Stephen Curry‘s media availability ahead of the Golden State Warriors’ matchup with the Houston Rockets, the MVP was asked if the Rockets might resent the Warriors’ dominance over them:

“I would say yeah. And they’re probably not the only one either.”

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It’s almost become comical how much national media loves Curry and the Warriors. Some joke that SportsCenter has become “CurryCenter.” For Warriors fans, the attention is welcomed and well-deserved for the best and most exciting team in the league, but it can get excessive. Events seemingly unrelated to the league MVP are somehow linked back to him.

But how does the rest of the NBA, retired and active, feel about Golden State?

Resentment.

Curry was absolutely right. It’s not just Houston though. Players and coaches, active and retired, share a resentment towards the league-leading Dubs. And it makes complete sense. Who wouldn’t feel negatively towards someone in your profession doing much better than you? It’s very human. At the core of this resentment are two things: jealousy and an unwillingness to accept a revolution.

Who doesn’t want to win? Who doesn’t want to dominate? And, more importantly, who wants to see someone else doing that and getting all the attention? It’s exactly why Curry didn’t win the “Player’s MVP” created by Chris Paul and given to James Harden. Did Curry’s peers really want to give him more hardware and create an even bigger gap between the actual MVP and themselves? It’s exactly why all the Warriors heard in the offseason was that they were lucky that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love didn’t play. No one wants to concede that they are convincingly inferior to someone else.

The Golden State Warriors have been, for the most part, perennial losers. The butt of the joke. The guys who picked Todd Fuller over Kobe Bryant and gave the Boston Celtics two-thirds of their 1980s “Big Three.” The score a lot, but they don’t play defense and they definitely don’t win. They’re not supposed to be the best team in league (maybe ever). And they’re not supposed to be dominating this way. But they are.

Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are absolutely challenging and destroying the philosophies of even the brightest basketball minds in the business.

The Warriors are leading a revolution that many of basketball’s most revered figures are unwilling to accept.

The Splash Brothers are the poster boys for the three-point revolution that is sweeping the NBA. They’re shooting the long ball more and better than anyone has ever before. The Warriors have turned basketball into simple math–3 is greater than 2.  Green, on the other hand, is the reason the Warriors’ deadly small-ball works. Steve Nash‘s Phoenix Suns teams and the Warriors’ “We Believe” squad were known for playing small, running the floor, and firing at will. But they couldn’t play defense. They didn’t have a Draymond Green protecting the rim at an elite level from guys 5 or 6 inches taller.

The Warriors are leading a revolution that many of basketball’s most revered figures are unwilling to accept. TNT analyst Charles Barkley has been one of Golden State’s biggest “frenemy” (please don’t stop reading) for years now, but he’s really turned it up a notch over the last few years. If I had a dollar for every time good ol’ Chuck said Green was “too small” or that “jump-shooting teams can’t win championships,” I’d have enough to sign Kevin Durant.

Of course, it’s not just Barkley. He’s just the loudest voice in the room. But there are many experts and legends who try to discredit Curry and the Warriors. The reigning MVP was voted fifth-most likely to win MVP this year in a preseason GM poll. Perhaps some truly believe that there way was better. I mean, it will take a lot to convince me that midrange fadeaway isolation plays are better or more aesthetically pleasing than transition threes and quick passes. But perhaps (and most likely) these almost-desperate cries for attention and validation come from a deep-seated fear.

A fear that what we are all witnessing right now is the best ever.

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A fear that Steph Curry really is one of the most dominant players to step on a court. A fear that basketball evolves to the point of making their eras seem too simplistic to compare to the current one. When asked where Curry could end up on the all-time list of greats, Hall of Fame point guard, Walt Frazier said that it was too soon. That Curry has only made two All-Star teams and he doesn’t play defense.

He later typed these thoughts up and published them as every internet troll ever. The notion that Curry doesn’t play defense is dangerously inaccurate and it shows an antiquated, simplistic, and close-minded thought process. All-Star teams, while fun, are terrible barometers for greatness. And saying it’s “too soon” for Curry sounds an awful lot like “let’s wait for him to mess up and really have something to hold against him.”

The Warriors are playing some of the best basketball this league has ever seen before. Curry is having the greatest individual offensive season in NBA history. He’s commanding attention not seen since Shaquille O’Neal in his prime and he’s scoring the ball at a quicker and more efficient rate than anyone else has ever. They’re far better than anyone else and they’re making it look much easier than it should be. They’re “clowning” as President Barack Obama put it. They’re jumping and yelling and celebrating even before the shot goes down. And it makes people mad.

Next: Oracle Arena the New Staples?

Curry’s right. There are plenty of people who resent the dream-killing Warriors. Contenders look mediocre when matched up with Golden State. They get all the glory and the accolades, creating a resentment from their peers. And their historical significance worries previous generations. But it’s the price you pay when you’re great.

And it’s definitely a price Curry and the Warriors are willing to pay.

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