Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson discuss whether the Warriors should be concerned after Klay Thompson unfollowed them on Instagram.
Whether you agree or not, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have solidified themselves as the premier star duo in basketball, leading the Boston Celtics to the franchise’s 18th NBA championship.
In times past, there was another dominant duo reigning in the Bay Area when Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Warriors made five consecutive NBA Finals appearances, securing four titles during their dynastic tenure together.
Despite Golden State’s on-court success, former NBA player Evan Turner shared his thoughts on his “Point Forward” podcast with former Warriors forward and NBA champion Andre Iguodala, explaining why he believes Curry and Thompson didn’t fully capitalize on their success at the time, and how this created opportunities for other young stars.
“The best is still yet to come,” Turner remarked. “These young guys are 16 years old, jumping out of the gym, doing all sorts of incredible things. Look at Jayson and Jaylen, it’s like, ‘Wow, can you find me a better duo right now?’ And now that they’ve won a championship and are at their peak, they might as well drop an R&B album! They’re going to be wildly successful.”
“Imagine if Klay and Steph weren’t perceived as too conventional,” he continued. “They had the entire world in their hands. Those guys were on fire. It was electrifying.”
Curry, a 10-time NBA All-Star, two-time scoring champion, two-time NBA MVP, and Finals MVP, revolutionized the game with his remarkable 3-point shooting. His fellow Splash Brother, Thompson, has been named to five NBA All-Star teams and earned All-NBA Third Team honors twice.
Their unprecedented shooting prowess transformed basketball, but Turner believes they could have capitalized more on their off-court marketing opportunities.
Iguodala argued that the same could be said for Tatum concerning the “conventional” label, though he clarified that he doesn’t view the Celtics forward in that light, it’s just a widespread perception across the league. Turner subsequently retracted his comments and emphasized that Curry and the Warriors could have maximized their impact during their historic dynasty.
“I’m not labeling Steph and them as conventional,” Turner clarified. “I’m simply saying that during a period when the doors were open for marketing and athlete representation, you had two very relatable guys. They should have been global icons. Steph Curry’s shoes should be as iconic as Jordans, man. That’s my point.”
“From a marketing perspective,” Turner continued, “you guys were undoubtedly one of the greatest teams ever. The greatest! And you had the greatest shooters. The worst decision they made was firing Mark Jackson, because that changed their marketing strategy.”
While it’s unlikely that Curry and Thompson will venture into R&B anytime soon, they have found immense success and fulfillment beyond basketball.
And if being a four-time NBA champion is considered “conventional” these days, then sign us all up.