Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson … and Stephen Curry

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Steinmetz

I had no clue when I was going to write in this blog again, but after watching Steph Curry play the first three games of the 2015-16 NBA season, it feels like the right time. I’ll try to keep it up.

Curry has been so incredible through the first three games, I started thinking of him in terms of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. It’s hard to even comprehend that Curry has elevated himself into such a group — but that’s how great he’s been through three games, not to mention the entirety of last season.

I still don’t believe Curry is as great of a player as any of those three were. However, in the past year-plus, Curry has impacted games every bit as much as Jordan, Bird and Magic did, and yes, even in their primes.

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A very different side of Al Payton, who was known as ‘Mr. Mean’

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Steinmetz

My buddy James Dailey grew up with Gary Payton in Oakland, and the two of them used to play basketball together all the time. Back in the day, Dailey was also one of several young boys that Gary Payton’s dad, Al Payton, used to shuttle around all the time – you know, to games and gyms around the Bay Area and beyond.

Al Payton, known affectionately as “Mr. Mean,” passed away on Sept. 2. He will long be remembered for his tough exterior, no-nonsense approach and, quite frankly, his nasty look.

But Dailey, who grew up playing on Al Payton’s “We Are Family” teams doesn’t think of him like that at all. In fact, he remembers Gary’s father as someone who was as kind, gentle and caring as you could find. And also someone who was indispensable at keeping him on the straight and narrow as a kid.

“When I was in fifth or sixth grade, look, I had issues at home,” said Dailey, who played collegiately at St. Mary’s and is now a successful business owner. “We had some problems there, let’s just say. I lived three blocks away from Gary so I always was the last one to be dropped off, me and Gary. He used to take us to Giant Burger or somewhere and we’d eat. He never said a word, it was never brought up, but he knew what was going on at home. He figured if I was with him for the night, it would be cool and that I’d be fed.

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Larry Harris the sixth man of Golden State’s front office

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Steinmetz

Hard to remember, but in Joe Lacob’s early years as Warriors owner, the organization was sometimes criticized for having too many voices, too many guys who wanted in on the action — making calls and fielding calls and seeing what was out there.

Mind you, it was the same group — Lacob, Jerry West, Bob Myers, Travis Schlenk and Kirk Lacob — responsible for bringing the Warriors a championship in 2015, but back in 2010 and 2011 all those opinions and viewpoints were considered a weakness.

All five of those men deserve tremendous praise for bringing Golden State its first title in 40 years. What they’ve accomplished is historic sports-wise, a resume’ topper for a long, long time.

But if that’s your front office starting five, there’s an important sixth man here. And, OK, yes, kind of like Andre Iguodala was to the real starting five.

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