Stephen Curry has always been an exceptional leader throughout his career. And when it comes to the Golden State Warriors playing basketball, they primarily focus on being a team first. Setting aside all their recent setbacks, they’ve never been a one-man show on the court. Over the last decade, we’ve witnessed each Warrior provide equal support to the team. However, Curry has always been the main ring leader.
During the mid-2010s, the Warriors were at the top of the league. In 2015, Curry led the team to the NBA Finals and won the title. However, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were also strong challengers. It was in 2016 when Curry became the first-ever unanimous MVP and the Warriors achieved a 73-9 record. Unfortunately, the Warriors fell to the Cavaliers as LeBron brought Cleveland its first-ever title that year. Curry understood it was time for a change.
Stephen Curry was open to teaming up with Kevin Durant before the Warriors made a move
After blowing a 3-1 lead and losing in a gruesome way, the Warriors‘ then-General Manager Bob Myers began searching for extra talent. A few months after the finals, GSW shocked the world by signing Kevin Durant. However, Stephen Curry didn’t mind having KD on the team. Myers recently revealed a secret conversation with Curry that made him go ahead with the move.
He told The TK Show, “I remember Curry coming in and looking at him and we were talking about the season and the team. At the end of it, I said, ‘Hey, what if Durant wanted to come?’ But the beauty of Curry is he looks me in the eye, he says, ‘You think he’d want to come here?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, but if he takes meetings, where are we at with it if it’s a possibility?’ And he looks me in the eye, says, ‘Yeah, for sure!’”
Former Warriors Executive Reveals Secret Conversation With Stephen Curry Before Kevin Durant’s Arrival https://t.co/bmJxVj5zDY
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 19, 2023
He added, “That’s a lens into Curry’s selflessness because it’s his team, it’s his thing. But many people would have said no, very quietly, and it would’ve never happened.” This conversation shows how willing Curry was to make his team better. Even if it meant he had to play with a star who was far more established at that point.
Did Kevin Durant dislike being under the shadow of Stephen Curry?
Unfortunately, Kevin Durant’s stint with the Warriors lasted for three seasons. This included two NBA titles and back-to-back Finals MVPs. But during his final season with the Warriors, the team went through a series of issues. Obviously, there was a major issue between Draymond Green and KD at the time. But Durant revealed that he didn’t like how the Warriors handled that situation.
There were a few other factors that also led to his departure. One of them was that he didn’t like playing under the shadow of Stephen Curry. According to Sports Illustrator, he claimed he didn’t want to be “number two”. He added that he simply wanted to play elsewhere and start fresh. In 2019, KD signed with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets failed to create a Big 3 and KD had a bunch of issues with the management as well. He currently plays for the Phoenix Suns.