golden state warriors practice, where Mark Jackson talks about life with his players (Photo: LetsGoWarriors.com Instagram account)
WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — Post-practice yesterday with the Golden State Warriors featured the familiar large crew of media that has been present since the San Francisco 49ers had been knocked out of the running for the NFL Superbowl.
All the regular beatwriters/reporters/bloggers were there plus a couple more and KTVU’s Fred Inglis. First up in the media availability interview chair was Andrew Bogut, followed by Stephen Curry, followed by head coach Mark Jackson.
Things were pretty normal for the practice. Guys were shooting around all over the place. Head coach Mark Jackson was at the distant trainer’s table talking with Draymond Green, as Jackson usually does with a player on any given day.
[NOTE: There were three articles written about Klay Thompson, which we cover in the soon-to-be-posted compendium piece.]First up on the interviewee’s chair was Andrew Bogut. Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press:
“I haven’t felt this great in while,” Bogut said after Monday’s practice, then quickly asking not to jinx his good fortune.
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“Touch wood,” he said.
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The 7-footer from Australia, who has a well-documented history of injuries, has played in 47 of 48 games – with his lone absence stemming from a suspension handed down by the NBA for his role in a scrum against Portland. Bogut had played in only 44 games the past two seasons combined.
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“People that label me injury-prone, it’s fair enough, I understand it,” Bogut said. “But to say that they’re chronic injuries, those people are idiots. Two injuries that have hurt my career and probably shortened the length of my career and probably a little bit of my playing ability are completely out of my control.”
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“Hopefully, I can make up for that this season,” Bogut said. “But awards are predicated on how the team is, how the success of the team is, so if we go to the playoffs and make some noise, I think all that stuff will take care of itself.”
LetsGoWarriors asked Bogut about his latest display of talents dribbling the basketball.
“I’ve always had it. Coach Jackson preseason, saw me do it in the open gyms that we had for training camp, started insisting that I do it in games and have the confidence you need to do that during games,” Bogut said, “I think it’s a dangerous weapon when you can have myself and David Lee bring the ball up and start the fastbreak. I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty good ball-handling big; dribble the ball and handle the ball. I have no gripes doing it.”
Curry was up next.
On Bogut, as written by Gonzalez:
“He’s talented, man,” point guard Stephen Curry said. “It’s not often you see a big man get the rebound, push in transition, change directions a couple times, read the defense and make behind-the-back passes and one-handed passes for a backdoor cut. That creativity he has, I’ve rarely seen it for a guy his size.”
We asked Curry about whether or not he gives pointers to little brother Seth Curry, whom we interviewed in Santa Cruz on Saturday. Read Steph’s response here.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer wrote a piece on Steph’s mutually relationship with the Bay Area:
“He’s a loveable guy,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “You look at him as a husband, a father and a teammate, and he’s an all-around good guy. People appreciate the way he goes about his business.”
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This works because it’s not an “image.” It’s who Dell and Sonya Curry raised their three kids to be.
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“Regardless of your profession, your personality is what it is. I’m blessed to play this game in front of a lot of people, to impact people whether it’s in person or not,” Curry said after practice.
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Then he quoted Richard Sherman, the bright and sometimes edgy defensive back for the Seattle Seahawks: Be yourself, whoever that is.
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“That’s how I was raised,” Curry said of his good-guy approach. “How much success you have or what have you, that shouldn’t change.”When Jackson took to the microphones, he talked about Klay, but also revealed a little bit about himself and his players, when asked directly about what he talks about when he’s on that trainer’s table with any given teammate.
“We talk about everything,” Jackson said, “Sitting over there I’m not talking about basketball, I’m talking about life. I said from Day One if I can come in, win ball games and guys leave here not a better father, husband, friend and teammate, then I’m a failure. So most of the time when I’m sitting over there talking to my guys, it’s about life.”
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