Former Golden State Warriors forward David West recently detailed what went behind the locker room during the franchise's most recent dynasty. According to the retired forward, having several alphas on that team played like a double-edged sword during their dominant years.
While the talent on the floor was undeniable since they had Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green donning the same Warriors jersey, head coach Steve Kerr had a hard time balancing the egos of his superstar players.
For instance, West recalled how it was Curry who took a step back just to make things work in The Bay.
“So Steph was the one making the most sacrifices and I’m like, ‘Yo, the [expletive] you doing? You gotta do what you know, man.’ I would say that to him some nights and he’d look at me [funny]. Because I don’t think anybody would tell him, like, ‘Yo, you trippin’. You can’t pass that one, dog,’” the two-time NBA champion shared, per Bijan Todd of NBC Sports.
“It’s hard when you’re dealing with those super-talented guys. Ego is a part of this thing.“Ego is a big deal, but it’s everybody. You’ve got literally five Hall of Fame guys on the same damn team,” he added.
The Warriors already won a title even before Durant joined the team in the summer of 2016. The arrival of the one-time MVP kind of shifted the power balance within the team. But as far as West is concerned winning fixes a lot of issues, as Golden State was able to win two more titles with KD in tow.
“The talent is only so much,” West said. “We were able to win it. But winning it and trying to get that energy, everybody’s a year older, it was a bit tougher. But we still had enough.”
David West played in Oakland from 2016-18. He was no longer the All-Star forward he once was by the time he joined the team but was still an integral part of the Warriors' second-unit at the time.
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