Jeremy Lin began his NBA career with the Warriors in the 2010-2011 NBA season, and he got a first-hand look at the dynamic between the Warriors' two most talented guards: Monta Ellis and a young Steph Curry.
During a recent appearance on the "All The Smoke" podcast, Lin explained that the perceived beef between Ellis and Curry was not an accurate portrayal of their relationship.
"I love Monta, and he was amazing and him and Steph were really cool with each other, but the media kinda pit them against each other. Monta always treated all of us like super well, so it just sucks that the breakup was seen as that," Lin told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
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SIGN UP HERE Ellis infamously was traded the following season to the Milwaukee Bucks in a deal that brought the Warriors back Andrew Bogut and Jackson. When Warriors CEO Joe Lacob was handed the microphone on Chris Mullin night a few days after the trade, the crowd at Oracle Arena rained down boos, as Ellis was a very popular player in the Bay Area.
Of course, hindsight is 20/20. Bogut eventually was an integral part of the Warriors' first championship team in 2015, and Ellis played for a trio of NBA teams but never again reached the highs he experienced in a Warriors uniform.
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Curry even paid homage to Ellis when he wore the shooting guard's Warriors jersey during the organization's final season at Oracle Arena. Ellis posted a thoughtful Instagram post thanking Curry and sending well-wishes to his family.
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Ellis was an important part of the "We Believe" Warriors, and always will have a place in franchise history.
It's nice to hear a first-hand account explaining that the two weren't at each other's throats as some made it seem.
