************ Below Post I had written last year about Golden State Warriors***********

I have been following the Golden State Warriors for the past few years and the fans are called Dub Nation. Golden State Warriors are a dynasty and they have won 6 League/Championship Titles(1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018). They could have won in 2018 as well if not for injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. The last couple of years has been a complete rebuild for the team as Kevin Durant left to play for Brooklyn Nets and Klay Thompson has been injured and has not played for 2 years.

This year they were very close to making the playoffs but could not make it as they lost to Los Angeles Lakers for 7th place and Memphis Grizzlies for 8th place in the Playin tournament. Both matches were closely contested and it was sad to see GSW losing both the matches by a whisker.

Due to injuries the team had to play with 8 players for the last 20 plus games causing a lot of fatigue to the players with very little bench strength. This year as well they had a list of injuries like Kelly Oubre Jr not able to play the last few matches, James Wiseman who was picked as No 1 draft undergoing knee injury, and even Steph curry missing some matches due to tailbone injury. This team was ruled out by many great Basketball Gurus and was predicted to finish the regular season at 14th position. There were also questions raised if Steph Curry could carry this team to glory all by himself in the absence of KD and Klay like How Lebron James did with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In spite of finishing 9th in the League and missing the playoff by a whisker a lot of credit goes to the coaching staff and the leadership, Steph Curry demonstrated to prove the critics wrong.

I would like to go through some stats this year to describe how beautifully this team has evolved and risen from last year to this year in the process of a rebuild. This Golden State Warriors team has defeated the top 4 teams in the West at least once during league games and has defeated LA Lakers as well who were champions last year. They have defeated 3 teams in the Eastern Conference as well who are in the top 4. Before the playin games, they had the best winning streak of 6 games this year defeating the top 2 teams in the Western Conference. Stephen Curry officially clinched the scoring title and ended the season averaging 31.98 points. There is a lot to learn from the leadership of Steph Curry this year and let’s look at those.

SMART Leadership from Steph this season

1. Staying Strong – Just before the season began especially on the day of the draft we got to know Klay was injured again and would miss the season. It must have been the most difficult time for Steph and Coach Steve Kerr to hear this. They were positioning themselves to win the championship with a new team and then you hear one of the best players in your team is injured and will miss the season. It is very easy to take a step back and not tire yourself or push yourself when you know the odds are against you. And then the question during the whole season if Steph Curry could carry this team to the playoff all by himself. In fact, he did that except for the playin tournament that put them out. The mental toughness he demonstrated where most of the critics ruled out them from making the playoffs if he will be able to perform at the highest level which he did by winning the scoring title if he is the MVP which again he proved it by being in the top 3.
2. Maturity – With only few Senior players around it was easy for Steph to be more aggressive towards other players and expect performance similar to the way he was performing. Not a single time during any loss or bad performance by the team we say Steph Curry getting upset on any team player. His best quality is being humble and you can see that when other great players talk so highly about him. Coach Kerr reduced his playing time keeping in mind his longevity and not to burn him out. He respected that decision all throughout the season with no qualms. During some games, we could see when he was not playing and other players in the team made mistakes how he gave them a pep talk and helped them grow. One of the best moments was when they were paying for the 1st time in front of the crowd in Chase Center and Klay got emotional as he could not play and contribute to the team when they needed it the most. He went to him and consoled him. A great sign of a leader
3. Adaptability – Steph Curry adapted to the way he played with the reduction in playing time for the larger good. He adapted his role in the absence of Klay and filled the gaps that were visible in the team. He knew the opponent teams would double up to him as he was scoring at an average of 30 ppg and that made him pass to others and in turn build other players to take responsibility. In the absence of James Wiseman and specialist defense players he contributed more on the defense and took more rebounds that made him a more complete player
4. Resilience – During the pandemic, he worked on his physical endurance and build his body to take the blows that the opponent teams threw on him. We could see him falling on the floor a number of times but not missing the basket and getting up instantly. Steph curry suffered a tailbone injury and the team was losing most of the games in his absence. There were games where he played with pain and helped the team win
5. Team Player – This year was GSW to rebuild the team and Steph Curry has played a key role in helping the new players grow and contribute. There were many new players in the team and by the time the season ended we could see how beautifully the players gelled with each other and how they were all cheering when others shot a 3 pointer or made a crucial basket. And on the ground, it was the greatness of Steph Curry that was the most contagious for everyone to put that extra effort to win the matches.

It has been a fantastic season with a sad ending for GSW. But I am sure next year this team will one of the best teams to beat in the Western Conference. We will have Klay Thompson back, James Wiseman back and they all will be raring to go for the Championship.

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I am TK Suresh, National Level Basketball player, having 2 decades of experience in IT Industry, managing projects, and author of a book titled “Sports Agility Mindset”. Sports Agility Mindset is about applying sports success values in corporate life to achieve success.

The paperback and e-book versions are available on the below-mentioned platforms

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These are personal views based on my observations and experiences. Please feel free to add your comments, feedback, and suggestions below. Healthy discussions are welcome !!!