General manager Bob Myers sits down for a Q&A.
General manager Bob Myers carries laminated evidence of his lifelong allegiance to the Warriors: a ticket stub from the first game he attended, with his dad and brother Jan. 15, 1982. Myers was 6 years old.
Now, at 44, he’s the guardian of a franchise seeking its fourth NBA championship in five years. The Warriors play the Raptors in Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday night.
Before he and the team traveled to Toronto, Myers talked with The Chronicle about Oracle Arena’s final games, why he struggles to digest Golden State’s wild success and how the Warriors adapted in the wake of playoff injuries to Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins. (This interview has been edited for space and clarity.)
Chronicle: How has this season been different than the previous four? There have been some unique speed bumps along the way.
Myers: That’s what makes it interesting: Every year is different. It’s hard to separate each of these five years. I don’t know if this feels harder because of this specific year or because it’s the fifth year. It doesn’t matter but it just feels hard, and that’s not bad.
The thing for me that’s a little different about this year is knowing right now that there will only be three more games, at most, at Oracle. That is different for everybody, including the fans. That adds a different element.
Chronicle: Is it emotional for you, given your upbringing as a Warriors fan?
Myers: Yeah. I was telling my daughters that my first NBA game was in this building and there aren’t going to be NBA games there anymore after the next three (at most). Either way, what a gift to give back to our fans: Our last game in there will be an NBA Finals game, which is pretty cool.
Chronicle: How do you view this playoff run in the context of the injuries to DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant? How turbulent has that been?
Myers: Kevin picked up the slack while we weren’t competing at our best level for the first two rounds, and then to see his teammates respond like they did, and now provide an opportunity for him and DeMarcus to come back, there’s a team component there. It becomes harder and harder to keep the fabric of the team together these days. Everybody wants to write about the star of the movie instead of the supporting cast and director and producer. There’s a lot of people who go into making anything succeed or fail.
But to see people get credit, outside the ones who are usually getting it, and to see a connectedness. … Some people would assume you lose a guy like (Durant) and you don’t survive it. But to see them respond to that challenge, it’s really a testament to their fabric, the way Steve (Kerr) believes in them and guys stepping up. To get here has been an achievement on its own in some ways.
Chronicle: This obviously has been talked about a lot, but why do you think Steph (Curry) and Draymond (Green) were able to lift their game after Kevin went down? Was that necessity or a change in playing style?
Myers: They had to, right? You gotta win, and they know how to win. … It’s OK, sacrificing doesn’t have to be a bad word. I think sacrificing for the team is a compliment to anyone. So now there was a moment when we needed more from them, and they stepped into it.
Chronicle: How do you keep one foot in the present and one in the future? The offseason gets here so quickly when you’re in the Finals, and there’s a lot of uncertainty for you guys this offseason.
Myers: It’s just your job to do both. The coaches and players are in it, and we have to be in it. So you’re in it with one eye on the future.
Chronicle: In an idle moment, you don’t find yourself thinking, “What are we going to do if Kevin leaves?”
Myers: I’ve been in the business of free agency for longer than any of this stuff, so you can’t rush it. A lot of people want to rush it, but it happens however it happens. You just move through it the best you can.