let's face it, getting SCurry was fortunate. who would have thought he would have developed into the shooter/mesmerizing guard that he is today? Especially coming out of little Davidson College. Getting a lucky break helps strategy tremendously
I've lived in the Bay Area long enough to remember when it was the epicenter of college basketball in the 1950s. But we've never seen anything like the current team-oriented fan-friendly Warriors. Of course, the miraculous and magical Stephen Curry is a key, and so are his talented teammates willing to play unselfishly for the good of the team.
But this all wouldn't have happened without ownership's collaborative, performance-based Silicon Valley approach -- which at first shocked fans of the formerly downtrodden team with the suddenness of changes made. From top to bottom, the organization is a model of diversity and teamwork.
Steve Kerr is a gifted communicator, win or lose, of basketball insights and humor. His young assistants, Luke Walton and Jarron Collins, share some of those attributes and will be head coaches someday.
Another of Lacob's hires was first-time general manager Bob Myers, who has the same easygoing style as Kerr and a sharp sense of drafting and trading for what the team needs to win.
The spirit of the organization also extends to the broadcasting team. Jim Barnett, the 71-year-old tv analyst, temporarily retired, but management brought him back when fans clamored for him. Twenty-something Ros Gold-Onwude, who played for Stanford and the Nigerian national team, got her first or one of her first broadcasting jobs as sideline reporter for the Warriors.
There are many other examples. Yes, I'm a big fan of the team and Lacob's way of creating it.
But this all wouldn't have happened without ownership's collaborative, performance-based Silicon Valley approach -- which at first shocked fans of the formerly downtrodden team with the suddenness of changes made. From top to bottom, the organization is a model of diversity and teamwork.
Steve Kerr is a gifted communicator, win or lose, of basketball insights and humor. His young assistants, Luke Walton and Jarron Collins, share some of those attributes and will be head coaches someday.
Another of Lacob's hires was first-time general manager Bob Myers, who has the same easygoing style as Kerr and a sharp sense of drafting and trading for what the team needs to win.
The spirit of the organization also extends to the broadcasting team. Jim Barnett, the 71-year-old tv analyst, temporarily retired, but management brought him back when fans clamored for him. Twenty-something Ros Gold-Onwude, who played for Stanford and the Nigerian national team, got her first or one of her first broadcasting jobs as sideline reporter for the Warriors.
There are many other examples. Yes, I'm a big fan of the team and Lacob's way of creating it.
5
Four draft picks - Curry, Thompson, Green and Barnes, one trade - for Bogut, and three free agent signings - Iguodala (as part of a trade/salary dump), Livingston and Barbosa - built this team. Basketball is like that - you can trace any team's greatness or ineptitude to five or six bad or great/lucky (Green in the second round, Curry at #7) moves. Lacob gets credit, but there's no mention here of the attempt to trade Thompson for Kevin Love, which would have been a disaster and might have scuppered the whole project.
2
People denigrate management because most management they see is bad. People that have worked in good management environments know that good management is the difference between being the best and being OK.
5
Steinbrenner made the same arguments, yeah?
1
Maybe the sniping here stems from how little was said about the basketball team. We learn a few things in the article: about openness (office layout, etc), cross-pollination, hiring a smart basketball person....... Maybe it is logical to think that Lacob's approach leads to the team strategy but I'm not sure. I can understand the angle of the article, but y'all shoulda worked this a little harder, maybe have someone who knows the game write it.
There are, it seems to me, lots of stupid comments here. The most impressive thing about team management is their successful drafts over several years. They should IMO want to keep Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes for the long term. Basically, you can put role players or solid athletes around those guys.
They are a great team because the unit is better than the individual parts. They function interchangeably, different players filling key roles on a given night. So many players can shoot or handle the ball that makes it difficult to stop them.
Cynics are not worth our time on this planet.
There are, it seems to me, lots of stupid comments here. The most impressive thing about team management is their successful drafts over several years. They should IMO want to keep Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes for the long term. Basically, you can put role players or solid athletes around those guys.
They are a great team because the unit is better than the individual parts. They function interchangeably, different players filling key roles on a given night. So many players can shoot or handle the ball that makes it difficult to stop them.
Cynics are not worth our time on this planet.
3
A very long piece about the WARRIORS and not one mention of CLAY THOMPSON? Seriously?
5
Professional sports disgust me. Completely.
2
Quite a pedigree. Thorpe collaborated with ATT's Claude Shannon, the father of networking and information theory. Imagine if we spent a small fraction of the time contemplating these men and their work that we do on Donald Trump and the Kardashians.
1
Not a mention of Luke Walton? Filling in for Steve Kerr to start the season this year. Strange.
2
Coach Kerr learned to play ball in Beirut and Cairo, possibly on clay.
Can't say that helped him be a listener-- as the article says he is-- but
it might have turned him into the legendary 3 point shooter he was.
Hard to dribble on dirt...
Can't say that helped him be a listener-- as the article says he is-- but
it might have turned him into the legendary 3 point shooter he was.
Hard to dribble on dirt...
There is a reason that we remember Mozart and not Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo who employed him. What hubris. TM
9
Brilliant finance guys
Quant management geniuses
Must be smarter out west. 2 words: Philly '76ers
Quant management geniuses
Must be smarter out west. 2 words: Philly '76ers
2
The team is of course great, and I don't doubt that Lacob hiring the right people has everything to do with it. I just don't trust Lacob's motives.
The next arena in SF will be opening in 2019, and they'll be selling off naming rights and personal seat licenses in the next year or two. Those will go for a lot more money if the Warriors are a dynasty than if they're mediocre.
Expect Lacob to fire West and sell off the best players as soon as he's made his money on the new arena -- just like with Harbaugh and the 49ers, another Bay Area privately funded stadium.
The next arena in SF will be opening in 2019, and they'll be selling off naming rights and personal seat licenses in the next year or two. Those will go for a lot more money if the Warriors are a dynasty than if they're mediocre.
Expect Lacob to fire West and sell off the best players as soon as he's made his money on the new arena -- just like with Harbaugh and the 49ers, another Bay Area privately funded stadium.
Lacob is a basketball freak. He doesn't want to just make money off of this - he wants to be known as the guy who made the Warriors a dynasty. He loves that. Of course, you are right in that the cost to attend a game will become outrageous once the arena opens in SF which is truly unfortunate and a not great reflection on our society.
1
At least half the value of GS is Curry. So why don't the ownership give him a raise? $11m/yr is just pathetic (though I know he gets tons from endorsements). Give him an owner's share even! He risks his earning potential every single game -- his fragile ankles are not going to hold up forever. And the second they fail him, the management will cut him loose. This is one fact worth considering: Curry is not replaceable. Few EVER have been such effective playmakers and shooters. If GS loses him, you will instantly lose 90% of national interest in the team -- and its value.
2
As humbling as it is to admit, the Warriors recent success is all my doing. You see, I'm very wealthy. Years ago I envisioned a change in the way basketball is played, coached, and managed. My plan centered on funding a newcomer to the venture capital world. By providing my money to him and my guidance on how best to invest it, I made him wealthy. All it took from there was a little whisper in his ear to pursue buying an NBA team, specifically the Warriors. The Warriors success has nothing to do with great coaching, remarkable team chemistry, transcendent play by a handful of future Hall of Famers, or even my pawn Joe Lacob; it is instead all about me and my money. You're welcome.
8
Sure they do. Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then.
1
All the brilliant management know-how couldn't predict that an undersized baby faced guard from Davidson would become the greatest player in the world for the last two years.
That's why we love sports and that's what puts people in your arena seats
That's why we love sports and that's what puts people in your arena seats
3
If I'm not mistaken, "tech guru," VC, and all-around "look at me, I'm rich, so I know how to do everything" self promoter Mark Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks and immediately installed state-of-the-art training room and locker room facilities, re-vamped the front offices, and won… exactly ONE championship.
Yeah, those tech "geniuses" really know what they're doing, don't they?
Yeah, those tech "geniuses" really know what they're doing, don't they?
6
I was looking at the seasons stats and I didn't see a single point scored by an owner.
4
How are those Knicks and Nets doing ?
The Bay Area is experiencing a magical moment with its baseball Giants and now Warriors team in professional sports. That the VC crowd would be so involved makes it even more magical. Great story.
1
if steph curry had been more badly concussed in last years playoffs, and the warriors failed to make the finals or win the championship, would the venture capitalists still be geniuses? People who are well versed in statistics should know that fortune operates on a bell scale often with the most important factor being random events. Let the warriors maintain this high level of production when the variables change ( curry loses a step or gets injured, the current roster changes over) and your article might have some validity. But just as the stock trader who had the best return on his investments last year will surely return to the standard mean, so to will the warriors.
1
Challenge to Mr. Lacob: Buy the Knicks, and do it again. A cool billion says he can't.
5
Golden State is a good team. The Bulls of 1995-98 were a great team in an era of much better teams and closer competition in the NBA.
Bulls take GS in five games in a series. Jordan in his prime is way, way better than Curry.
Bulls take GS in five games in a series. Jordan in his prime is way, way better than Curry.
1
Homer !
A savvy CEO gives everyone else the credit (because they deserve it). A savvy CEO knows it takes a team. A savvy CEO knows throwing money at the issue does not guarantee success (take Jerry Jones, please?).Enough Trumpeting, already!
4
Golden State is $25 million over the salary cap this year. Put a different way they are Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut over the salary cap. If it was a level playing field and everyone in the NBA had an equal footing the Warriors would be good, but not where they are. Instead they are one of the greatest teams ever to play and two thirds of the league are basically just feeder teams for a half a dozen wealthy ones. It makes for an unhealthy situation but who cares, right?
Stephen Curry is one amazing talent, I'll give you that.
Stephen Curry is one amazing talent, I'll give you that.
5
When Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls, the owners as well as the GM of the Bulls were considered geniuses, it's amazing how their IQs dropped when Jordan retired. Stephen Curry is the phenom that nobody saw coming, so before i genuflect too much we have to realize that Basketball, a sport that only needs 5 players on the court is the easiest for one great player to make a difference. Basketball is a sport where the team with the best player almost always has the best chance to win the championship, no matter how much the stat nerds would like to think otherwise.
8
"This wasn’t just a bad team, but a team that seemed permanently stuck in a state of irrelevance. “The little engine that couldn’t” is how the investor Nick Swinmurn, the founder of Zappos and a lifelong fan of the Warriors, describes it. During Cohan’s 16-year ownership, the Warriors had reached the N.B.A. playoffs only once. Sixteen of the league’s 30 teams advance every season. “So on an odds basis,” Lacob notes, “you’re supposed to make it half the time. Something was very wrong.”"
happens to me all the time, too: like, there's a 50-50 chance I'll get my understanding of probability right. regardless, the team's making a lot of people happy whatever the causes... .
happens to me all the time, too: like, there's a 50-50 chance I'll get my understanding of probability right. regardless, the team's making a lot of people happy whatever the causes... .
2
Let's wait and see how their management style overcomes the free agent losses of Curry, Thompson and Green. Sports is loaded with geniuses who build a great team for a few years only to see it fall apart and take years, if not decades to recover. As Charles Barkley says, ad nauseam, "Live by the jumper, die by the jumper".
1
Of course the SV big money has helped the Warriors with their incredible trajectory from being bottom-feeders for many years. I am one fan who is very appreciative of the investment, new management and vision.
However, this is what many bay areans think of when Joe Lacob's name comes up (warning: it's PG--pretty gross)
http://thebiglead.com/2015/11/04/did-joe-lacob-and-his-fiancee-have-a-th...
However, this is what many bay areans think of when Joe Lacob's name comes up (warning: it's PG--pretty gross)
http://thebiglead.com/2015/11/04/did-joe-lacob-and-his-fiancee-have-a-th...
2
Extremely misleading title to this article. It conflates correlation with causation, as the author, clumsily tries to show us that VC caused the fabulous Warriors. It did not. Without Curry and Green, we don't even have to speculate that the Warriors would, at best, be a mediocre team. VC adds nothing to the way the Warriors, for now at least, have changed the way professional basketball is being played. How are all those other VC-backed teams doing, btw? If the author were being honest with us, the article would have focused on how VC guys accumulate their wealth in the sports industry, but that would be a fairly boring article, likely relegated to the business section of the Times.
3
I admit that I truly enjoy the fluid ballet of team-style basketball played by the Warriors. It's 180 degrees from the past two decades of egocentric mano-a-mano brute force combat. Thanks to the entire Warriors organization.
But there are bigger issues. Would our society be better served if these smart guys applied more of their proven skills and risked more of their time and money in less public pursuits with longer cycles?
During the great recession roughly 60% of life science venture funds closed their doors. If you were a university research team with promising first-in-human results seeking R&D funding toward clinical approval, chances were that even hundreds of pitches would result in nothing.
Just this week we learned that it's easier to perpetrate a scam raising money for "cancer research" than it is for legitimate medical experts to raise money. After talking with many wealthy individuals and families I learned during circa 2009 that wealthy people preferred to donate to research rather than invest in developing proven research. Their donations in public settings such as society balls and parties generated good will and respect among their peers, a respect they didn't obtain when making investments in specific medical advances.
It looks like our MD PhDs are going to have to polish our basketball skills.
But there are bigger issues. Would our society be better served if these smart guys applied more of their proven skills and risked more of their time and money in less public pursuits with longer cycles?
During the great recession roughly 60% of life science venture funds closed their doors. If you were a university research team with promising first-in-human results seeking R&D funding toward clinical approval, chances were that even hundreds of pitches would result in nothing.
Just this week we learned that it's easier to perpetrate a scam raising money for "cancer research" than it is for legitimate medical experts to raise money. After talking with many wealthy individuals and families I learned during circa 2009 that wealthy people preferred to donate to research rather than invest in developing proven research. Their donations in public settings such as society balls and parties generated good will and respect among their peers, a respect they didn't obtain when making investments in specific medical advances.
It looks like our MD PhDs are going to have to polish our basketball skills.
2
Lot's of controversy over who gets the credit here but at least they are using private money for a new venue. That's more than most professional sport teams do.
1
Oh, I was wondering why Steph Curry was hitting threes at a pace not even approached by anyone in history....it was the venture capitalists. Jesus.
3
For distractors of the VC business model: 120 million people live in the East Coast, yet almost all the technological innovation in the United States is coming out of one place, San Francisco Bay Area, with the population of less than 6 million people! Why? East Coast's largest "industries" are the Federal government and the financial industry which push the country to the brink of bankruptcy in 2008 (we have not yet recovered from the disaster).
Hopefully, the type of innovation described by the article spreads to the rest of the country so we can get out of the rut we are in.
Hopefully, the type of innovation described by the article spreads to the rest of the country so we can get out of the rut we are in.
I hope Jed York is listening! With all the VC talent in the Bay Area, the 49ers are ripe for a rehaul--especially at the top!
I've lived in the bay area since 1989. It is not surprising to see the VCs try to take credit for the current success of this team. Their brilliance and influence is highly overrated, the result of a culture which assumes superiority and brilliance simply for existing. Mark Jackson deserves the credit for the success of this team. He brought in a mindset from the East coast (NY) of depth, character, integrity, resolve, perseverance, preparation, and team unity. The VCs certainly provide the financial backing, but their success is the result of them staying out of the way, as the culture that Mark Jackson created blossoms under Kerr, in this nice bay area weather.
3
I love the management style where anyone can help to improve the whole. If only our government would work this way. Mr. Smith no longer goes to Washington.
As a huge Warriors fan, I am truly grateful for the experience, and credit to Lacob for bringing in Meyers, West and Jackson and then replacing Jackson with Curry, but like must uber rich billionaires, Lacob conflates wealth and wisdom a little too much. I think Steph Curry, Draymond Green (whom Lacob did not want to play over his fave David Lee), Klay Thompson (whom Lacob wanted to trade for Kevin Love) Andrew Bogut (whom Lacob did not want) and André Igoudala (who came to the ws because of Mark Jackson, NOT Joe Lacob) have had just a little to do with the best season so far in NBA history. Besides, how much can you love a guy who charges $13 for a Budweiser and $40 for parking?
3
I am no sports fan, and have no connections with the VC business, but I am a psychologist, and I find the dynamics of many of the comments here very interesting.
We have VC owner claiming partial credit for the success of a sports team.
Then we have NY Times commenter saying "you egotistical maniac, you have nothing to do with the team's success". Some go further to castigate the entire VC business, or at least the personalities of those involved.
Which would mean that NY Times commenter is egotistical enough to purport to understand the factors that influence success for a sports team better than those who own the teams.
I'm from New York, so I'm quite familiar with this practice. But it's still a massive display of ego from someone who has displayed, at best, some experience watching the sport being played.
But then there are the commenters who are sure that the VC business is pretty much a matter of luck, with guys whose egos are super-inflated by their confusion of their luck with their skill. Now that's an amazing claim to knowledge that requires an even huger ego to make, unless one has a pile of data to back that claim up.
We do, though, have some comments about other teams owned by VC interests that aren't doing so well. If there are other teams owned by VC groups, and we're investigating if that makes an impact, then it's our journalist who's failed by focusing on only one team. If you want to know if VC management matters, talk to them all.
We have VC owner claiming partial credit for the success of a sports team.
Then we have NY Times commenter saying "you egotistical maniac, you have nothing to do with the team's success". Some go further to castigate the entire VC business, or at least the personalities of those involved.
Which would mean that NY Times commenter is egotistical enough to purport to understand the factors that influence success for a sports team better than those who own the teams.
I'm from New York, so I'm quite familiar with this practice. But it's still a massive display of ego from someone who has displayed, at best, some experience watching the sport being played.
But then there are the commenters who are sure that the VC business is pretty much a matter of luck, with guys whose egos are super-inflated by their confusion of their luck with their skill. Now that's an amazing claim to knowledge that requires an even huger ego to make, unless one has a pile of data to back that claim up.
We do, though, have some comments about other teams owned by VC interests that aren't doing so well. If there are other teams owned by VC groups, and we're investigating if that makes an impact, then it's our journalist who's failed by focusing on only one team. If you want to know if VC management matters, talk to them all.
4
Great comment. I think doing a piece on all the VC owners would be quite interesting. I believe what we'd find out is something along the lines of "Some owners are better and wiser decision makers than other owners, and there are some valuable things the NBA owners can learn from the VC model, but it's no guarantee of success, and oh yeah, you need really great players who are well coached and play well together to make a superior team."
1
“Unless you’re Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft chief who spent $2 billion on the Los Angeles Clippers without the help of outside investors, most potential owners don’t have the wherewithal, or the gumption, to finance a purchase themselves.”
The pusillanimous behavior of NBA
Commissioner Silver aided and abetted by team owners and players happy to take advantage of an an opportunity to demonstrate their political power and influence, and not two billion dollars, is the reason why Mr. Ballmer presently owns the Clippers. Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA and robbed of his team for the heinous crime of being overheard saying stupid things to his girlfriend.
The pusillanimous behavior of NBA
Commissioner Silver aided and abetted by team owners and players happy to take advantage of an an opportunity to demonstrate their political power and influence, and not two billion dollars, is the reason why Mr. Ballmer presently owns the Clippers. Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA and robbed of his team for the heinous crime of being overheard saying stupid things to his girlfriend.
1
Uh, robbed with a $2B check?
Wish I were so lucky next time I get mugged.
But you make a great point in this genius owner debate. Sterling was a stupid cheap owner in SD most of his time owning team, then became a genius for a few months when the Clippers happen to land Blake Griffin after years of lottery pick fails and trade for Chris Paul after the NBA nixed him going to the Lakers. Before turning back into a idiot for dissing the race of the majority of NBA players to his soon to be exGF.
Memo to Trumpettes: $Billions≠brains.
Wish I were so lucky next time I get mugged.
But you make a great point in this genius owner debate. Sterling was a stupid cheap owner in SD most of his time owning team, then became a genius for a few months when the Clippers happen to land Blake Griffin after years of lottery pick fails and trade for Chris Paul after the NBA nixed him going to the Lakers. Before turning back into a idiot for dissing the race of the majority of NBA players to his soon to be exGF.
Memo to Trumpettes: $Billions≠brains.
1
Joe Labob is as much an innovative genius in San Francisco as Phil Jackson was in Chicago and LA. Notice how Jackson went from genius to incompetent, arrogant fool in NYC? Makes you realize who the real basketball geniuses are: Jordan, Magic and Curry!
www.newyorkgritty.net
www.newyorkgritty.net
4
On the other hand, how many titles did Jordan win without Jackson vs. how many titles Jackson won without Jordan? Yes, great coaches don't win without great players but the converse is equally true.
3
This line stuck out for me, in describing the renovated HQ: “You walk through there now, and it’s young, and there’s excitement,” said Gib Arnold, a former University of Hawaii head coach, who spent several days observing the franchise last year. “It’s Google in the N.B.A.” Does that mean management fired the 'old' people just because they were 'old'? You know, people who have wrinkles on their face and brown spots on their skin. Weren't there any people with wrinkles who also are knowledgeable and talented? Why is 'old' equated to low-energy?
7
Considering the huge influence Jerry West has had since he joined them--and became a minority owner by the way-- Gib Arnold's comment doesn't make much sense. West will be 78 next month.
3
Thanks for letting me know! Don't think West's age was mentioned in the article.
"I shouldn't say this but I've won over $1,000,000 in one sitting nine times...". And probably lost over a million a few dozen times. Great story and interesting management but the Bulls analogy is apt. No Curry, no titles and this story becomes the tale of a pompus owner who knew nothing about running a team
5
GiveWell.com has lots of useful places for people with a lot of money to spend it wisely. Owning basketball teams is a vanity project.
2
More self anointing hyperbole from the gang who are "changing the world", when really, the vast majority of them do absolutely nothing for the betterment of society or mankind. I'm not bitter or mad at their change in tax bracket. I simply cannot abide by their self aggrandizing and absolute lack of introspection as a group. And now this. Dear god.
4
Reminds me of another Warriors team, the 1997 Red Lake Warriors who made history in the MN state tournament and helped set a record for most points in a game. In the miraculous final quarter a sophomore carried the team, draining one uncanny 3-pointer after another. http://www.startribune.com/more-than-the-final-score-red-lake-s-first-tr...
Nothing succeeds like success.
However players get old and they get hurt.
Time will tell how good an owner(s) they are.
However players get old and they get hurt.
Time will tell how good an owner(s) they are.
2
So sick of reading about Silicon Valley this and Silicon Valley that.
I would like their iPhone to update its OS without any problems, which it won't do now. Is this too much to ask?
I would like their iPhone to update its OS without any problems, which it won't do now. Is this too much to ask?
1
“Unless you’re Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft chief who spent $2 billion on the Los Angeles Clippers without the help of outside investors, most potential owners don’t have the wherewithal, or the gumption, to finance a purchase themselves.”
The pusillanimous behavior of the NBA Commissioner Silver, aided and abetted by team owners and black players happy to take advantage of an opportunity to demonstrate their political power and influence, and not two billion dollars, is the reason why Mr. Ballmer presently owns the Clippers. Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA and robbed of his team for the heinous crime of being overheard saying stupid things to his girlfriend.
The pusillanimous behavior of the NBA Commissioner Silver, aided and abetted by team owners and black players happy to take advantage of an opportunity to demonstrate their political power and influence, and not two billion dollars, is the reason why Mr. Ballmer presently owns the Clippers. Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA and robbed of his team for the heinous crime of being overheard saying stupid things to his girlfriend.
1
Two thoughts occur to me upon reading this article:
1. A major priority of sports columnists is to try to come up with a new/provocative angle on a bandwagon in order to draw eyeballs
2. Let's see how much responsibility these owners are willing to claim when the Warriors are no longer champions. Fair is fair.
1. A major priority of sports columnists is to try to come up with a new/provocative angle on a bandwagon in order to draw eyeballs
2. Let's see how much responsibility these owners are willing to claim when the Warriors are no longer champions. Fair is fair.
1
Whether you are Curry or Lacob, you need extraordinary self-confidence and an ability to rationalize/explain away failure quickly when things go awry, adjust immediately and get on with it. Listening to expert advice is a plus as no one is all knowing.
The trick is not to brag too much and make yourself out to be a jerk.
The trick is not to brag too much and make yourself out to be a jerk.
2
The owner at Stanford grad is as qualified as any and most to run a business, the Golden State Warriors is no different. He brought in West as "the basketball expert" and what happens from there is what the results will bare - profitability and winning together will be difficult but if profitability is sustained then the franchise will rise in value if another buyer steps in to pay a huge valuation as a trophy business - the are many Silicon Valley Billionaires who could afford to pay an upwards of 1 billion for this team and they probably want a team that business wise at least has a functional organization. The team itself will always be a wildcard and that's what another owner would focus on. The current owner Lacob as a VC will probably exit his baby in 5-10 years a billionaire.
Yep. The Warriors are really good. Exciting too. VC innovations have seemed to help. Lacob is obviously a winner. Now let's see how the Basketball Gods up on Basketball Olympus allow things to proceed.
Many commenters object to Lacob's apparent assertion that the team's wonderful success is caused solely by the owners' contribution. This objection to such an over-the-top assertion is obviously sensible. But the counter-position -- that the owners are absolutely irrelevant to the team's success -- is also fanciful. All parts of the organization must be working in order to achieve success. If a couple of the key players became injured, and the teams' success naturally declined, how long would it take commenters to assert that the lack of success is due entirely to the owners?
Really? An article about the management style in the NBA without mentioning San Antonio, the most successful sports franchise in history? Come on guys...
3
I hope this fantastic team keeps flying high above the annoying self-promotion of their owners.
Maybe some nerdy guys who were 'last pick' in junior high get to heal via thinking they own the Warrior's success over those who actually play the game...
Maybe some nerdy guys who were 'last pick' in junior high get to heal via thinking they own the Warrior's success over those who actually play the game...
The sample size is too small, at this point, to separate the good decisions from the good fortune. To be successful in sports -and life- you need both. Lacob seems too inclined to emphasize his judgement, but in time he'll probably be humbled a bit. His analysis of Curry's ankle recovery completely misses how fortunate the Warriors were. Anyone remember Grant Hill? Still, he brought in West and dumped Jackson. West has not always had things end in success. He and Kerr know the deal. Lacob will find out . . . or maybe not.
Your chronology is skewed. West arrived before Mark Jackson--and Jackson's departure had much to do with West.
Wasn't stating the events in any particular order. But, yes, that's another reason bringing West aboard and listening to him speaks well of Lacob, in spite of his flaws.
Let me give you a quote from another No Cal sportsman, John Madden, "It does not matter whether you use the attack defense or a contain defense, you just need guys." That is, guys who can play.
The Warriors had a little luck with Curry. Most thought he had all star potential, but not dominate MVP potential. They were half lucky with Klay Thompson out of Washington State, the Pullman basketball powerhouse. Then they were extremely lucky to get Draymond Green in the second round.
That kind good fortune in drafting is hard to scientifically reproduce. Jerry West, as great as he is, could not do it a second time with the Lakers after Magic, or one time for the Grizzlies.
It has nothing to do with venture capital. Talented basketball people with good fortune is more like it. The extra money can provide a solid roster with players such as Iguodala and Bogut.
Here's hoping the Air Force Academy's Gregg Popovich prevails over Silicon Valley in the playoffs.
The Warriors had a little luck with Curry. Most thought he had all star potential, but not dominate MVP potential. They were half lucky with Klay Thompson out of Washington State, the Pullman basketball powerhouse. Then they were extremely lucky to get Draymond Green in the second round.
That kind good fortune in drafting is hard to scientifically reproduce. Jerry West, as great as he is, could not do it a second time with the Lakers after Magic, or one time for the Grizzlies.
It has nothing to do with venture capital. Talented basketball people with good fortune is more like it. The extra money can provide a solid roster with players such as Iguodala and Bogut.
Here's hoping the Air Force Academy's Gregg Popovich prevails over Silicon Valley in the playoffs.
3
Brian from Menlo Park nails it: "Context is everything." All the palaver about trades and hyper personae mean little until something is established, and maybe three more years will tell. When this team is healthy no one touches them. Even losing to the Spurs without their bigs the Dubs posted a W. Besides health there must be a half dozen variables at least that can make the difference between success and failure, but without Curry... So, whom are really talking about? Lacob? West? Curry? In two seasons on the court the NBA has been changed by the Golden State Warriors. Enjoy.
Jordan and Pippen could not win the title together. As Horace Grant pointed out when he beat the bulls with the Magic, the bulls didn't have anyone like him. They then went out and got Rodman. The Warriors have Green. The Lakers had specialists at guard and forward. The Celtics had Ainge and Sichting to shoot threes. It is absolutely pathetic to concentrate on the superstar. The Pistons didn't have a superstar in their last two appearances in the championships, they did have specialists at every position, but failed to win their second because their bench wasn't as good as the year before. The team, the team, the team.
1
LeBorn James. He's unstoppable. Ask him. As often as you like.
It's sports. In every league, in every year, the win percentage and the loss percentage is .500. To look to the revamped architecture of an arena, and the characteristics of ownership, to find reasons for success, is silly. Anyone can write of the current leading team, in any league, and give reasons, with assumed authority, why the team is on top.
What no one has yet been able to do is to predict, in advance, who the winner will be in future. That is why the Las Vegas Strip sports the modern cathedrals. They are the palaces that entice those who believe they possess the wisdom of those who write articles like this one.
What no one has yet been able to do is to predict, in advance, who the winner will be in future. That is why the Las Vegas Strip sports the modern cathedrals. They are the palaces that entice those who believe they possess the wisdom of those who write articles like this one.
I heard that to cut down operating expenses they're thinking of replacing the concession stand workers at the Oracle Arena with H-1B visa holders from India and China.
2
Ok this bugs me. Seems everyone here read a different article. Or have read another one and are projecting here. FYI I grew up in Silicon Valley when it was still Santa Clara Valley. David Packard moved in across the street. All of you poo pooing the "self absorbed" people must not know any. I know a few and none I know fit your description. Most are far less ostentatious than those of their economic class. Are they lucky? We'll less than most rich people like trump. There is a degree to which they capitalized on opportunities, but that require some degree of intelligence. Maybe not genius, but hard work and commitment. This also required an open aggressive management style. Tech industry changes so rapidly, a firm without an aggressively open management style seldom survives. I've seen many die.
1
Unless you've got the dough for good seats, an open invite at the Bridge Club, f and someone to fetch your car, going to a game, any game, is a lot of schlepping. I'd rather stay home, watch the thing on a 60 inch HDTV with a few friends, a few beers, a pizza and relax. The 1% have now found a new area to tinker with and it's all good. Just not or me.
1
What I appreciate most about this article is the understanding, so often mixed, that there is seldom if ever one factor that is truly predominant. If the economy weakens people want to blame the president. Or if a movie is successful people want to award credit to an actor or director or writer. To be sure, everyone deserves their share of recognition or blame, as the case may be. And some people are standouts. But beyond that there is a more subtle combination of elements that is really at the heart of things. It explains why certain extraordinary schools or companies or even countries function so much better than the rest. It's not something than can be replicated in a formulaic way. We have to take useful elements and combine them in a dynamic and open-minded way that is responsive to the situation at hand if we want to create something beyond the ordinary. Like the Warriors... whether in the front office or on the court. A good lesson here.
Iguodala went on to win the 2015 NBA Finals MVP award. Absolutely amazing!
There is no denying that a bad front-end can sometimes singlehandedly collapse the chances of even a great team to win a title. Here in Chicago, where the Bulls lucked into a fantastic opportunity to win a title after picking up Rose as the #1 pick, front office strife between a wildly successful coach (best regular season record 3/5 years) and management imploded. Now the Bulls are likely out of the playoffs. Yes, Rose was hurt, but the teams terrible drafting forced them to overpay for old free agents time and time again.
I had fun reading this piece, although it's so relentlessly positive that the Warriors P.R. people should be given high-fives. The approach taken by the team sounds like a good one, but the owners abundance of arrogance is a bit sickening. Perhaps it's because I was raised as a youth as a fan of the Spurs back in the "Young Guns" era, and have enjoyed watching that team share the credit all around - including the fan base in a very small market.
I had fun reading this piece, although it's so relentlessly positive that the Warriors P.R. people should be given high-fives. The approach taken by the team sounds like a good one, but the owners abundance of arrogance is a bit sickening. Perhaps it's because I was raised as a youth as a fan of the Spurs back in the "Young Guns" era, and have enjoyed watching that team share the credit all around - including the fan base in a very small market.
1
Inheriting a team with Stephen Curry and thinking that makes you brillaint owner is he equivalen if being born onthrid base and thinking you hit a triple.
One need not be a wealthy Silicon Valley V.C. to know that success - like failure - is never permanent. Final score. That's the only enduring stat.
1
What can be said about these self-annointed genuises? Wasn't it Louis XVI who went around boasting , "Les Golden Gate Warriors, c'est moi", just before he lost his head?
46
Guessing you're not a hoop fan?
You got me. Laughed out loud. Great comment.
Anything in the Bay Area is subject to being optimized in some way that proudly snubs tradition. It's one of the reasons I enjoy living here.
Some Warriors critics don't believe their stars would be as good if they played on other teams. I actually tend to somewhat agree. There is something about the chemistry of the team and its style of play that really seems to be getting the best out of this group.
Some Warriors critics don't believe their stars would be as good if they played on other teams. I actually tend to somewhat agree. There is something about the chemistry of the team and its style of play that really seems to be getting the best out of this group.
14
Kerr, who learned at the collective feet of the Zen Master, that would be Phil, and Pop, that would be Pop, is the reason that this team coheres, displays such intelligent decision-making regardless of which players happen to be on the court.
This ain't rocket science. Nor is play enhanced by artificial-intelligence wonks. Jackson was an exceptional coach, but I doubt that he could have brought this team where it quickly went under Kerr. This owner, without the divine intervention Jackson invoked, would have nothing to crow about, although one assumes that that would not stop him.
For what it's worth, this team goes only as far as Green can take them. Somebody neutralizes Green, or if he gets significantly encumbered (fouls, dinged up), the Warriors become quite mortal. I think that a front line that forces Green to guard, or account for, Boris Diaw has got a real shot at being that neutralizer. Based upon that last game between the two teams, if they both get there, Mr. Owner might find that Pop thinks so too.
This ain't rocket science. Nor is play enhanced by artificial-intelligence wonks. Jackson was an exceptional coach, but I doubt that he could have brought this team where it quickly went under Kerr. This owner, without the divine intervention Jackson invoked, would have nothing to crow about, although one assumes that that would not stop him.
For what it's worth, this team goes only as far as Green can take them. Somebody neutralizes Green, or if he gets significantly encumbered (fouls, dinged up), the Warriors become quite mortal. I think that a front line that forces Green to guard, or account for, Boris Diaw has got a real shot at being that neutralizer. Based upon that last game between the two teams, if they both get there, Mr. Owner might find that Pop thinks so too.
Read the first few paragraphs. Can't bring myself to read anymore. I am a univ prof in computer science and have many friends in the business in the Valley. But I am just repulsed by the culture there, not just the VC culture. A logical fallacy has become axiomatic: if you make a ton of money, particularly at a young age, then you are more deserving, sharper, smarter, just better than everyone else. So, many in SV who have made it big have only so-so talent. The success came from a big dose of luck and being in the right place at the right time. But so few have any humility or a broader perspective.
I do not begrudge the monetary success. But I truly dislike the arrogance and entitlement.
I do not begrudge the monetary success. But I truly dislike the arrogance and entitlement.
181
My wife and I take in occasional games of the Durham Bulls and Carolina Mudcats. Can't remember, of any of the last 20 games we watched, whether the home teams or the visitors won. I enjoy the beer and the brats, and my wife eats and drinks sensibly, and we both savor the ambience. But we are just hillbillies. But apparently no different than the ownership and management groups of the 31 NBA teams who are not as smart as those of the Warriors.
We all have our gifts. They're privileged, yes, but very successful. From where I sit, in SW Uganda, where aspirations go unfunded and unrealized, it's a great story.
You should've read a little more carefully. The main investors in the team were very seasoned venture capitalists with decades in the business, not a bunch of young coders in sweatshirts. These guys didn't "get rich quick" with a single IPO--they built hundreds of portfolio companies.
I have been a warriors fan since 1962. As kid,s we went to the san bruno recreation center to watch their practices. Most of us old timers are really looking forward to the bubble known as silicon valley to burst. Lacob is not a savant when it comes to basketball. Like most of the rich techies, he was in the right place at the right time. Now he "owns" a basketball team. He doesn't own the fans, nor does he have any respect from this one old timer.
33
If this team is really run they way it is described here, then I agree with the statement this is no accident. Someone points out that Jerry West said no about certain players. They then go on to say see they don't know what they are doing. Yet that reinforces what Lacob said, its a group decision, and all need to be on board. The inclusive nature of management gives credence to all. This is a further innovation on the money ball concept. All is a result of the famous Stanford Professor Demming. Hence demmings system of quality control. Statistical methods, that include multiple people input, and means to analyze the system to improve. Again if. But proof will be shown over time.
7
I don't want to dispute the facts, but! Deming was at NYU in the 90's and while he is justly famous, buying talent(Stanford) doesn't make him Stanford. The warriors without one transcendant 3 point shooter doesn't make a silicon valley "moneyguy" smart or "special". Ballmer isn't smarter or dumber with the Clippers. This fawning reverence for wealthy dot-comers is like the NYT applauding move-on or Black lives matter while making most of their money catering to the 1%'ers. Why did you stop becoming the "paper of record" and become a "tabloid"!
1
Great read. My only disappointment is the move to San Francisco. Oakland supported this franchise in its worst years and it's Oakland that brings energy into the building. The culture and atmosphere change when the Warriors move to San Francisco and the diehard Oakland fan loses out.
50
My feelings exactly and many of the GS diehards will find themselves priced out in SF, too.
Agreed, disappointed to read the team is moving to SF.
This article shows the difference between the Warriors and Spurs ownership. Peter Holt has always praised the players, fans, system, and coach. Lacob is all about self praise. ugh
44
Answer to the headline "question": they took credit for Steph Curry, that's what happened.
18
The Warriors invigorate and motivate a lot of people who live in the SF Bay Area. It is fun to have something in common to celebrate w your neighbors who might be of a different political party and/or race.
In addition to playing so well, they are generally people of great good will and an example of how teams can and should work together.
Long live the Warriors and thanks from one of your fans!
In addition to playing so well, they are generally people of great good will and an example of how teams can and should work together.
Long live the Warriors and thanks from one of your fans!
8
Management deserves a ton of credit, being venture capitalist is purely incidental. Having lived in the Bay Area for over 35 years. I've lived through the 70s' dominating Raiders, and Al Davis ain't no VC. The 70s triple World series winner and the much later "Billy Ball" in Oakland As, no VC. The fall and rise and fall of the 49ers, Eddie D was no VC.
There is no doubt bad management destroy a franchise, witness the 49ers and the Warriors' former owners. Great management builds great team, if they happen to be VCs, so be it.
There is no doubt bad management destroy a franchise, witness the 49ers and the Warriors' former owners. Great management builds great team, if they happen to be VCs, so be it.
21
Hmmmmm....wasn't Steph Curry on the squad when they bought the franchise? THAT's who took over the club - and the league.
It's nice they've built up the business side of the organization. Over time, as the current crop of talent ages out of their prime, they'll come to understand that it's a players' league and there really are only a couple players across the entire NBA at any given time that can lead a team to a championship. Not recognizing this only showcases their hubris and naivete.
It's nice they've built up the business side of the organization. Over time, as the current crop of talent ages out of their prime, they'll come to understand that it's a players' league and there really are only a couple players across the entire NBA at any given time that can lead a team to a championship. Not recognizing this only showcases their hubris and naivete.
22
It never ceases to amaze me the determination of wealthy people to congratulate themselves for the sun coming up in the west, or water flowing downhill. The temptation to believe you're smarter than other people because you have more money is just too irresistible. Take away Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson and let's see how great their management prowess turns out to be. The Chicago Blackhawks have a great front office; the St. Louis Cardinals have a great front office; the New England Patriots, for all the personally horrible things Robert Kraft does, have a great front office. The Golden State Warriors - they're working on their 2nd strong season in a row on the court, and so far the front office hasn't messed it up.
36
If somebody could truly make the sun come up in the west, well -- that Would be noteworthy.
But as the great philosopher Rawls, Lou once opined: "The sun rises in the east, and sets down in the west (repeat), but it's So Hard to tell who will love you the best." He was right about both the sun and the who.
Today, he might also say that the Dubs are what makes the NBA worth watching. He'd be right about that, too.
But as the great philosopher Rawls, Lou once opined: "The sun rises in the east, and sets down in the west (repeat), but it's So Hard to tell who will love you the best." He was right about both the sun and the who.
Today, he might also say that the Dubs are what makes the NBA worth watching. He'd be right about that, too.
1
without steph curry the warriors would be 40-40
9
The real brain behind the GS Warriors is HOFer Jerry West. Two years ago when owner Joe Lacob wanted to trade Klay Thompson for Kevin Love, Jerry West said "NO." In fact, West said he would resign if the Warriors made this insane trade. And in 2013, Lacob wanted to sign C Dwight Howard. And guess who was strongly against it? Lacob's management style is effective because he hires the "right people" like Jerry West. And Lacob is smart enough to let these people make the key management calls.
81
HenryW, thanks for pointing this out! I'd totally forgotten that the legendary Jerry West had ended up at Golden State. For those of you who do not know West, he was an outstanding player who helped the Lakers to reach the Finals 9 times in 14 years. As a scout, coach and general manager for the Lakers, he was instrumental to building both the Showtime Lakers team and the Shaq/Kobe teams. Altogether, he played a huge role in getting the Lakers 11 of their 16 championships. There's a reason there's a statue of him in front of the Staples Center. It's nauseating that Jerry West, who moved to Golden State in 2011, isn't even mentioned in this article.
On the other hand, maybe some venture capitalists who enjoy the occasional pickup game and inherited Stephen Curry are the reason the Warriors have had a good run. [Smirk]
On the other hand, maybe some venture capitalists who enjoy the occasional pickup game and inherited Stephen Curry are the reason the Warriors have had a good run. [Smirk]
2
Best comment. Jerry West is the brains.
1
“The great, great venture capitalists who built company after company, that’s not an accident,” he said. “And none of this is an accident, either.”
Ha ha ha ha ha. These guys' entire lives are accidents. There's some really great Kool Aid on the streets of Silicon Valley and these guys mainline the stuff. It's really nice to see them hiring minorities for a change though. When are they going to bring that practice to the boardroom?
Ha ha ha ha ha. These guys' entire lives are accidents. There's some really great Kool Aid on the streets of Silicon Valley and these guys mainline the stuff. It's really nice to see them hiring minorities for a change though. When are they going to bring that practice to the boardroom?
70
Great entrepreneurs create great companies; great VCs are ones that recognise this and want in
Great players and coaches make great teams; great owners are ones that do well to remember this
And that's why the world knows Curry and Jordan, and Gates and Zuckerberg; and not the guys who financed them
Great players and coaches make great teams; great owners are ones that do well to remember this
And that's why the world knows Curry and Jordan, and Gates and Zuckerberg; and not the guys who financed them
17
Lacob seems an eminently sensible person, creating a context within which his team and those around it (e.g., minority investors) can thrive and enjoy themselves.
But neither he nor anyone else associated with the Warriors should forget that Stephen Curry was already there when he bought the team. Without Curry, the post-acquisition history of the Warriors, regardless of the brilliance of any ownership group, would have been dramatically different. Lacob seems to have done a lot that is good, but it doesn't hurt to have been lucky to have had an incandescent jewel, not quite recognized for the incomparable treasure he is, already in the mix.
But neither he nor anyone else associated with the Warriors should forget that Stephen Curry was already there when he bought the team. Without Curry, the post-acquisition history of the Warriors, regardless of the brilliance of any ownership group, would have been dramatically different. Lacob seems to have done a lot that is good, but it doesn't hurt to have been lucky to have had an incandescent jewel, not quite recognized for the incomparable treasure he is, already in the mix.
19
and is not this the exact point made in the second to last paragraph...?
"This confluence of good planning and luck...all you can do is try to increase your chances of getting the outcome you desire."
"This confluence of good planning and luck...all you can do is try to increase your chances of getting the outcome you desire."
Quite a few unhappy people here I see... Warriors fans appreciate that Rome wasn't built in a day but they also know the previous owner had over a decade to produce quality and pretty much fell on his face. Lacob et al did something right... though critics seem to find only fault here. Yes, Curry was here when he arrived, but Bogut, Thompson, Green, Igoudala, Livingston, Barbosa, Barnes, Speights, Ezeli were not. It wasn't until Curry's sixth season that the Warriors won it all, the year Kerr arrived. Whatever the formula, Lacob's approach to building a team has been very successful... enough so that the team will pay for its new arena in San Francisco without public money. My guess is that even if ticket prices go up, as they are all over the NBA, that Warriors fans will fill the new arena and create the magic we witness at every game in Oakland. This is fun!
7
Very good points. Most of the people posting are mis-reading Lacob's POV. It's the writer who presented the facts and quotes in such a way as to make Lacob seem as if he's taking credit for the Dubs' success on the court. What he's taking credit for, and rightfully, is that he hires people who know what they are doing and then gets out of their way. Anyone who's been a Warriors fan for more than a few years knows how the top-down management style can destroy a team. (And look what's happened to the Knicks.) Joe Lacob has put the right people in place. Bringing in Jerry West was perfect. He took risks by hiring Myers and, in a stroke of pure genius, Steve Kerr. Of course it's the guys on the court who win the games. But I agree that these players would probably not be as great as they are if they were playing somewhere else. And don't forget that the team didn't get past Round 2 when Jackson was the coach, with pretty much the same players. Basketball is a team sport all the way around: on the court, where the Dubs are showing what TEAM really means, and in the front office too.
I'm no fan of venture capitalism -- or of any capitalism, for that matter -- but can still recognize that management of a business sets the tone. You can walk into a store and know within five minutes if the wrong tone has been set at the top: disgruntled or lethargic workers, badly maintained merchandise, lack of concern for customers, etc. The same is true of sports.
I'm no fan of venture capitalism -- or of any capitalism, for that matter -- but can still recognize that management of a business sets the tone. You can walk into a store and know within five minutes if the wrong tone has been set at the top: disgruntled or lethargic workers, badly maintained merchandise, lack of concern for customers, etc. The same is true of sports.
2
Life-long Warriors fan here. Cringing at Lacob's hubris and bragging; antithesis of his team's scintillating selflessness. Seems like San Antonio has been in the playoffs every year since the peach basket was invented; don't hear such boasts from them. Lacob, as others have said, let's get another data-point or two on the graph before we draw that dynasty line, shall we? Egad.
PS: the boast about winning over $1million nine times at blackjack: that's swell, how many times did you *lose* more than $1million at blackjack? Context is everything.
PS: the boast about winning over $1million nine times at blackjack: that's swell, how many times did you *lose* more than $1million at blackjack? Context is everything.
67
The controlling owner of the Sacramento Kings NBA team is also from Silicon Valley. The Kings are a (there are others) laughing stock of the league. Kings fans are not so impressed with their experience with the Silicon Valley management style.
20
Excellent point. Lacob certainly has an excellent leadership style and is helping his team to thrive but he also was in the right place at the right time. Curry and the starting 5 love to play together and have obvious chemistry. The Kings have incredible players; Rondo, Cousins...but they are mercurial. You can hire the talent, you can make the right atmosphere for the chemistry to occur in, but the magic of this team...it just happens.
I thought of the same thing about the Kings and Vivek Ranadive (Kings owner) when I read this article. I think the point here is that Lacob is a smart businessman, who's current with the times, and he's made smart decisions with the Warriors. Modern management in our complex world requires decision makers who are open to input from outsiders and insiders alike - it's impossible these days for one person at the top to know enough to make the best decisions all on their own. Maybe the VC model (when applied correctly) deserves some credit for that, but that is not the only type of business in the 21st century that operates that way. Just pick up any article from the Harvard Business Review about modern management. And remember, you also have your fair share of VCs that make bad decisions.
1
Lets not make this much more than it really is. This is a remarkable assemblage of true basketball talent literally stretching the limits of shooting. The greatness occurs on the court and has zero to do with the witness' talking about it.
15
I live out here in the Bay Area and let me assure you, the narcissists from Silicon Valley take credit for everything.
They genuinely believe the world would just cave in and implode if it weren't for their incestuous little ol' boys club inventing new ways to turn everything into a program or a process.
They genuinely believe the world would just cave in and implode if it weren't for their incestuous little ol' boys club inventing new ways to turn everything into a program or a process.
93
If, by hiring a professional management, best Basketball brains and coaches without massive egos and letting them do their job of constructing a team that plays unselfishly, he can take all the credit he wants. You just have to look at two dysfunctional teams in the Bay area to find Owners and Managements that interfere with the running of the team, make bad hires and play politics and undermine the coaches. The Santa Clara 49ers (they are no longer the SF 49ers) and the Oakland Raiders are poster children of this model. The Eddie DeBartolo owned team was at the top of their game but ran to seed with the new owners. Al Davis of the Raiders was rumored to be a micro manager and thought of the team fans and the city of Oakland as his vassals.
So, Joe Lacob, take all the credit you want, even when you move the team across the bay to your fancy proposed new stadium. Just make sure the Club facilities for the more upscale fans are not too fancy. Most of this crowd will probably make a bee line for the food and drink rather than supporting their team from their seats...just ask the 49ers.
So, Joe Lacob, take all the credit you want, even when you move the team across the bay to your fancy proposed new stadium. Just make sure the Club facilities for the more upscale fans are not too fancy. Most of this crowd will probably make a bee line for the food and drink rather than supporting their team from their seats...just ask the 49ers.
3
Jerry Krause former GM of Michael Jordan era Bulls in '90s of the two three-peats believed the same thing. It endeared him to no one on the team, including and especially coach Jackson and Jordan. Owner Reinsdorf did not mind as he enjoyed many years and games of sold out seats and six championships.
3
The reason the Warriors are doing so well is because they put the ball in the hole at the end of the court more than the other guys. But you go ahead and keep believing that it's your spreadsheets and organic kale salads if you want. Me, I'm too busy trying to teach my own set of knuckleheads what a triangle is.
108
Perfect!
4
I watch a lot of W games. They have incredible talent to be sure, but it is very clear that the whole organization is responsible for their astounding success. They are very savy.
6
Even the greatest of teachers and coaches can't make a winning team. They have to work with the material they are given.
2
Players win championships, plain and simple. They had no idea that Curry would turn into the best player in the league or else they would ave been trying to trade up in the draft that year to guarantee they got their man no one else knew about, not waiting at 7 holding their breath. I wonder if this guy will take credit when the Warriors stink while he is owner(which they will at some point).
14
Warriors were waiting at 7 with a deal with Suns GM Kerr to draft and trade Curry because Kerr and the Suns were big on Kerr. But Kerr hadn't formalized the deal. Uh oh.
Lacob really is a genius to have plotted all this out years ago, including reneging, successful comeback from surgery, a coach wrong for the team, and, playing a brand of out of favor Mike d'Antoni ball, and so clearly does not really need Curry since Lacob is the genius behind the Warriors' lightening in the bottle.
Of course, Sarver bought the Suns and with the same genius management talk turned them into a nothing franchise. So maybe not. The basketball gods are jealous gods. Ask LeBron.
Lacob really is a genius to have plotted all this out years ago, including reneging, successful comeback from surgery, a coach wrong for the team, and, playing a brand of out of favor Mike d'Antoni ball, and so clearly does not really need Curry since Lacob is the genius behind the Warriors' lightening in the bottle.
Of course, Sarver bought the Suns and with the same genius management talk turned them into a nothing franchise. So maybe not. The basketball gods are jealous gods. Ask LeBron.
7
Owners with vision and high standards have clearly contributed to the Warriors' current success. Oakland's baseball franchise provides a marked contrast. The A's ownership is short sighted and apparently content to cash baseball's revenue sharing checks. An occasional winning season doesn't disguise the lack of vision and commitment of the current A's ownership.
3
Did Silicon Valley teach Steph Curry how to shoot? Hmm. Maybe they gave him his family's athletic genes. Must be that.
25
Best NBA season 3 point shooting percentage belongs to Steve Kerr.
7
Not only do these money masters not pay taxes they write off the costs associated with the team as "business expenses" including the private jets they use to get to games and the private boxes where they entertain supposed "business guests". Those of us who actually pay taxes even pay them when our politicians push through publicly funded stadiums, highways and roads, security and many other "perks" to keep the taxpayer dollar-sucking teams in town. I'm sure these smart boys have a lot to do with the success of the teams they OWN. Wonder when they'll replace real players with robots to maximize profits? What fun that will be. What a scam. Pay your damn taxes.
40
We will see how smart are these guys are when they have to resign these stars -
Tickets are amazing for these games, these new owners have jacked up the prices and have drowned out the season ticket holders who supported this team before they were winning. Where were all the lifelong Warrior fans back then? Quite a bit fewer in volume when you couldn't give the tickets away. Success is fleeting.
Tickets are amazing for these games, these new owners have jacked up the prices and have drowned out the season ticket holders who supported this team before they were winning. Where were all the lifelong Warrior fans back then? Quite a bit fewer in volume when you couldn't give the tickets away. Success is fleeting.
6
All NBA fans will be fascinated by this article, which correctly recognizes what has long been a central but insufficiently acknowledged factor in a team's success, namely the culture of the franchise. The Spurs are the gold standard in this regard. Sure, the confluence of Popovich, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili may have been good fortune, but what has made the Spurs so successful year after year is the spirit of the franchise, which values selflessness over stardom. So it now seems to be the case with the Warriors, who are great not just because of Steph Curry's shooting, but because the franchise has been built to let everyone grow into what he can do best. Thompson, Green, Igoudala, Livingston and the rest - it's hard to imagine any of them being as good on any other team. For comparison, look at what's happened to Carmelo Anthony, once the league's best shooter, at the Knicks. He's a man without a country, stuck in a terrible franchise. Basketball is a team sport, from the owners and front office on down - or it should be.
18
Whenever there are superstars like Larry Byrd, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Wilt Chamberlain, etc. they can take a team to many wins because of the points they score on any one night. So no, without superstars, a team will have a hard time winning and being in the playoffs.
6
oh those silicon valley entrepreneurs are geniuses aren't they? if nothing else they are spectacular at self promotion. but here's something that is not advertised that would be a great story. i heard from a VC once that the real story of silicon valley VC's is how much they fail and what a spectacularly terrible investment any one of them would be were you to invest your money alongside them. but i have NEVER seen this covered in any paper. readers need you journalists to hunt it down and tell us not about the one dazzling story of success but about the rate of success. more convincing than a nice cozy story about counting cards and blackjack (hinting that these guys are just oh so much smarter than you and i...) would be a story that actually looks objectively at both their successes and failures and is able in that way to more objectively define their overall ability to successfully "turn businesses around".
4
Let's point out the obvious - the success of the Golden State Warriors can largely be attributed to Stephen Curry.
Silicon Valley deserves as much credit for their ascendancy as the Food Packing industry deserves for the Chicago Bulls' teams of the '90s.
Silicon Valley deserves as much credit for their ascendancy as the Food Packing industry deserves for the Chicago Bulls' teams of the '90s.
26
Joe Lacob is not responsible for the success of the Golden State Warriors and Warrior fans—who boo him at every opportunity—know it. He's just another hedgie creep who thinks that money makes the man. God knows, he doesn't have much else to recommend him otherwise.
The success of the Warriors has mostly to do with bringing in NBA legend Jerry West, who is the NBA's current resident personnel genius, to advise the series of GM's who succeeded Chris Mullin. That would be Larry Riley, who was Don Nelson's right hand previously and Bob Myers, Bay Area born but a player for UCLA and working as a players' agent in LA when he got the Warriors call.
My guess is that the West and the Myers hires are more the work of Lacob's "silent" partner, LA movie producer Peter Guber, but I may be wrong.
And while Lacob is not responsible for the team's success, I wouldn't be at all surprised if moving the team from Oakland to SF, as Lacob and Guber are actively engaged in, will be the team's Waterloo. The Oracle was an incredibly live arena before Lacob, mostly due to the teams fan base in the Filipino community who have filled the joint through the bad years and now the good. Now Lacob plans to kick them in the teeth and try to make the new arena a yuppie haven. What a jerk.
So NBA fans . . . enjoy this while you can.
The success of the Warriors has mostly to do with bringing in NBA legend Jerry West, who is the NBA's current resident personnel genius, to advise the series of GM's who succeeded Chris Mullin. That would be Larry Riley, who was Don Nelson's right hand previously and Bob Myers, Bay Area born but a player for UCLA and working as a players' agent in LA when he got the Warriors call.
My guess is that the West and the Myers hires are more the work of Lacob's "silent" partner, LA movie producer Peter Guber, but I may be wrong.
And while Lacob is not responsible for the team's success, I wouldn't be at all surprised if moving the team from Oakland to SF, as Lacob and Guber are actively engaged in, will be the team's Waterloo. The Oracle was an incredibly live arena before Lacob, mostly due to the teams fan base in the Filipino community who have filled the joint through the bad years and now the good. Now Lacob plans to kick them in the teeth and try to make the new arena a yuppie haven. What a jerk.
So NBA fans . . . enjoy this while you can.
85
Prior to the Dubs present success and consequent popularity among locals, even those who don't know much about basketball, the Oakland Arena was known throughout the NBA for its racially and economically diverse fanbase, and actually admired for being the least corporate in the league. Do you remember the "We Believe" run in the playoffs, when crowds of young black, Chinese, and Filipino guys would wait in the parking lot for the box office to open, then charge at the building? Those were the days...
1
Last time I checked, entrepreneurs started companies, and the venture capitalists financed them. Let me know if I'm misunderstanding something.
11
Uhh, the worker bees who can actually, like, uh, write the specs and uh, code, and have like, ideas, and like, deliver working betas?
Hard to believe, huh? Seems so unnecessary, undignified to exalting The Geniuses. Peasants. Good thing most worker bees have the social awareness of engineers so grifters can grift them.
Hard to believe, huh? Seems so unnecessary, undignified to exalting The Geniuses. Peasants. Good thing most worker bees have the social awareness of engineers so grifters can grift them.
5
Will, Venture capitalists invest in entrepreneurs' ideas, not finance them. Investing makes them part owners of the company, while financing makes them creditors of the company.
Most entrepreneurs do not know how to organize a company. They nothing of accounting, tax accounting, human resources, employment law, leases, licenses, trade treaties, export import duties/tariffs, tax treaties, etc.
Henry Ford was given a tour of "his" company and asked his guide what a bunch of people were doing. He was told they were accountants. He said don't we get a bank statement from the bank? He was told yes. He said fine; fire all of them. If his company's executives actually did fire them (instead of telling him they had), how many more millions were embezzled from Ford Motor Co? Ford was a genius when he made a street thug named William Bennett president and chairman. Yeah, entrepreneurs need nobody.
Henry Ford was given a tour of "his" company and asked his guide what a bunch of people were doing. He was told they were accountants. He said don't we get a bank statement from the bank? He was told yes. He said fine; fire all of them. If his company's executives actually did fire them (instead of telling him they had), how many more millions were embezzled from Ford Motor Co? Ford was a genius when he made a street thug named William Bennett president and chairman. Yeah, entrepreneurs need nobody.
Yep the are all geniuses.
Geniuses who are one bad knee injury away from oblivion.
Geniuses who are one bad knee injury away from oblivion.
40
Oh, please....
A venture capitalist thinks that the success of the basketball teams is due to "Silicon Valley precepts"?
Does that mean sports fans can now expect 3 out of every 4 professional sports franchises owned by this kind of owner to go out of business, per the WSJ headline: "The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Fail"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443720204578004980476429190
A venture capitalist thinks that the success of the basketball teams is due to "Silicon Valley precepts"?
Does that mean sports fans can now expect 3 out of every 4 professional sports franchises owned by this kind of owner to go out of business, per the WSJ headline: "The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Fail"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443720204578004980476429190
34
I think it's cute that the owners thinks it was organizational innovation and leadership that has made them a dynasty.
It's cute they even think they are a dynasty when the Spurs are only a slight underdog to represent the west and their one championship was a tight series against a Cavs team with injuries to two of their starting five.
Without Curry, the Bridge Club or open plan office aren't going to generate a championship.
It's cute they even think they are a dynasty when the Spurs are only a slight underdog to represent the west and their one championship was a tight series against a Cavs team with injuries to two of their starting five.
Without Curry, the Bridge Club or open plan office aren't going to generate a championship.
15
Reminiscent of Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause claiming (in Halberstam's "Michael Jordan and the World He Made") that the organization - right down to the ladies taking season ticket calls - were as responsible for the team's success on the court as Jordan was.
Ah - I don't think so.
Krause - as portrayed - was also both thin-skinned and over-eager to take credit for successes in which his part was minimal, at best.
Ah - I don't think so.
Krause - as portrayed - was also both thin-skinned and over-eager to take credit for successes in which his part was minimal, at best.
15
"After the pickup game, Lacob pulled on a sweatshirt and went to breakfast at a cafeteria on the ground floor. He goes there so often that one of the smoothies on the menu, involving orange juice, vanilla yogurt, bananas and strawberries, has been named for him. He pointed this out, then ordered one. When I asked him about the previous night’s game, he could hardly contain himself. He boasted that the Warriors are playing in a far more sophisticated fashion than the rest of the league. “We’ve crushed them on the basketball court, and we’re going to for years because of the way we’ve built this team,” he said. But what really set the franchise apart, he said, was the way it operated as a business. “We’re light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things,” he said. “We’re going to be a handful for the rest of the N.B.A. to deal with for a long time.”"
Lacob is going to be receiving a well deserved message from the basketball gods and a lesson in greek tragedy.
Lacob is going to be receiving a well deserved message from the basketball gods and a lesson in greek tragedy.
34
Let's be clear: the only person overwhelmingly responsible for the Warriors success is Stephon Curry. Everybody else is incidental. The Warriors are merely above average without him and he brought his game to an even higher level the last few years essentially by his own will to be great, particularly notable given his limited physical attributes by NBA standards.
13
Lets not forget they had and still have one of the top shooting guards in the NBA. It also developed into a team that is winning with 3 pointers. Curry shoots 3 at a rate of fifty-five percent of all his shots while Clay 3 point shooting is about forty-seven percent of all his shots. Mark Jackson's leadership led the Worriers to their first playoff in 19 years. Except for Boston and GSW. You can see some of and also the worst performing teams in the NBA. Just look at the 76ers an embarrassment. Lou give credit where credit is due: number one the players, number two the coaches now and Jackson who you fired.
6
It's just more absurdly rich Silicon Valley boys and their absurdly expensive Silicon Valley toys. I know our local owner Paul Allen is not very different, but he doesn't pretend he has some hi-tech secret for his toy -- The Portland Trailblazers--- that makes him a better owner than everyone else. In some ways the Warriors represent all that's wrong in professional sports (and Silicon Valley itself), the super-rich men owning a team no one but other rich people can even afford to watch. This article contains a dizzying amount of hi-tech name-dropping, as though we mere middle-class citizens should be admiring the accomplishments of the fresh young geniuses of Silicon Valley who by and large have not had to work their way up the ladder with hard work and respect. The glitter of the NBA meets the glitter of the boardroom!
42
Victory has a thousand fathers; defeat is an orphan
106
I love the Warriors, but there are the San Antonio Spurs and any team with LeBron James or Kobe Bryant these past years.
1
Long time fan here; Thank you Mr. Lacob for your contributions to the franchise. It's been a few years since I made my schedule around Dubs' games - haven't missed a one - but the business aspect of a team is not the one that interests me. It has been a complete joy to watch these players celebrate one another' s contributions as well - this band of brothers here are the Real Deal. The second and third string are easily as energetic as the first string and have made a valuable addition to the Warriors'success. Looking forward to the move to the City. Sorry Haters!
1
As a big Warriors fan, I admire Lacob for leading the way in building a great and very likable team. And he deserves a tremendous amount of credit for hiring very good people who in turn made or advised him to make very good personnel decisions (including one the author doesn't mention: foregoing a trade that would have brought then all star Kevin Love to Golden State in exchange for current all star shooting guard Klay Thompson).
All that being said, Lacob betrays a tremendous amount of ego and hubris in claiming that his venture capital business model is responsible for the Warriors' recent success. The article's author sums it up well: the Warriors are doing so well thanks to a confluence of good planning and luck. Regarding that luck: no one foresaw that Steph Curry would turn into such a superstar. And on balance, the Warriors have fared well in terms of key players being relatively injury-free over the last two years.
So kudos to Lacob for the good planning and his leadership approach. But let's not get carried away, Lou, with the self-congratulations. Some modesty would be appropriate and would actually be quite functional in heading the franchise in years ahead.
All that being said, Lacob betrays a tremendous amount of ego and hubris in claiming that his venture capital business model is responsible for the Warriors' recent success. The article's author sums it up well: the Warriors are doing so well thanks to a confluence of good planning and luck. Regarding that luck: no one foresaw that Steph Curry would turn into such a superstar. And on balance, the Warriors have fared well in terms of key players being relatively injury-free over the last two years.
So kudos to Lacob for the good planning and his leadership approach. But let's not get carried away, Lou, with the self-congratulations. Some modesty would be appropriate and would actually be quite functional in heading the franchise in years ahead.
36
amen. West blocked the Love trade. West's contributions are always underrated wherever he's been. Last time I checked, Curry was the 6th pick in the draft. The other players on the team were lower picks than that. Lacob is going to take credit for seeing years in advance that it would all seamlessly come together? His organization is so far ahead of the rest of the NBA? Really? Let's see how smart Lacob is when key players want max money and when the egos start to inflate. How long will guys handle Draymond Green's intensity? Will Lacob endlessly open the wallet to players who want 4 years but really only have 2 left in the tank?
Lacob deserves a lot of credit, but it's only one ring and it will be difficult, but not impossible, to deny them a second straight ring. But ask the Lakers, Bulls, Heat how hard it is to be a dynasty.
The Warriors are a great story and great to watch. No bad apples here.
But the Spurs are the team that really deserves this article for creating a culture and player development that has kept them at the top for a long time, at least in NBA years.
Lacob deserves a lot of credit, but it's only one ring and it will be difficult, but not impossible, to deny them a second straight ring. But ask the Lakers, Bulls, Heat how hard it is to be a dynasty.
The Warriors are a great story and great to watch. No bad apples here.
But the Spurs are the team that really deserves this article for creating a culture and player development that has kept them at the top for a long time, at least in NBA years.
9
It would be nice if longtime fans could still afford to buy tickets to home games.
117
Agreed. We rarely hear about this. Every time I look for tickets the cheap ones are $150 or something like that, a half-decent seat will cost you north of $200 and a good seat will be $300 or more. I get the feeling that fans going with their families forego vacations or long weekend trips so they can afford to see a game. This is a problem in all sports these days - attending a game takes a big chunk out of the wallet of a middle class fan. I believe there is hypocrisy associated with the economics of this, because a team's success is intimately tied up with their engagement with the community - successful teams constantly make a point of this, while making it hard for average income folks to come out and see the team play.
1
"Are they right?" Absolutely not.
If the Silicon Valley owners are so confident in their ability to groom a winner, I'd love to see them buy the Brooklyn Nets and win a ring with that team.
If the Silicon Valley owners are so confident in their ability to groom a winner, I'd love to see them buy the Brooklyn Nets and win a ring with that team.
20
Great players make for great teams. And you get - and develop - great players by having a great judge of basketball talent. Is there anyone better at this than Jerry West? Mr. Clutch was one of the greatest guards in the history of the game. But his behind the scenes decisions as part of the front office braintrust in SF and LA qualify him as one of the greatest basketball execs EVER.
Hats off to No. 44 (and this from a Knicks fan who remembers 1969! :)
Hats off to No. 44 (and this from a Knicks fan who remembers 1969! :)
33
I was wondering if Ladams8 was lucky enough to be at their Friday night game against the Mavericks.
10
As a Warriors' fan, I thought there was nothing that could make me like this remarkable team less. Well, a close look at Joe Lacob's massive ego did the trick! I still enjoy the on-court excellence of the team's players and coaches, but I'd prefer to hear nothing more from Mr. Lacob. He's the kind of guy who discovers gold on a piece of property he happened to buy, then immediately tells everyone that he's King Midas.
141
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun to watch team! Each player and coach's mantra is "team", as they continually seek to acknowledge one another but rarely themselves. I'm wishing Joe Lacob showed more of that characteristic for this article. What I read here makes me think he should not being doing too many more interviews until he remembers there is no "I" in the word team.
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. The Dubs are exciting and fun! Each player and coach's mantra is "team", as they continually seek to acknowledge one another but rarely themselves. Joe needs to check his ego and not be doing more interviews until he remembers there is no "I" in the word team.
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun to watch team! Each player and coach's mantra is "team", as they continually seek to acknowledge one another but rarely themselves. I'm wishing Joe Lacob showed more of that characteristic for this article. This article makes me think he should not being doing too many more interviews until he remembers there is no "I" in the word team.
2
I think I sensed a blessed note of skepticism and irony by the author, as he lets some of Lacob's outrageous hyperbole stand on its own on the page, but, darn, it was hard to get through the whole thing. What a heap of self-congratulatory nonsense! It is impossible to top the Silicon Valley VC crowd in this regard...
> more than a quarter of the NBA's teams are owned by the new wunderkinds
Right - and yet only one of them, the Warriors, have transcended, while most of the others are *below* average, and a few of the so-recently lauded ones, like Oklahoma and Houston, are turning into trade-wrecks. Where's that durable edge VCs and hedge-funders have in building great teams..?
> “We’re light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure,
> in planning, in how we’re going to go about things,” he said.
Do this for another 15 years, and you'll start being in the same conversation as the San Antonio Spurs!
> Then he asked if anyone could recall an N.B.A. player whose career had
> ended because of ankle injuries. “Nobody could think of any,” Myers says.
Grant Hill..?
Summary: these guys get lucky and ascribe it all to personal brilliance.
> more than a quarter of the NBA's teams are owned by the new wunderkinds
Right - and yet only one of them, the Warriors, have transcended, while most of the others are *below* average, and a few of the so-recently lauded ones, like Oklahoma and Houston, are turning into trade-wrecks. Where's that durable edge VCs and hedge-funders have in building great teams..?
> “We’re light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure,
> in planning, in how we’re going to go about things,” he said.
Do this for another 15 years, and you'll start being in the same conversation as the San Antonio Spurs!
> Then he asked if anyone could recall an N.B.A. player whose career had
> ended because of ankle injuries. “Nobody could think of any,” Myers says.
Grant Hill..?
Summary: these guys get lucky and ascribe it all to personal brilliance.
188
Is there no end to their hubris? No one can tell me that they knew Curry would be this exceptional a player! And let's be honest - they've been lucky with injuries! There a great team, but let's wait a few years before naming them the best team and franchise ever...
"Summary: these guys get lucky and ascribe it all to personal brilliance."
I'm told that is exactly what elites do when they justify their gains while, at the same time, ignoring the bottom 20% scrambling for food scraps.
I'm told that is exactly what elites do when they justify their gains while, at the same time, ignoring the bottom 20% scrambling for food scraps.
1
Grant Hill's career didn't end due to ankle injuries. He played for 19 seasons...
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun team! Each player and coach's mantra is "team", as they continually seek to acknowledge one another but rarely themselves. I'm wishing Joe Lacob showed more of that trait for this article. This makes me think he should not be doing too many more interviews until he remembers there is no "I" in the word team.
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun to watch team! Each player and coach's mantra is "team", as they continually seek to acknowledge one another but rarely themselves. I'm wishing Joe Lacob showed more of that characteristic for this article. This article makes me think he should not being doing too many more interviews until he remembers there is no "I" in the word team.
3
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun to watch team! Lacob seems to have forgotten, there is no "I" in the word team.
Every successful leader understands and fears the danger of HUBRIS and the impulse to brag. Here is a classic example of "hubris" that Lacob (being interviewed), Kerr, Meyer & West may seriously rue: "When I asked him about the previous night’s game, he could hardly contain himself. He boasted that the Warriors are playing in a far more sophisticated fashion than the rest of the league. “We’ve crushed them on the basketball court, and we’re going to for years because of the way we’ve built this team,” he said. But what really set the franchise apart, he said, was the way it operated as a business. “We’re light-years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things,” he said. “We’re going to be a handful for the rest of the N.B.A. to deal with for a long time.” Such remarks delight the gods of hubris and the foes of braggadocio. Let's see what happens when Lacob turns his back on Oakland, now for 2 years the most successful NBA home in history.
38
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun to watch team! Lacob seems to have forgotten, there is no "I" in the word team.
When you win, all decisions look good. I like the Warriors, love Stephen Curry. But small things, like rule changes, and the way games are called by officials contribute to how games are played and how teams win. In years past, Curry's dribbling between the legs with each dribble-which is a signature move for him, would be called a "carry"-similar to the way Allen Iverson would push a ball in two different directions on one dribble was not called on him. These are done at the league level and change the game. Curry is a great shooter in space, he is not a great shooter with somebody on him close, and his ball handling may look good in today's very slowed down NBA game, but it pales in comparison to Pete Maravich's ball handling in much faster paced games. But that's just individual ability. Great article about a guard centric very congenial team concept oriented Golden State Warriors. Whether the venture capital model is relevant more than a season or two-we will see.
10
On Curry's ability make shots when guarded closely, they actually keep stats on that. From last season through November 28, 2015, Steph hit on 45% of his 3 point attempts when a defender was within 2-4 feet. This season alone, he has hit on 40% of those attempts. This percentage is well above average; a typical NBA player makes around 29% of 3 point attempts when guarded tightly (2-4 feet).
It's all here: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/stephen-curry-is-the-revolution/
And here: http://stats.nba.com/league/player/shots/#!/?CloseDefDistRange=2-4%20Feet%20-%20Tight&sort=FG3_PCT&dir=1
His ability to create the tiny bit of separation he needs to knock down a 3 makes him one of the best shooters of all time.
It's all here: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/stephen-curry-is-the-revolution/
And here: http://stats.nba.com/league/player/shots/#!/?CloseDefDistRange=2-4%20Feet%20-%20Tight&sort=FG3_PCT&dir=1
His ability to create the tiny bit of separation he needs to knock down a 3 makes him one of the best shooters of all time.
13
No one played defense in the NBA in the 1970's when Maravich ran up and down the court.
1
Yes. I am aware of analytics. I wasn't talking specifically about 3 point shots. I am not sure how that "guarded" data is acquired-probably from motion cameras. I am talking about shooting a jump shot while someone is actually hand in your face guarding you. Russell Westbrook, Kobe, Jerry West, Andrew Toney,, James Harden, Lebron James all have this skill Partly a physical skill and the way you shoot. Curry doesn't really have a shot where he holds the ball high and releases at the peak. But it's not in their game plan, either. I am a big Curry fan and simply pointing out facets of his game. No negativity intended. Just as he can shoot, he can be guarded.
1
Interesting parallels of risk and reward here, but remove Stephen Curry from the "VC" business model and what happens?
101
Curry is great, and seems a very run of the mill, down to earth type of guy. I wish the knicks had him.
That aside, to describe the Warriors , who have won just one title, as " that team has come to rank among the best in N.B.A. history " is ridiculous.
Ranks among the best? According to whom?
You need a little more to rank among the best.
That aside, to describe the Warriors , who have won just one title, as " that team has come to rank among the best in N.B.A. history " is ridiculous.
Ranks among the best? According to whom?
You need a little more to rank among the best.
1
Uh, according to just about everyone in basketball. Like, I don't even know what to say. They will, in all likelihood, have the best record of any team ever. EVER. Not to mention that there have never been two teams as good as the Dubs and Spurs playing at the same time. And there's still LeBron and Westbrook and Durant on the same team.
I'm not trying to be glib, but if someone says that the Warriors don't belong in the greatest ever conversation then it is painfully obvious they don't watch basketball, at least not this season.
If you were to ask about the best team in any single season, it would probably one with the best record or close it. Not enough? How about historic numbers in point differential. I really could go on forever. You might want to consider deleting your comment.
I'm not trying to be glib, but if someone says that the Warriors don't belong in the greatest ever conversation then it is painfully obvious they don't watch basketball, at least not this season.
If you were to ask about the best team in any single season, it would probably one with the best record or close it. Not enough? How about historic numbers in point differential. I really could go on forever. You might want to consider deleting your comment.
6
really?
Never been 2 great teams at once?
You never heard of the Celtics/Lakers?
Best record ever doesn't get you championships.
Let's see a few seasons play out before you and the rest of the homers proclaim them greater than Russell's Celtics, Kareem's and Wilt's Lakers, Jordan's Bulls, even Kobe/Shaq's Lakers. It takes more than one or two great season s to be considered among the best.
They may very well turn out to be a dynasty, but I don't know that and You certainly don't know that.
Never been 2 great teams at once?
You never heard of the Celtics/Lakers?
Best record ever doesn't get you championships.
Let's see a few seasons play out before you and the rest of the homers proclaim them greater than Russell's Celtics, Kareem's and Wilt's Lakers, Jordan's Bulls, even Kobe/Shaq's Lakers. It takes more than one or two great season s to be considered among the best.
They may very well turn out to be a dynasty, but I don't know that and You certainly don't know that.
5
In the early 1980's there were three teams that make everyones al-time top ten: the Sixers, Lakers and Celtics.
3
I'm a huge Golden State fan and was lucky enough to be at their Friday game against the Mavericks. They are exciting and a fun to watch team! Lacob seems to have forgotten, there is no "I" in the word team.
22
But there is in "win."