Coming into 2018-19, the Golden State Warriors knew that winning a fourth title in five seasons wouldn't be easy. Still, even Stephen Curry was taken aback at how early his team reached a crossroads this season, a development that he believes helped the Warriors reach the place they need to hoist another Larry O'Brien Trophy come June:

“[I didn’t know] how hard this is,” the two-time MVP told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill. “We always talk about how hard it is to win games, championships. Everybody thinks that’s just putting the ball in the basket. Many a team, many a championship run, has been derailed by egos and mismatched personalities and drama that never got solved. It’s unfortunate, but we’re not gonna be that situation.”

Whether Kevin Durant ultimately leaves Golden State in free agency this summer or otherwise, his early-season confrontation with Draymond Green will almost surely have played a part in his decision. The two got into an on-court disagreement over Green's choice to rush the ball up the floor, resulting in a turnover, during the waning moments of an early-season loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The conversation spilled over into the locker room, where Green reportedly called Durant a “b****” and wondered aloud why he hadn't committed to re-signing with Golden State.

Curry was injured at the time, away from the team, but made sure to re-join the Warriors for their next contest, lest the relationship between Durant and Green continue spiraling out of control. He then met with Green at the former Defensive Player of the Year's house:

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“You gotta get right in it. You listen [while] understanding I don’t have all the answers. I have some, but not all,” Stephen Curry said of his general leadership approach. “It’s important to know where everybody is coming from, to understand what’s on their mind, with the stresses they’re dealing with on and off the court so that we can help each other. For a little bit that was lost.”

It certainly isn't anymore. Golden State is 16-3 in the New Year and only figures to improve as the seasons wears on given the ongoing integration of DeMarcus Cousins.

The Warriors are back in action on Thursday, when they host the ninth-place Sacramento Kings.