The Golden State Warriors weren’t always the West’s best even with Stephen Curry, but his personality, according to Steve Kerr, was the difference-maker.
Just a few years after the Golden State Warriors drafted Stephen Curry, it was obvious that he was going to be a star. In the ensuing drafts, the Warriors brought in Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to solidify the long-term face of the franchise.
The reason that Curry went from average to a superstar and the Dubs went from a mediocre team to one of the most dominant dynasties in league history was, according to Kerr, Curry’s personality.
“He was a guy who you could build the whole thing around. Not just because of how well he played and the style of play, but just because of the human being and what a powerful force he was in the locker room and the community and the organization, what he stood for — all of those things,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game.
The ride is still going despite a down season in which Thompson and Curry combined for five games played. Both are, at least as it currently stands, going to be entering the 2020-2021 season healthy.
That said, Curry’s rookie season, the Warriors won 26 games; they almost tripled with a league-best 73 wins just about half a decade later. As he gained his voice and strength at the league’s highest level, the team ascended with him.
Eventually, in 2014, Steve Kerr was brought in just before Curry truly took over the league. With a 67-win 2014-2015 season, the league was put on notice as the Warriors won their division for the first time since the mid-70s.
For a team that had been perennially bad for decades, Curry made the difference, and as a leader, it started with how he handled the locker room and how he took command of the spotlight. It’s fantastic seeing Kerr point to Curry as the leader in the locker room that we all hoped he was.
Expect his personality to continue to allow this organization to thrive as they look to rebuild and retool for another Finals run.