SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors proved countless people wrong last year in winning a fourth title since 2015.
It was alleged that the Warriors’ title window was closed. That they were too old. That they were over the hill. That Steph Curry wasn’t the type of player who could carry a team to a title. That Klay Thompson would be a shadow of his former self after his two massive injuries. That Draymond Green wasn’t a winner, he was just someone who was in the right place at the right time and last summer was neither the time nor the place.
The Warriors have always been motivated by chips on their collective shoulders. Whether they were just a “jump-shooting team,” the all-powerful Super Villains, or just a bunch of guys on the back-end of their careers, Golden State’s veterans have found power in slights throughout their dynastic run. And they’ve let the whole world know about it, too — especially after they win a title.
So as Golden State looks to go back-to-back and win a fifth title since 2015, where is that chip?
Surely no one doubts that the Warriors can win it again.
“It’d be dumb to try to naysay us and actually think people are going to take you seriously,” Curry said.
“Whoever has that opinion should probably just shut up because it’s just not a bright one,” Green said.
So where’s that driving motivation for the Warriors’ veteran core?
This year, it’s individual, ranging from the deeply petty to the holistic.
“I don’t think it’s the same chip. I’d be lying to you if I told you it was,” Green said. “But there are chips… There’s no shortage of chips, I can tell you that.”
“[And] They are good ones.”
Thompson gained serious perspective when he was sidelined for two seasons. His motivation is to join the pantheon of greats who have won five titles.
“I think back to my rookie season, and if you would have told me in ten years I would have the opportunity to win five championships with the Warriors, I would have laughed in your face,” Thompson said. “To be here and heading into the season healthy with this opportunity, I get chills thinking about it every day.”
“It’s such a short list. And to have the opportunity, just the opportunity, to be able to do that, is so special… The greatest players to ever play are in that zone of championships. It’s mind-boggling to think that we have that opportunity. But we are going to seize it. I can feel it.”
For Curry, it’s about setting an example for all basketball players.
Heading into his age-35 season and not content with simply irrevocably changing the entire sport with this play, Curry wants to “reestablish” what it means for a player to be in his prime.
This guy is going to go full Tom Brady, isn’t he?
That relentless drive to stay on top should put the Warriors in good standing come the spring.
And Green?
Well, his motivations might be purely petty. And that’s OK. He can name all 34 players drafted before him in 2012 — that’s how he’s wired.
So when Green says he has chips, you should believe him. Finding them has been fundamental to his greatness.
There are two obvious motivations, though:
Green is due for a contract extension he doesn’t believe will happen before the season. It’s likely Green’s last big payday. That’s nine figures of motivation.
Also, we can be honest that his NBA Finals performance wasn’t vintage. And as a media member himself, Green couldn’t hide from that conversation. That doubt in his game has surely congealed into some motivation for this season, too.
And it should be noted that Green doesn’t appear to have consumed a chip all summer. He’s a player who has struggled with his weight, including after his back injury last year. That shouldn’t be an issue at the start of this season.
There is one collective motivation between the Warriors’ veterans, though: leading the team.
Andre Iguodala is returning for a 19th season in large part because he values being a leader to the Warriors’ young players.
Curry is keen to build up the Warriors’ young players so that when his time is over — be that four, eight, or 12 years from now — what he and his teammates were so instrumental in building doesn’t collapse.
And Green can’t help but lead, though it comes with some rough edges.
“He’s like an extension of our coaching staff. Such a great teacher,” Thompson said of Green. “Draymond is great at giving out tough love.
“We all know it comes from a great place because we all want to win so badly, [but] if you can’t be yelled at by Draymond, you probably can’t play for the Warriors. It’s just kind of like a bylaw now.”
There will be more motivations — more chips — that develop throughout the season. The Grizzlies rivalry might take the next step into actual hatred. Green might get into a podcast squabble. Thompson might feel the need to drop 60, just to remind the world that he can.
But don’t think for a second because the Warriors’ veterans reset the clock on their dynasty last year, they’re going to ride into the sunset.
These guys live for slights.
Scratch that.
They live for saying, “I told you so.”
And they’d like to do that again next summer.
