Stephen Curry signed one of the most massive contracts in NBA history this past offseason. At five years $201 million, Curry’s contract takes him from being grossly underpaid at $11 million per year to the highest paid Golden State Warrior.
According to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob was not entirely sold on the idea of inking his starting point guard to a max deal.
Curry went from on top of the world to second fiddle in the very franchise on which he has served as the cornerstone.
Even Curry’s own coach, Steve Kerr, publicly listed Durant, LeBron, and San Antonio Spurs’ star Kawhi Leonard as the elite of the elite in the NBA. Kerr was referring to two-way players, but it was in lockstep with the general sentiment.
On top of that, as the Warriors prepared for the postseason, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was considering offering Curry a contract below the max, even though Curry has been one of the most underpaid players in all of sports over the last three seasons. Warriors general manager Bob Myers kept Lacob from bringing a reduced offer to the negotiating table, but it was enough of a thing that Myers reassured Curry of the franchise’s commitment.
Curry garners the respect of anyone who watches him create sheer havoc just by being on the court. As arguably the best shooter ever, Curry has carved out his place in NBA history.
The 2-time NBA champion has two Maurice Podoloff trophies to match his championship trophies. He is widely regarded as one of the top three players in the league.
I, for one, don’t see a reason for Curry not to want every cent that is coming to him.
However, Lacob and the Warriors’ owners were able to convince superstar Kevin Durant to take a pricey pay cut. Durant later said he took less to help keep the core of the team intact. It may have been a non-issue for former MVP to accept lower than the max with his multi-million dollar Nike deal in place.
