SAN FRANCISCO — When listing off Bob Myers’ accomplishments over the past 11 years atop the Warriors basketball operations, owner Joe Lacob’s mind quickly drifted to the summer of 2016.
That season, the Warriors went 73-19 and could have been remembered as the greatest team of all-time, but they let a 3-1 lead slip away in the NBA Finals as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers took home the title.
That summer proved to be a pivotal one for the Warriors, who recruited Kevin Durant to join the dynasty after erasing a 3-1 series lead by KD’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
“I won't say a lot other than Bob Myers was on the job pretty fast,” Lacob said. “It all worked out; it would not have happened. We would not have had those next two championships if Bob had not done what he did and work an incredibly difficult -- he was the key guy. It was his idea and his execution.”
Now that Myers has stepped down from his role as president/general manager, will the KD move be remembered as his best?
Durant’s three-year run with three straight Finals appearances helped solidify the Dubs Dynasty’s place in basketball lore. On Tuesday evening, Durant posted a photo of him and Myers to his Instagram story.
Myers also told reporters that Durant reached out to him from a vacation in Monaco to congratulate him on his decision.
“What he did for us, showing up here, knowing what he would hear about when he made that decision; for him to have that courage,” Myers said. “Remember Joe and I were on the phone with him right before he decided, and you could tell he knew what might be coming down his road if he came to us, and for him to do it, and to completely deliver on everything that you would want: Two Finals MVPs; taking us to three Finals appearances, two Championships. What a talent. What a great -- if you like basketball, watching him and Steph and these guys play, that was -- I'd do that for free.”
We always hear about Myers’ ability to build relationships with his players and stars. It’s clear that he holds a lot of gravity in NBA circles with his interpersonal work.
“My hope is that those relationships last a long, long time,” Myers said. “If they don't, it's too bad, I've screwed something up. Because what's the point if you have 12 years if you walk away and you don't have those. I don't understand that. I think it's good but those are always tough.”
