Golden State Warriors winning culture begins with Steph Curry

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF)  — When it comes to the winning culture of the Golden State Warriors, there is little doubt where it all begins.

On Thursday, the Warriors will play in their sixth NBA Finals in eight seasons. Over that span, they have won three titles and still hunger for more. 

But what is it that keeps the competitive fires burning so brightly?

“Keeping egos in check,” said Warriors star Draymond Green. “I think a lot of teams get in these positions and, you know, you get to this place like, oh, it’s me more than this guy, or it’s that more than this guy, or I should be getting more shots, or I should be getting more attention. And I think that’s a huge part of it, and just understanding the pecking order and respecting the pecking order. Not getting so caught up in what’s in it for you. What’s ultimately in it for you is winning, and when you win, everyone wins. Everybody eats, as we like to say.”

“Every year is its own year, is its own journey; and appreciating that journey and actually going through it,” he continued. “Not doing all you can to get around it thinking, oh, man, we’ll just get back there. Just appreciating that journey and actually putting yourself in it and going through it. You know, feeling the ups, feeling the downs, and then ultimately it takes some extreme competitors.”

 It’s also fueled by the team’s acknowledged leader — Steph Curry — who Green says “sets a huge tone in that regard.”

 “I think when your leader and the face of your franchise is that way, you have no choice but to be that way,” Green said. “What’s your ego compared to his? Why would any of us care if you have an ego, and he doesn’t? So I think it definitely sets a tone, not only for players but for everyone in this organization, and how everyone operates.”

Green, Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have all played major roles in the Warriors recent playoff successes. 

“I think it starts with, you know, your core, what they embody in terms of their personality, the work ethic, their values,” Iguodala said. “You got Steph Curry, you got Draymond Green, and you got Klay Thompson. I think Andrew Wiggins hasn’t been included into the fold as much as he should have, but I think that says a lot about him because that’s who he is. He’s a more reserved, quiet guy, so it doesn’t bother him. I think he understands his importance.”

“Just those personalities can really build a culture,” he continued. “You start with Steph being the first one here. Everything he embodies with his values, who he is as a person, his work ethic. He kind of sets the tone for everyone else. We talked about over the last eight, nine years, however long it’s been…It’s just a special place that Steph has built the foundation on.”

When asked, Curry said the key to success doesn’t rest in the outside accolades, but in the core values deep inside.

“I remember where I started and just the whole journey,” he said. “You remind yourself of that every day. The fact that from high school to your first All-Star Game, like it’s a journey, and everything that had to go right in your life and on the court for that to happen. Never let myself get too big-headed on that front. That’s how I live my life.”

“So everything about it in terms of the appreciation and gratitude for everything that happens, all the experiences that you have, everything that you go through, you keep building on that, and usually good things happen because you appreciate everything no matter what happens.”