Category: NBA

Trayce Jackson-Davis describes lifelong impression Kevon Looney left on him originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN ANTONIO – The text that eased Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis into the NBA came from the man who soon became a mentor and lifelong example to live by.

Kevon Looney, for the first time in his 11-year NBA career, will be the Warriors’ opponent instead of their teammate on Sunday when Golden State plays the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans signed Looney to a two-year, $16 million contract over the summer, agreeing to a deal a few hours into free agency. His free agency was short and to the point. The Warriors weren’t going to offer Looney close to the same amount of money as the Pelicans. They thanked him for everything he meant in the last decade and wished him luck.

What Looney meant to the Warriors will be heard from coach Steve Kerr’s pregame speech before hugs from him and other coaches, and every teammate who played with him, whether it was for one season or all 10. The impact he made on Jackson-Davis was instant.

“Loon is someone that – when I got drafted, he sent me a text message. He was like, ‘If you ever need anything, you let me know.’ And then just from there on, he’s always been a great vet,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area.

In a few words, Jackson-Davis knew he was in good hands. That he had been drafted by the right team, and that he already had someone who would look out for him.

“It was huge,” he remembers. “Literally had just got drafted, it was the next day, I didn’t even know BP [Brandin Podziemski] yet, and it just made me feel comfortable, like at least there’s someone out here where if I ever need anything, I’ll be good. Especially with how I was moving across the country.”

When the Warriors traded back into the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft to take Jackson-Davis, who is represented by general manager Mike Dunleavy’s brother, James, Looney could have looked at him as only his latest competition. The next person to try and take his job as the Warriors’ starting center. The next player the Warriors thought would do exactly that.

They had added to the position in the draft and free agency throughout Looney’s tenure. He just kept persisting. The man who might as well have brought a hard hat and metal lunch pail to work every day has seen all angles of the business side of basketball.

None of that was going to change who Looney is as a person. That’s a lesson for all young players to learn that he displayed. Jackson-Davis saw it in how both their roles fluctuated over the past two seasons.

Sometimes Looney was the starter. Other times, Jackson-Davis was. There were games where neither was, and even being in the rotation at all was a yes and a no, depending on the day. How Looney prepared and responded either way said everything to Jackson-Davis.

“Someone that has been in a similar position to me, especially the past few years, where he doesn’t know if he’s going to play, when he’s going to play,” Jackson-Davis said. “Learning those things from him, and just how he came to work every day, he’s just a true professional.

“And I miss him, and it’s going to be great to see him.”

Every day at practice and in games for two years, Jackson-Davis watched how Looney rebounded, set screens, understood the Warriors’ offense and defended out of the post. He saw how he absorbed film, and how he’s a leader in the locker room. Their lockers were a few down from each other, and like Looney, Jackson-Davis always is an upbeat presence inside.

The lasting impression Looney left on Jackson-Davis wasn’t words of advice. It was watching him every day.

“His best advice … man, it’s not even advice, but just who he is. On or off the court, he’s the same person,” Jackson-Davis says. “He’s a really, really, really good dude. He’s someone that you hang out with and he’s always in your corner. If you ever need something, he’ll be there. He’s a true friend.

“Obviously, it’s basketball and it’s our job, but at the same time, you can always tell that he’s genuine. That’s the type of person that I want to be.”

Jackson-Davis wished Looney good luck after learning the news of him going to New Orleans. They haven’t talked much since, but did text about the Indiana vs. UCLA football game, a bragging rights result of a 56-6 beatdown from Jackson-Davis’ Hoosiers on Looney’s Bruins. Jackson-Davis said he’d definitely hit Looney up when the Warriors landed in the Big Easy, and he can’t wait to see him.

The apprenticeship of Jackson-Davis under Looney hasn’t stopped him from remembering what he was taught. The two have a four-year age gap and birthdays 16 days apart. But Looney has played in the NBA eight more years than Jackson-Davis, truly seeing it all.

Not everything. Not yet.

Playing the Warriors will be emotional for Looney, even more so when he comes to Chase Center in two weeks. Those feelings are something Jackson-Davis can’t fathom, and he already knows what he’s going to do when he gets to see his friend again.

“It’s going to be good,” Jackson-Davis says. “It’s crazy, because some of my best friends are my college teammates and I spent two to three years with them. And then you get to the NBA and I spent two years with Loon. With some of these other guys, it’s crazy how long they did.

“I’m going to say what’s up, dap him up and then obviously we’re going to play them and it’s war. And he’s going to be the same way. He’s going to treat it like a professional. Off the court, he’s going to be cool, but I bet you he fouls the shit out of a lot of people.”

Just like brothers know best.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

The Lakers finished an uneven road trip on a high note with consecutive wins at New Orleans and Milwaukee, salvaging a 3-2 record on the trip after a 119-95 win over the Bucks on Saturday. The only thing that seemed to excite the players more than the victory was what waited for them after the nine-day journey.

“Let’s go homeee,” forward Jake LaRavia posted on his Instagram story.

Here are five takeaways after the five-game road trip:

Lakers recapture their magic

Deandre Ayton took credit for the postgame locker room’s Frank Sinatra soundtrack, but JJ Redick had Jay-Z on his mind. After wrapping up a grueling trip, one of Redick’s first thoughts was Jay-Z’s track “A Week Ago,” which begins with the lyric: “It was all good just a week ago.”

A week ago, the Lakers were 7-2. They were riding the high of a five-game winning streak heading into practice in Atlanta.

Then things turned sour.

The Lakers (10-4) were blown out against Atlanta and Oklahoma City on this trip. They played about one good half of basketball in their first three games. But during the most demanding part of the stretch, the Lakers rallied to find themselves again with critical wins against the Pelicans and Bucks.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 41 as Lakers rout Milwaukee Bucks to cap 3-2 trip

“This is the NBA,” Redick told reporters. “And you gotta find moments to recapture what makes you a good basketball team. And I think over the last 24 hours we've done that.”

Redick credited Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for continuing to lead the team through choppy waters Saturday. Despite the team arriving in Milwaukee at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning and Doncic playing 40 minutes the night before in New Orleans, the superstar guard was still diving on the floor for a loose ball in the second quarter. He pushed the ball ahead to Reaves, who found Ayton for a layup.

As Doncic becomes more comfortable with his teammates, his leadership has shown through not only his play but his sarcastic personality, which has helped develop a strong bond.

"It's great chemistry,” Doncic told reporters. “When I came, I was probably a little more quiet, trying to get to know people. But right now, I'm just being myself, just joking around a lot, trash-talking. So I think one of the biggest things for the team to win is have a great chemistry, and I think we have that."

Doncic’s MVP campaign rolls along

With 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Milwaukee, Doncic collected his fourth 40-point games this season, equaling his total for such games all of last year.

He leads the league with 34.4 points per game and officially became eligible for the leaderboard after playing in his 10th game Saturday. His points and 8.9 rebounds per game are close to his production in 2023-24 when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals and finished third in most valuable player voting with 33.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He is doing it despite shooting a 32.7% from three-point range, his worst mark since his second season.

Reinforcements are on the way

LeBron James is expected to return to the practice court with the Lakers on Monday after a productive test stint with the South Bay Lakers. He could make his season debut as soon as Tuesday against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena in the Lakers’ only game this week.

James is the only standard contract player still awaiting to make his debut after the Lakers got forwards Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero back on the court during the trip. Kleber, who was sidelined with an abdominal strain, has played in three games. He made his first shot of the season in the win over Milwaukee while playing 25 minutes with three points and three assists.

The rookie Thiero also made his debut against the Bucks, scoring four points and punctuating his first NBA appearance with an emphatic two-handed dunk in the final minute. It showed the type of athleticism and activity the Lakers were looking for when they drafted him in the second round. He also grabbed one offensive rebound during the first half that led to Kleber’s three-pointer.

Guard Gabe Vincent (ankle) is still out and is approaching three weeks since he turned his ankle against the Sacramento Kings. The original timetable for his return was two to four weeks.

Shooting slumps

Vincent's eventual return could help the Lakers with one of their most glaring offensive deficiencies: three-point shooting.

The Lakers rank 25th in three-point shooting at just 33.8%. Their 32.4 three-point attempts per game rank 26th in the league. It’s a far cry from the 40.4 threes they attempted in the games after Doncic joined the team last year.

Part of the shooting slump could be Reaves’ early struggles from three-point range. Outside of his six for 10 night that led to a career-high 51 points against Sacramento, Reaves, who missed three games with a groin injury, was shooting 26.4% from three this season.

He then caught fire in the second half against the Bucks, making five threes. While finishing with 25 points and eight assists, he made three consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth quarter that Doncic called some of the most important shots of the game.

“It was good to get something to go down,” Reaves told reporters. “... Hopefully we continue to shoot the ball well.”

Pick up the pace

The Lakers are second-to-last in transition possessions per game and transition possession percentage. Redick was puzzled as to why the team played so slowly when asked about its pace before the Charlotte game. He said the pace was “literally the first thing we emphasize in every film session.”

But on the second night of a back-to-back, Redick acknowledged the team, considering its personnel, was simply not going to be a fast team. However, he still identified markers of success. Before Saturday’s game, Redick told the players the team was 9-1 when it scored 12 or more transition points and 8-0 with 24 or more assists.

“I think there's a formula here for throwing the ball ahead and sharing the basketball,” Redick said. “And they were good again with that tonight.”

The Lakers had 12 fast break points and 23 assists against the Bucks.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

13 for 13, Part 3: Early thoughts on Simons and other Celtics role players originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Editor’s Note: In a three-part series, Chris Forsberg is sharing 13 thoughts on the 13 Celtics players who have played in the team’s first 13 games. Part 1 focused on the “core four.”Part 2 focused on key role players.Here is Part 3.

For all the consternation about Boston’s depth after its offseason overhaul, there is still no lack of competition for minutes on this new-look Celtics roster.

Joe Mazzulla has leaned heavily into players who can bring energy and grit. We’re eager to see if the competition among the bench players can push the entire batch to expand their games.

For Part 3 of our “13 thoughts on 13 players after 13 games” series, we’re keeping the spotlight on Boston’s bench players: 

Sam Hauser

One number: 96.7

That’s how many points per 100 shot attempts that Hauser is averaging this season. It ranks in the bottom 3rd percentile among all forwards, per Cleaning the Glass data.

More jarring: That number is 31.5 points per 100 shots lower than Hauser’s average over the past three seasons, where he’s lingered in the 88th percentile or higher while averaging 128.2 points per 100 shot attempts in that span.

One thought

Hauser got first crack as a starter with the fellow holdovers from Boston’s last title team, but the Celtics’ rebounding woes forced the team to seek alternatives. Hauser’s shot has disappeared in November, too, with six straight games with one 3-pointer or less.

A wrist sprain likely hasn’t helped matters, but even Hauser looks exasperated whenever shots finally fall. Like we’ve often said with Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, this team could look a lot different when players who typically make shots find their groove.

Anfernee Simons

One number: 47.3

That’s Simons’ 3-point percentage on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. He’s taking 4.2 per game in that playtype. On the flip side, he’s shooting 30.8 percent on 3.0 pull-up 3-point attempts per game.

While Simons’ ability to create for himself is vital for a new-look bench group, the Celtics need to maximize his catch-and-shoot abilities by having others create for him.

One thought

It’s insane how hot Simons can get shooting the ball in short stretches. He’s reached double figures in scoring in 10 of Boston’s 13 games. While we’d like to see the Celtics limit Simons’ ball-handling responsibilities, he has driven down his turnovers after a rough preseason, and his assist percentage is up over the last few games. Being a willing ball-mover can aid that second group.

Xavier Tillman

One number: 61

That’s the total number of minutes that Tillman has played this season, the fewest among Boston’s regulars. He’s reached double-figure minutes just three times and it hasn’t happened in November.

One thought

Tillman’s minutes continue to be based heavily on matchups, but it’s still jarring how little he’s played given Boston’s frontcourt overhaul. Tillman had a great season debut while jousting with Joel Embiid on opening night but has played sparingly since.

Rebounding has always been an issue with Tillman given his size and that might be conspiring against him now. His defensive versatility is a luxury but one that Mazzulla just hasn’t consistently called on. 

Chris Boucher

One number: 57.1

That is Boston’s defensive rebound percentage during Boucher’s 76 minutes of floor time this season. That’s the worst mark on the team by more than 3 percent. The Celtics’ total rebound rate plummets to 43.8 percent, or nearly 6 percent below the team’s season mark of 49.4 percent.

One thought

The Celtics leaned so heavily on Boucher in the preseason — including some double-big minutes as a starter — that it’s been a bit surprising he hasn’t played much in the regular season. Alas, Boucher has struggled to contribute offensively in his minutes (missing 10 of his 11 3-point attempts) and the team hasn’t rebounded the ball in his floor time.

We suspect the veteran will get more chances moving forward, but the Celtics have leaned into playing smaller to start the year.

Baylor Scheierman

One number: 53.8

That’s what Scheierman is shooting from beyond the arc this season, making seven of his first 13 3-point attempts. After misfiring on 15 of 19 triples in the preseason, it’s encouraging to see Scheierman find his stroke in limited regular-season minutes.

One thought

Scheierman has seen limited reps as the team tends to lean into the energy and grit of younger wings like Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez.

Scheierman needs to stay ready for his opportunities, but the Celtics have posted good numbers in his floor time, including a +10.8 net rating in his 81 minutes. He just needs to find more ways to impact winning beyond shotmaking when he’s on the court. 

The stressful trip grew even more trying for the Lakers when two more core players weren’t able to play in the last leg of a five-game journey that tested L.A. in many ways.

Steady defensive ace Marcus Smart (viral illness) and the solid Rui Hachimura (left calf soreness) missed the second night of back-to-back games Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Form, the two of them sidelined along with LeBron James (sciatica) and Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain).

That left it up to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton to lead the rest of the Lakers to the finish of the eight-day trip and overcome the dominance of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Doncic, Reaves and Ayton combined for 86 points, and the Lakers opened a 31-point, first-half lead that went a long way in pulling off a 119-95 win over the Bucks.

Doncic led the way with 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists, making big shots and getting to the line to turn back the Bucks and help the Lakers finish their trip 3-2. Doncic was nine for 19 from the field, including five for 11 from three-point range. He made 18 of 20 free throws.

Reaves had 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds and also hit big shots to block the Bucks' comeback, while Ayton had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Read more:With LeBron nearing a return, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic lead Lakers past Pelicans

Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but his effort wasn’t enough to lift the Bucks, who also were playing a back-to-back.

The Lakers’ lead got sliced to 13 in the fourth quarter, but Doncic and Reaves wouldn’t let the Lakers lose their grip, both drilling threes and making free throws to ensure they pulled out the win.

The Lakers started the trip with a loss in Atlanta to a Hawks team missing several starters and key role players. Then the Lakers lost to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder by 29, leaving them staggering at 1-2 on the trip.

But the Lakers got their mojo back Friday in New Orleans against the Pelicans, then went out and smoked the Bucks despite being even more shorthanded.

Lakers coach JJ Redick’s only update on Hachimura’s injured calf was “it’s tight.”

Redick was asked if Hachimura was injured against the Pelicans.

“I think he’s been having some tightness all week,” Redick said. “With a back-to-back, probably just smart to hold him out tonight. But I don’t think it will be a lingering thing.”

Redick had said he expected rookie Adou Thiero to make his debut this weekend, and the 6-foot-8 forward did.

Asked what he wanted to see from Thiero, Redick said: "Very simple — just be a banshee."

Thiero, out to start the season while recovering from left knee surgery, had four points and an offensive rebound in five minutes, scoring his first NBA basket on a fast-break dunk off an assist from Bronny James.

The Lakers went hard in the second quarter, outscoring the Bucks 35-16 in building a 63-34 lead at the half. Ayton was a big force in the second quarter, scoring 14 points on six-for-nine shooting and grabbing four rebounds.

The Lakers shot 63.6% from the field in the second quarter, 50% from three-point range (two for four). Their defense was stellar, holding the Bucks to 15.8% shooting.

The Bucks battled back in the third quarter behind better three-point shooting, but the Lakers leaned on Doncic and Reaves to head home with a winning trip.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Why Draymond Green disagrees with Charles Oakley's opinion of his playing style originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green sees and hears everything, even commentary from former NBA players.

19-year NBA veteran Charles Oakley recently said Green’s style of play wouldn’t have worked in the 90s, citing the Warriors’ forward’s penchant for trash talking as something that would’ve been different in his era. (h/t basketball network)

Green first and foremost expressed the respect he has for Oakley, before offering a detailed response as to why he disagrees with the longtime enforcer’s opinion of him during a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show.“

“Uncle Oak is my guy, so there will be no slander here. I got the utmost respect, Uncle Oak did it at the highest level at what he was in this league, and I respect that” Green said. So what I will say is this. I respect everything Uncle Oak said and his opinion is his opinion. I disagree with some of it, as in like Draymond’s style wouldn’t fit in the NBA in the 90s. And I disagree with that because my style of who Draymond Green is, I created my style.”

Green averaged 16.2 points per game in his senior season at Michigan State, serving as a dynamic scorer on one of the nation’s best teams. Upon arriving in the NBA as a second-round draft pick, Green had to reinvent himself to sustain his professional career. The Warriors forward explained how that adaptability would translate to any era, not just modern basketball.

“I’m a basketball player, so I know how to adjust to different situations. When I came into this league, I was not who I am today. I created this guy, who I am today,” Green explained. “When I came in this league, I scored the basketball. That’s kind of who I was and how I got here. I also rebounded the basketball and passed the basketball, it’s kind of who I was and how I got here. Most importantly, I was a winner before I got here and after I got here.

“So, I became who I became while not quite being myself, which is why I love me and I’m so proud of me. Because I feel like if you task someone with becoming someone totally different than who they ever were, they may become serviceable NBA players but they usually don’t become potential Hall of Famers.”

Green also highlighted the difference in play between the 90s and today as being a key factor into why he disagrees with Oakley’s assessment.

“And so that’s why I’m so proud of me, because regardless of how I had to do it, I went and made it happen,” green said. “But by no means don’t make the mistake, I was never this player. I just happened to make this player great. So, I disagree with not being able to play in the 90s. The skill level wasn’t as high as it is today. They did not run up and down the court like we do today, the game was way slower.

“Yeah, guys were bigger, and you can say guys are soft today but I’m sorry to tell you, Nikola Jokić ain’t soft. I’m sorry to tell you, [Victor Wembenyama] is a little skinny, but he ain’t soft. The game ain’t bruising like it used to be, but quite honestly we’re not allowed to do that. We’re not allowed to play the game as physical as they played it. Also, nobody wanted to see that s–t. So, the game kind of changed to increase the ratings of more basketball that people want to see. I respect and love the OGs but it’s different, the game is played totally different today.”

Green is a four-time NBA champion and a Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, with a Hall-of-Fame caliber resume that makes it difficult to envision a scenario where he wouldn’t be able to play in another era and find similar success.

Looks like Green and Oakley will have to respectfully agree to disagree on this one.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Draymond Green calls out ‘losers' critical of Jonathan Kuminga's Warriors role originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is tired of the Jonathan Kuminga slander.

After Kuminga agreed to a two-year extension with Golden State that ended a summer-long contract standoff, it the young forward and the team were ready to move on and focus on basketball.

But people can’t get enough of the drama.

Kuminga started the first 12 game sfor the Warriors before coach Steve Kerr wanted to shake things up and had Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski come off the bench during Golden State’s first game of a back-to-back set against the Spurs in San Antonio.

In that game, Kuminga didn’t play the entire second half and some speculated he was upset for being pulled out of the starting lineup. However, it was later revealed that he is dealing with bilateral knee tendinitis.

“Obviously, I think JK has been playing really well. So to go out of the starting lineup, it kind of sucks,” Green shared on his “The Draymond Green Show.” “But I think also people make starting and coming off the bench sometimes more than what it really is.

I know everyone loves a good drama. Everybody’s saying, ‘Oh man, he’s being the scapegoat,’ and this, that and all that. There’s no scapegoat. We’re 13 games in. Ironically, all the people that start running around saying scapegoat are people that never won. So you think there’s a scapegoat needed. But in Game 12, when you know what it takes to win a championship, there’s no scapegoat. In Game 12, also when you’re not front-runners and you’re champions, there’s no scapegoat anyway.

“Decisions are just kind of made, and you move on and you make the best decision that you think is going to put you in position to win. And so I found it very funny hearing a lot of people that never won and some losers say, ‘Oh man, he’s being scapegoated,’ like, only bad teams and losers panic in Game 12 of an 82-game season with 70 games left.”

Green acknowledged that yes, something needed to change after the Warriors had come off an ugly road loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

That loss dropped the Warriors to 6-6 on the season at the time, which Green believes was a large enough sample size to evaluate what was working well for the team and adjust what wasn’t. So, as all championship caliber teams do, to Green’s point, Kerr made the change he felt was necessary.

One thing Green will do is take accountability for the basketball side of things, but he won’t stand for the false narratives being tossed around about his teammates.

“I know JK was questionable to see if he was going to play last night, and he ended up not playing because he wasn’t really feeling it,” Green shared. “But of course, people are going to create drama and say Kuminga didn’t come out after halftime because he was mad he didn’t play. Unfortunately, guys, I live this thing. So I know a few more things that y’all don’t know. And I know JK was questionable because his knees were sore before OKC. Voila! Oh my God! It’s not what y’all thought. It’s unbelievable. Look at that.

“How about this? JK has been one of the most bought-in guys on the team all year. How about that? Oh my God, he’s not the f–king a–hole and baby that y’all try to make him out to be, and think he’s always complaining. How about that? JK has made it very clear he wants to be an All-Star. He thinks he has All-Star potential, and he wants to fulfill that. He’s made that very clear, 1,000 percent we all know that. So when you feel like things aren’t quite going your way to allow it, that you’re going to be upset as a competitor, of course. Kid works his ass off.

“Of course, you want to feel some type of way. Who would want someone that doesn’t feel any type of way? Great. I’ll show you a loser right to your face. So I found that very interesting. You all just kind of try to take whatever you want and spin it, and I’m here to tell you that you never have to do that with my words.”

Well, there it is.

If there’s ever any confusion on Kuminga’s supposed unhappiness with the Warriors, just check in with “The Draymond Green Show” to get anything cleared up.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Steph Curry reveals heartwarming reason for wearing Kobes during pregame warmups originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry flipped the sneaker world on its head after news broke that the two-time NBA MVP would be parting ways with Under Armour after 12 years, with everyone eager to see what shoe he would sport next.

Curry sent social media ablaze on Friday night when he wore the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita” during pregame warmups before Golden State’s 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.

The shoe originally was released in 2022 to honor basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant, who both tragically passed away in a January 2020 helicopter crash.

Curry revealed that he wanted to take advantage of the moment to pay tribute to both Kobe and Gigi, honoring their legacies, knowing there would be plenty of eyeballs on his footwear.

“I know it’s weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes, but just the idea of what he meant — I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. That specific pair, I think it speaks for itself, what it means,” Curry told reporters after Friday’s win. “Other than that, just something I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. I think it gave me some good energy tonight.”

Curry certainly channeled his inner “Mamba Mentality” in the epic victory, dropping 49 points on 16-of-26 shooting and 9 of 17 from beyond the arc in 26 minutes of action.

Curry also took a moment to pay homage to another NBA great on Friday, throwing up the number 23 after tying Michael Jordan for the most 40-plus point games after the age of 30.

While Curry has proved he can be dynamic regardless of the shoes on his feet, the heartwarming gesture to honor Bryant and his daughter reflects the high-level character that is synonymous with the Warriors superstar.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Jackson Rowe gives hilarious locker room speech after Steph Curry's big game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr doesn’t always want to do all the talking.

Especially after the coach already had given the Warriors a passionate pregame speech before Friday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, Kerr wanted to give someone else the opportunity to address the team in the locker room after a nail-biting 109-108 win.

So, Kerr turned to Draymond Green to pick a rookie or young player to put on the spot and evaluate another Steph Curry masterclass. Green originally chose rookie guard Will Richard before changing his mind and selecting second-year forward Jackson Rowe.

Rowe, like the rest of us, tried to find the right words to explain what the world had just witnessed from Curry. So he kept it simple.

“God just blessed Steph, man,” Rowe said as the locker room burst into laughter. “I don’t know. There ain’t no answer for him. There ain’t no answer.”

Curry, also hysterical sitting at his locker, loved it.

I mean, what more can you say?

Curry finished with 49 points on 16-of-26 shooting from the field and 9 of 17 from 3-point range, with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 36 minutes.

He compiled a whopping 95 points in two consecutive games against the Spurs, both leading to wins for Golden State.

Curry might be blessed, as Rowe stated, but so is the basketball world that gets to watch him.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Victor Wembanyama explains why he got in Draymond Green's face after poster dunk originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Victor Wembanyama‘s poster dunk over Draymond Green, and the theatrics that ensued, came from bottled-up emotions.

After the Warriors’ thrilling 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, the young Spurs phenom explained to reporters why he got in Green’s face after the monstrous slam.

“It’s not trying to prove anything to anybody,” Wembanyama said (h/t Mike Finger). “It’s just, at some point, somebody speaks to you a certain way, you have to respond a certain way.”

After the dunk, which didn’t actually count because officials ruled Green fouled Wembanyama before the slam, the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama hunched over Green as the two began to exchange words.

The Spurs bench — and the entire Frost Bank Center crowd — got out of their seats in awe of what they just witnessed. Then, as Wembanyama and Green continued to go at it, Spurs fourth-year forward Jeremy Sochan got in between the two and shoved Green away from his teammate.

Eventually, players on both sides got involved as they tried to de-escalate the situation.

Wembanyama finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, one steal and three blocks in 38 minutes.

Ultimately, though, Green, in 33 minutes, finished with six points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, the win and the last laugh in San Antonio.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Steph Curry explains Under Armour split, next moves in sneaker free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN ANTONIO – Steph Curry, for the second straight game in the Warriors’ second consecutive road win, scored more than 40 points Friday night in a 109-108 victory against the San Antonio Spurs. 

But there was something different about Curry’s pregame look Friday night at Frost Bank Center. Much different.

It was announced Thursday that Curry and Under Armour were parting ways in a move that shocked the basketball and sneaker world. Curry always has all eyes on his famous pregame warmup routine. On Friday, all eyes were on his feet. 

Curry wore black and white Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes before his first game as a sneaker free agent since 2013.

“I’m a free agent out here. New beginnings,” Curry said after the win. “I was blessed to have an unbelievable experience, take a chance on something that meant a lot to me over the last 13 years and I’m extremely proud of myself, my team, everybody that was able to touch that business for that long. We all should be proud of what we were able to accomplish in taking a basketball brand and category that wasn’t really a thing to where we did. But I’m excited about the future.” 

Originally a Nike athlete, Curry made the move to Under Armour in 2013, where he became the face of their basketball brand. 

He then launched Curry Brand through Under Armour in 2020. The assumption was that the Warriors superstar would be locked in with Under Armour for life. That isn’t so anymore. 

The Curry Brand will move forward independently. Under Armour still will release the Curry 13 shoes in February 2026. After that, their marriage is over. Starting now, he is a sneaker free agent, explaining that a change right now is best for all.

“Just in the best interest of both parties,” Curry said. “The sneaker industry is difficult, and like I said, things change over time, and to the point of you give your best effort to create something sustainable.

“A little disappointing, though, knowing how it turned out, based on where Curry Brand has been the last five years and the announcement we had two years ago. But I think it’s the right thing for everybody. For me to take the opportunity with Curry Brand and what we’ve done in the community, what we’ve done standing for something. ‘Change The Game For Good’ is our tagline and hopefully having something to show for it down the road, I’m excited for that.” 

Curry always has spoken highly about the late Kobe Bryant, and how he paved a path for women athletes in basketball. His Curry Camp now hosts the same amount of girls prep starts as boys. Wearing the specific pair of Kobes he did in San Antonio was intentional.

Even knowing how odd it looked to see him wear different shoes for the first time in more than a decade.

“I know it’s just weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes,” Curry acknowledged. “But just the idea of what he meant. I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself and what it means. Other than that, it’s just something that I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. 

“I think it gave me some good energy tonight.” 

Once the game started, Curry was back to wearing a white colorway of his current Curry Brand Under Armour shoes. There was then a switch. Curry in the second quarter put on a pair of his Curry Series 7 shoes that feature blue, red and yellow colors. 

Keep your eyes peeled to what shoes Curry has on his feet as this continues and he seeks new partnership deals. Curry will keep wearing other brands, possibly trying multiple versions from different companies. 

“The good thing about this situation is, I love my own shoes when I’m out there hooping. That’s why I put those back on, and why I’ve designed the kicks that I have for as long as I have,” Curry said. “But yeah, I’m going to have some fun with this in terms of whatever opportunities are the right fit. 

“I’ll try everything out.”

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Steph Curry's heroics in wins vs. Spurs sends message to Warriors teammates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As Stephen Curry’s teammates were celebrating him for being the blessing that he is and surely was this week in San Antonio, his performance over those two games stands as an unspoken message for the Warriors.

To his teammates: Even at age 37, I can do enough to lift us to great heights. But I’m going to need more help, as it is essential for us to reach our goal of being a serious contender.

Curry realizes none of the Warriors possess his deep box of offensive skills. There is a reason he is the only unanimous MVP award winner in league history. There is a reason he is widely considered one of the 10 best players to step onto an NBA court. It is safely assumed that he is the most influential player of his era.

But Curry also knows everyone wearing a Warriors jersey can be as committed as he is to do whatever it takes to win. Is that too much to ask?

After playing 34 minutes and scoring 46 points to lead Golden State to a 125-120 win over the Spurs on Wednesday, Curry came back on Friday to play 36 minutes, his highest total this season in a regulation game. His response was to blast the Spurs with 49 points – 31 in the second half, the last two being the clinching free throws in a 109-108 victory.

This is a man who missed three games last week with an illness.

“I think he’s fully healthy now,” Gary Payton II told reporters at Frost Bank Center. “I don’t think he’s sick anymore. It’s just good to see him out there getting his normal runs. his normal jogs, normal bounce, normal rhythm. Once he gets going, we just try to find him, try to get him open, make it easy for us.”
When Curry goes nuclear, it does make the game easier for his teammates. Their priority becomes, as Payton said, getting the ball to Steph and letting him destroy the opposing defense.

But 95 points over two games is 47.5 per, a totally unsustainable number for anybody who ever graced the NBA, aside from Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. As great as Curry is, that absurd level of production is bound to dip. And when it does, he does not want to see his teammates inspecting their fingernails.

And all he wants is for them to lend a more reliable helping hand. Because that’s what it’s going to take.

For a while on Friday, there wasn’t much aid. Curry accounted for 10 of the 18 points the Warriors scored in the first quarter and 18 of the 47 they totaled in the first half. Jimmy Butler III and Will Richard rode shotgun, each putting in 10 points. The other seven Warriors contributed seven points.

So, coach Steve Kerr turned to Curry and extended his minutes beyond what he would have liked.

“We just couldn’t really get our offense going and it felt like we were going to have to ride him a few extra minutes,” Kerr said. “We didn’t plan on playing him the whole third. I tried to take him out with about two minutes left, but there was no stoppage in play, and he played the last eight.”

Kerr had spent part of the morning addressing the team. He talked about the components of success, using the various elements of a music band as an example.

“He was in his bag in terms of the speech he gave in our pregame meeting this morning,” Curry said. “And you could tell like he still has that fastball if he needs it.”

Kerr explained how bands thrive best when every member of the touring party knows their role, accepts it and commits to it, from lead singer to guitarists to drummer to stagehands. If any member of the group isn’t focused and on point, the whole show suffers.

“But it speaks to how it all matters,” Curry said. “There’s value in all of that when a band is going on a tour. I think Phil Jackson instilled that in (Kerr), and he used that as a reference for how we need to play and how we need to approach our identity.

“It’s going to take a long time to get through this year in terms of doing that but it’s great to have a reference.”

For the Warriors to become the team they think they are, Buddy Hield, averaging 5.4 points over his last 12 games, shooting 30 percent from deep this season, will have to rejoin the band. Brandin Podziemski must be quicker at moving the ball and more careful with his decisions. Jonathan Kuminga, once healthy, will need to become the player he was in the first two weeks of the season. Al Horford must knock down triples at 37-to-40 percent.

Once they were humbled by a blowout in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, the Warriors did some soul-searching. They then landed in San Antonio late Tuesday night and spent Wednesday and Friday following Curry. He gave them what they needed.

If his teammates were watching him closely, they saw someone setting an example of a total commitment to victory. Which seems worthy of following.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Pelicans fire coach, ex-Warriors assistant Willie Green after rough 2-10 start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former Golden State Warriors assistant Willie Green has been dismissed by the New Orleans Pelicans just 12 games into his fifth season as head coach.

Green was part of Steve Kerr’s staff during the Warriors dynasty, helping Golden State capture back‑to‑back championships in 2017 and 2018 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After years of observing the greatness of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, Green transitioned into a head coaching role in New Orleans.

In 2021, he brought stability to the Pelicans, guiding them to their first playoff berth since 2017‑18 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers in the play‑in tournament. They went on to fall to the Phoenix Suns in the opening round. His time with the Pelicans was marked by flashes of promise, including a 49‑win season in 2023‑24, but also by challenges with injuries to stars like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Green finished his tenure in New Orleans with a record of 150‑190 over more than four seasons.

Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars has named assistant James Borrego as interim coach. The Pelicans are set to host the Warriors on Sunday night.

Green played in the NBA from 2003 to 2015, spending most of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers (2003–2010) before stints with the New Orleans Hornets (2010–11), Atlanta Hawks (2011–12), Los Angeles Clippers (2012–14), and Orlando Magic (2014–15). He appeared in 731 games and averaged 8.3 points per contest.

After retiring, he joined the Warriors as an assistant in 2016, later helping the Suns reach the 2021 Finals before becoming head coach of the Pelicans.