Curry incident a moment of defending Golden State Warriors’ culture

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talks to referee Gediminas Petraitis #50 after being ejected from the game in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on January 25, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Jordan Poole had a frenetic final 90 seconds in the Golden State Warriors’ come-from-behind dramatic win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The 23-year-old made a game-winning layup to give his team the win, but had also caused superstar teammate Stephen Curry to be ejected shortly beforehand.

Stephen Curry pulls Merlin’s’ sword from the sacred stone to defend a decade of Golden State Warriors’ culture and his Most Valuable Player Legacy.

Jordan Poole’s next step to stardom is headed in the wrong direction. Poole is causing frustration with his mindless fouls, out of control play leading to untimely turnovers, and poor shot selection. Draymond Green’s infamous knockout punch in a practice scenario touched on the issue. The Curry mouthpiece ejection is confirmation Green’s reaction to Poole’s “I want it all now” attitude extends deep into the Warriors’ dynasty core.

Curry waited outside the Warriors’ locker room door to greet and congratulate his teammates on closing out a hard-fought contest. The two-time MVP greeted Poole with a smile and praise for his winning shot, only to have the budding star blow past him when Curry attempted to explain the reason for his frustration and his ejection. The video displays the “I won the game; I do not need to hear this” attitude.

Green’s unprofessional reaction to Poole’s attitude, and the frustration of the dynasty core spotlighted by Curry’s ejection, is not the only distraction that has been allowed to creep into the Golden State locker room. The naive social media discussion of Bob Myers’ contract and the negotiation tactics of both Lacob and Myers simply must end with the latter becoming the highest-paid general manager in the league.

Curry, Green and Klay Thompson can eliminate these distractions with two meetings. Firstly with Lacob and Myers, making it clear that their relationship with the Warriors will end if Myers isn’t retained. The second would be a closed-door sit-down with Poole, reminding him that his franchise operates with a team-first culture, and their winning championship record is the path Poole needs to find again.