Steph is why Warriors remain rare entity in today's NBA

SAN FRANCISCO – The one job more difficult for an NBA franchise than acquiring championship talent is keeping it together for an extended period. The league’s graveyard is rife with teams that reached the top but failed to endure, which is why the Warriors are such an anomaly.

For that, they can thank Stephen Curry’s mastery of ego management.

The Warriors are appearing in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons because of Steph’s broad social and cultural perspective, which allows him to balance humility and audacity so skillfully it sets a tone for the entire franchise.

Curry’s presence is atop the list of reasons why Andre Iguodala rejoined the team this season on a veteran’s minimum contract. It’s why Draymond Green and Klay Thompson want to spend the rest of their careers with Curry, who was drafted by Golden State in 2009 and is its longest-tenured player.

There is not now, nor ever has been, any indication of fractures among the Steph-Draymond-Klay trio at the core of the team since 2014. They have their “bickerments,” as Klay has explained, but they realize they have rare chemistry. They also know why they have it.

Steph.

“You start with Steph being the first one here,” Iguodala said Wednesday during NBA Finals media day. “Everything he embodies with his values, who he is as a person, his work ethic. He kind of sets the tone for everyone else. We talked about over the last eight, nine years, however long it's been.”

When I asked Curry how he’s able to keep his ego out of the way, his explanation was simple.

“I remember where I started and just the whole journey,” he said. “You remind yourself of that every day. The fact that from high school to your first All-Star Game, like it's a journey, and everything that had to go right in your life and on the court for that to happen. I never let myself get too big-headed on that front. That's how I live my life.”

Though Curry grew up comfortably – his dad, Dell, spent 15 years in the NBA – but never was among the phenoms who become entitled. Rather, Steph was subjected to slights about his thin frame and less than spectacular athleticism.

He so frequently heard the message that, in so many words, he was not good enough and it’s remarkable he never surrendered to the opinion.

Draymond explained that Curry’s everyman approach – a two-time MVP who consistently attacks his preparation and treats teammates as equals rather than his supporting cast – puts others at ease and, in turn, keeps egos from raging out of control. His attitude, whether he scored 50 points or 15, never fails to remind all that he’s one of the guys.

“When your leader and the face of your franchise is that way, you have no choice but to be that way,” Green said. “What's your ego compared to his? Why would any of us care if you have an ego, and he doesn't?

“So, it definitely sets a tone, not only for players but for everyone in this organization, and how everyone operates. (We have) open-door policies. We put our brains together and try to figure out solutions because, ultimately, the guy who is leading the charge on all of this, he's that way.”

Coach Steve Kerr often compares Curry to Spurs Hall of Famer Tim Duncan insofar as their personalities – practical, reasonable, selfless unusual for a superstar – influence that of their teams. The Spurs of Duncan were defined by sober, machine-like precision. They were all business on the court but loose in the locker room.

The primary difference between those Spurs, with whom Kerr spent four seasons, and the Warriors of Curry is Steph’s ebullience. He’s a jokester in the locker room. He shimmies on the court. He waves towels from the bench to celebrate his teammates. Their response to Steph is to share the fun.

“We've been able to bring in guys from all walks of life, whether it's been superstars or other guys that are reserve roles, guys that have had to change their roles throughout their career,” Iguodala said. “They entered into the culture seamlessly, were no bumps in the road, and they really enjoy being a part of this. Very welcoming culture. Very carefree.

But when you see the work that's put in behind closed doors, you get the best of both worlds. It's just a special place that Steph has built the foundation on.”

And there’s your culture, players and coaches straddling the line between unrestrained joy and dry commitment, all the while understanding that it’s a group of equals – even as Steph moves about as the only person who doesn’t comprehend his magnitude.

“A lot of teams get in these positions,” Green said, “and, you get to this place like, ‘Oh, it's me more than this guy.’ Or ‘It's that more than this guy.’ Or ‘I should be getting more shots.’ Or ‘I should be getting more attention.’

“And that's a huge part of it, just understanding the pecking order and respecting the pecking order. Not getting so caught up in what's in it for you. What's ultimately in it for you is winning, and when you win, everyone wins. Everybody eats, as we like to say.”

If only it were that easy.

The Lakers rolled into the new millennium, with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant looking as if they’d be unbeatable for a decade. Shaq and Kobe won three championships, all in succession, in the middle of their eight-year run before they were undone by conflict.

The Miami Heat of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James won two NBA Finals and flamed out after four seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden lasted three before breaking up without a ring ceremony.

RELATED: Warriors' other Big Three of leadership still impact winning

Who knows the future of the Nets and 76ers, but the present of each franchise has an undercurrent of jeopardy.

The Warriors are back in the Finals because CEO Joe Lacob’s ambition compels him to invest in the team. Because team president Bob Myers and his staff last summer assembled a roster that competes at the highest levels. Because the coaching/player development staffs had banner seasons.

At every level, though, they all know where it begins, and that one man is at the center of their good fortune.

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