NBA Rumors: Stephen Curry And Golden State Warriors Have New Motivation

NBA rumors are suggesting that the Golden State Warriors are more upset about all the comparisons than they are really leading on. According to ESPN, Stephen Curry stated that the team was starting to get a little annoyed that former NBA players are trying to say that they couldn’t be successful in other eras. Many believe that this is only going to add fuel to the fire and drive the Warriors even further into their quest to repeat as NBA Champions.

When Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls went 72-10, it was the most successful season in NBA history. As the team was chasing the record, fans and analysts all started comparing them to some of the best teams that the National Basketball Association has ever seen. When the Golden State Warriors started the season off with victory after victory, it was inevitable that people were going to start comparing them to the Bulls.

For fans, the comparison between the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors was easy to make because of the similarities. Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan are both dominant guards that are almost impossible to defend on certain nights. Klay Thompson and Scottie Pippen are the All-Star sidekicks. Dennis Rodman and Draymond Green are the versatile defenders who play much bigger than their size.

For Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the comparison is a bit different and not as fun in nature. Long known as two of the best players in the history of the NBA, Robertson and Abdul-Jabbar believe that the Golden State Warriors would not be doing this well if they were playing in an era where defenses were allowed to be tough. Robertson especially feels that Stephen Curry would have been bullied by tougher guards back then.

While some believe that Oscar Robertson is just being petty in his comments about the Golden State Warriors, there are also those that believe that the rules in the NBA have changed over the years to favor the offensive players. A player like Tony Allen, whom Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant recently stated was the best defender that he’s ever faced in his career, would have been even more of a lock down defender than he is now if the rules on contact weren’t as harsh.

Though not quite the legend that Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were, Stephen Jackson played in the NBA as well. He has also chimed in on the team that Stephen Curry is leading to the winning season record. Jackson stated that the Golden State Warriors team that he played for back in 2006 and 2007 were a much better squad than the current one that has been dominating the National Basketball Association.

In 2006, Stephen Jackson and the Golden State Warriors had a 61-21 record, and they won the Pacific division. They made it all the way to Western Conference Finals. Then Warriors head coach Don Nelson had a starting lineup of Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and Andris Biedrins. Their bench consisted of very talented players, such as Monta Ellis and Matt Barnes, both of whom are still in the NBA today.

In the big picture, all of this talk doesn’t really mean much. However, if it provides Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors with more motivation, and leads them to another NBA Championship, then the current players and coaches in the NBA would hope that the former players would stop taking shots so they have a chance to compete.

[Featured Photo by Kevin C Cox/Getty Images]