“Couldn’t Look at Steph…”: Bob Myers Uses Pickup Basketball Analogy to Explain Leaving the Warriors GM Job

Two-time Executive of the Year Bob Myers was on the Game Time talk show when he was asked about his decision to leave San Francisco. In 2011, the former UCLA Bruins forward joined the Warriors’ front office as an assistant General Manager. Less than a year later, he took over the executive role from Larry Riley.

In May 2023, Myers stepped down from the role and Mike Dunleavy Jr. took over the reins. It marked the beginning of a new era in San Francisco, one that wouldn’t see their dynasty-building GM at the helm. As such, it raised many questions in the minds of fans. Myers touched on his reasoning.

“For those of you that play basketball, I use this analogy… If you and I are playing basketball, and it was four of my good buddies, and we won 4 or 5 games in a row and you go, ‘Hey Bob, let’s go one more.’ And I go, ‘Scott I can’t, I’m done’.” 

In his pickup game analogy, Myers continued the scenario where he was forced to play another game after he had already exhausted himself.

“I play like sh*t, I half-a** it, and you go, ‘What the f*** man? You didn’t even try!’, I’m like I told you I was f***ing done!… I was done and I felt like I care about people too much to not give my best. I had to leave because I couldn’t look at Steph or anybody for that matter, people that worked for me, knowing I couldn’t give it what it required.“

 

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His reason for stepping down shed some light on his deep attachment to the franchise and its players. After all, he had built the Dubs dynasty from the ground level. Apart from Stephen Curry, none of the other pieces were in place until Bob Myers got there.

He was the shot-caller in 2011 when the Warriors drafted Klay Thompson with the 11th pick. In 2012, he landed Draymond Green, Festus Ezeli, and Harrison Barnes through the draft. It would be one of the rare occasions where a championship team’s core came almost entirely from their picks.

In 2014, Myers made the tough call of firing Mark Jackson and putting first-time coach, Steve Kerr in charge of the show. The dedication with which Bob built the Dubs was unfortunately part of the reason he had to step away from the franchise.

Myers did not want to oversee the Thompson trade

After stepping down from the GM role, Myers joined ESPN as an analyst. In October of 2023, he was part of a panel that was discussing Thompson’s impending contract. It was then that Myers candidly stated, “Well, this is why I left, first of all.” His words reflected the love and respect he had for Thompson and what they had achieved together.

“This is why it was hard for me. Like you get relationships with these people, especially if you’ve succeeded with them. And that core has been together for 12 years, and that’s just so rare now.“

Reporting for NBA Countdown on the Klay Thompson extension talks, including ESPN analyst Bob Myers' window into the negotiating stakes for the Golden State Warriors and the franchise's storied guard pic.twitter.com/YpZaIppooU

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 16, 2023

It’s even rarer now, as 14 months after Bob Myers’ departure, the Warriors would deal their franchise shooting guard to the Dallas Mavericks. Though the Dubs have landed Buddy Hield to replicate some of Klay’s shooting prowess, it’s clear that the era of the Splash Bros is over.