Warriors have several avenues to properly celebrate franchise icons originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Sometime in the foreseeable future, perhaps by 2030, the people who call the shots for the Golden State Warriors will begin the process of retiring jerseys and erecting statues outside Chase Center.
It will be fun, a dream come true for the team’s elite players.
There will also be at least some consternation.
Stephen Curry is the first obvious choice for both honors. He is a two-time MVP award winner and the fat inside the tackles that sent them to four championships in an eight-year span.
His statue will be the biggest, brightest of them all.
But will it be revealed as part of a one-man show? Will it be Curry first, with the others following?
There’s another approach that’s conceivable if not entirely likely: Draymond Green and Klay Thompson go with Curry. A trio statue, with the best player in franchise history flanked by longtime teammates who were All-Stars in their own right.
It would be an interesting path, as it can be argued that Curry, Green and Thompson were one of the sport’s most successful triumvirate – as good as any in NBA history. Although Curry is the true superstar, those six trips to the NBA Finals, giving four championships, were a product of their alliance, which delivered more than a few moments of magic.
Curry wouldn’t have four rings without Green and Thompson, and they couldn’t be close to four rings without him.
There’s no question, though, that all three deserve statues, either as a group or as individuals. No matter the artistic format, they all get that treatment. No matter what happens over the next few seasons, they’ve already earned it.
Which brings us to Kevin Durant. His jersey is going up. That was a lot confirmed by Golden State CEO Joe Lacobwho long ago admitted that Durant’s sensational three-year run with the Warriors was enough to raise his number 35 to the rafters at Chase.
But a statue, too? That is another level of gratitude and decoration.
The strongest argument for a Durant statue is that his decision to join the Warriors in July 2016 struck fear into the hearts of the other 29 teams in the NBA. The Warriors, for the first time in their existence, were the biggest bullies in the league. This has largely been accepted as fact from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Durant’s arrival made the Warriors instantly iconic. They could have won more championships without him, but CD — and his two worthy Finals MVP awards — represented a foot on the necks of every opponent.
The only argument against Durant is that three years, 246 games, including postseason, might be worthy of a jersey retirement but is too short to warrant a statue outside an arena in which he never fit as a Warrior.
For context, consider the Miami Heat. They are putting up their first statue outside Kaseya Center next month and it will feature Dwyane Wade, the most important player they have ever paid. His jersey was retired in 2020, one year after his retirement.
What did not happen, and maybe not ever, is the Heat erecting a statue of LeBron James, who spent four seasons in Miami, reaching The Finals each year and winning two championships.
Whether CD gets a double nod is a decision for the Warriors. They may have already made the call and are simply waiting for the right time. My vote? Yes.
There is one more player, however, who is part of this conversation: Andre Iguodala.
As a member of the Denver Nuggets that lost a first-round playoff series to the Warriors in 2013, Iguodala was quick to recognize the team’s potential. After becoming a free agent a few months later, he forged a path to Golden State – taking less money than he could have made elsewhere. It might be the one instance in which Iguodala willingly turned down millions.
It didn’t take long for Iguodala to become the unofficial captain of the team. He was an old head, respected for both contributions on the court and wisdom off it. Teammates consulted him on everything from transition defense to nutrition to investment strategies.
For good measure, Iguodala was voted MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals — Golden State’s first title in 40 years. As the only other member of the exclusive four-ring fraternity like Curry and Green and Thompson, Iguodala has earned the privilege of a statue outside of Chase.
Lacob admitted, sort of, as much to NBC Sports Bay Area in January 2021.
“Clearly with the great accomplishments that the core of Curry and Draymond and Klay and Kevin, for three years, was not as long as those guys, and even Andre Iguodala, I would say that those five guys definitely deserve some ultimate long time. -term recognition,” Lacob said. “Once they retire, I’m sure they’ll be properly honored.”
Believe it. Lacob, like Dub Nation, knows the Warriors have done something special over the past decade. He also knows who was most responsible for their excellence. Don’t be surprised if the statues have a golden hue.
1 Comment
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.