Bob Myers recently got on The Old Man and the Three to talk about all things basketball with former NBA player, JJ Redick. During his time there, he was asked to pull back the curtain behind the Golden State Warriors dynasty, which led to the former General Manager of the franchise revealing many tales that hadn’t been heard about before. Redick would then ask Myers about the challenging aspect of being the GM of such a successful team. In response, the 49-year-old said the following.
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“The best [and most challenging] thing that I did when I was there was we kept it together,” Myers told JJ Redick.
As the GM, Myers had to deal with several instances of people trying to ruin the Warriors’ championship aspirations through internal and external factors surfacing around egos, credit, the blame game, or greed for money. To combat this, the former Warriors GM revealed that he ensured the members of the franchise felt included and part of the greater cause of becoming a championship contender team.
To explain his stint with the Warriors, he used the example of a bonsai tree, a mini tree that must be slightly cut or trimmed daily. If one lets a bonsai tree grow without proper care, it could result in the tree dying within a short span of time. Myers applied the same formula for the Warriors, ensuring his decisions kept the dynasty he had created untouched. However, sometimes, some of his decisions, especially about trades for the team, had several players scratching their heads regarding their future with the team.
Whenever any player used to come to Myers’ office to ask about trades, he couldn’t think about lying to them about their future. “I am not doing that to protect me cause you are not worth me lying for going to bed at night,” Myers told Reddick, explaining his approach to dealing with players concerned about getting traded. Myers never felt like betraying his players but always maintained a stern approach to his decisions, keeping in mind the greater success of the franchise.
Myers’ approach helped him create a dynasty in the Bay Area, becoming one of the most successful NBA teams. In fact, the Golden State Warriors have retained their core to this day, which has been crucial in bringing in the success the Dubs have enjoyed in the league over the past decade.
Bob Myers was primarily responsible for the Golden era of the Warriors
Before Bob Myers took over, the Warriors had made just one playoff appearance in 18 years. However, after Myers became the General manager, the Golden State Warriors set a franchise record with seven straight playoff appearances from 2013 to 2019. Furthermore, the Warriors made six appearances in the NBA Finals, winning four of them, all under Myers.
The now 49-year-old’s success led him to create an NBA dynasty, winning two NBA Executive of the Year awards and four championships for Dub Nation. The Warriors franchise was extremely grateful to Myers for his 11 seasons, evident from the players speaking highly of him to bid the veteran executive farewell.
In his IG story, Stephen Curry wrote, ” Before the trophies and memories over this run, I remember I told you ‘You better get this right!’ and you did. The GM role was great and you did your thing, but forever grateful for you as a friend. Changed each other’s lives! Enjoy the next chapter, my guy.”
Myers was indeed an architect of a new era for the Golden State Warriors, which continues to define the franchise today.
