Curry shares his thoughts on major Golden State personnel changes and the future of the Warriors during ACC golf tournament
When Stephen Curry steps into the Chase Center locker room for the first time, the faces around the room will be just as new as the building itself.
From Kevin Durant’s devastating Achilles injury to the decision to waive Shaun Livingston, the Golden State Warriors’ summer has been a whirlwind of emotion—a process that has included heartbreak, disappointment, nostalgia, and, ultimately, optimism as Curry looks to usher in a new era with a new group.
In between holes at Edgewood Tahoe, Curry spoke to the media about the state of the Warriors, reflecting on the last half decade and expressing excitement for the future.
Though they couldn’t secure the vaunted three-peat, Curry knows that what the team was able to do over the last five years was uniquely special.
“I like to look at what we accomplished and focus on that and be extremely proud of this run that we had.”
He addressed the major roster turnover as the Warriors look to contend without Durant, Livingston, or Andre Iguodala.
“We knew at some point or another, whether it was this year or next year or the year after, there were going to be some hard decisions, some hard changes,” Curry said.
And while many have already written the Warriors off in the aftermath of the roster changes and Klay Thompson’s ACL injury, the two-time MVP made it abundantly clear that the goal remains the same: win rings.
“The expectation of how we play, that championship-caliber basketball, that for us will always be the motivation and the challenge.”
While it’s hard to replace the talent that Durant offers, it’s even harder to replace the kind of leadership that Iguodala and Livingston, the elder statesmen of the run, provided.
“I’m the oldest on the team now, so I’m going to have to step my game up,” admitted Curry, who now finds himself surrounded by a group of young, relatively unproven players.
None of those players are more exciting or intriguing than 23-year-old D’Angelo Russell, an impressive consolation prize after missing out on the Durant sweepstakes.
Russell is coming off his best year as a pro, becoming an All-Star en route to leading the Brooklyn Nets to the postseason.
Though they haven’t had much of a relationship up until this point, Curry noted that “the chemistry [with Russell] will develop quickly…It’s about encouraging each other and having confidence that we’ll bring the best out of each other.”
The Warriors will look different next season and with all of the (star) player movement in the Western Conference, their journey back to the NBA Finals will be even more difficult than ever.
But Curry, who has made a Hall of Fame career out of beating the odds, will always bet on himself.
“We have a high basketball IQ so I’m confident we’ll figure it out.”