It was a painful day for the Golden State Warriors franchise when Klay Thompson departed to join the Dallas Mavericks. A year later, longtime big man Kevon Looney followed in Thompson’s footsteps to begin a new chapter of his career. Many, including Stephen Curry, believed they would retire as a Warrior. Needless to say, he wouldn’t be blamed for sulking after losing two of his brothers to rival teams. Instead, Curry has a different approach to the situation.
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Loony spent 10 years with the Warriors. He wasn’t the most flashy name, but he always performed whenever head coach Steve Kerr called his number. His impact during the Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship run was crucial, especially in their second-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. He then decided that it’s time to turn a new leaf and signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on a $16 million two-year deal.
Curry and Draymond Green are now the only two remaining players who were on the roster for the Warriors’ last four rings. Having had time to think about Looney’s departure, the 11-time All-Star is more than happy to accept that these things are just part of the sport.
“My reflections are all positive,” Curry revealed in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area & California. “It’s always tough and kind of heart-wrenching when you lose a guy that’s been part of winning at the highest level, that’s been a part of building our success and culture.”
Spending over a decade with a team creates a bond that resembles a relationship more like a family. The NBA doesn’t typically invite those relationships due to the ‘me-first’ attitude players must have to capitalize on their financial window. Golden State managed to deal with it successfully for years, which leaves Curry feeling proud.
“Klay, like you said, Loon, those guys are instrumental in me being who I am, Draymond being who he is. But it’s more positive in the sense that we held it together for a very long time. We held off the nature of the NBA, and that’s a big deal,” Curry proclaimed.
It is really rare for a player to spend a decade with one team. So, the idea of four players of the same era doing it does sound like an anomaly. The last seven championship winners are all different teams in this new time of parity. So, perhaps it is a rare occurrence that is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.
