Before establishing their dynasty with Stephen Curry as the centerpiece, the Golden State Warriors once had another high-scoring guard in Monta Ellis.
The dynamic pair even managed to become teammates from 2009 to 2012, right around the time Curry was just trying to get his feet wet in the big leagues.
NBA Hall of Famer and current Los Angeles Clippers board executive Jerry West, who was still with the Warriors at the time, recently opened up about the events that led to the team's decision to trade away the explosive Ellis.
“I think when there was a trade made up there, it gave him [Curry] more room to do things, and also have the ball in his hands,” West shared in an appearance on 95.7 The Game, via NBC Sports.
“If you have someone that can do something really well and you don't have the ball in your hands or you don't have players that compliment you, it's tougher to reach the excellence he's reached.”
Monta Ellis, of course, also didn't do himself any favors when he publicly shared his doubts about playing with the unproven prospect out of Davidson. The Warriors tried to make it work, but the pair played similarly and did not seem to complement each other when sharing the floor.
The Dubs traded away Ellis, Kwame Brown, and Ekpe Udoh to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson in 2012. The results obviously speak for itself, as Stephen Curry and Golden State won the title just three years later.
Jerry West, meanwhile, certainly stands by that decision and said it was the best route for all parties involved.
“A very popular player during my time up there, Monta Ellis was traded and to me, that opened up [Curry's] ability to become who he is today. I think it made him more confident. They weren't a good, I think, pair together, and they were both terrific players, really terrific players. But I think Steph was the person that had the most growth left in him, and when Monta left, you're seeing Steph Curry of today,” the former Warriors exec added.
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