For the first time in a while, Chase Center roared like it used to. This wasn’t just about threes and highlight plays. It was about grit. Kevon Looney, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II all core Warriors. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 52 points but it didn’t matter. These three willed Steve Kerr’s Golden State to a massive 116-109 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But who got them to Golden State? Bob Myers.
Bob Myers back at Chase Center? Yeah, that’ll get people talking. The former Warriors GM was in the building Wednesday, not making front-office moves but calling the game for ESPN. Feels weird, right? After 12 years shaping Golden State’s dynasty, he walked away in 2023. One of the best GMs in the game, just…gone.
Now, instead of building rosters around Stephen Curry, he’s breaking them down on TV. A wild career shift, and plenty of people are still adjusting. During the game, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater snapped a shot of Myers chatting with Joe Lacob. Second game this homestand, second time in the booth.
June 1, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers (left) and head coach Steve Kerr (right) during media day of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
So what did they talk about? A move that’ll save the Warriors season? Myers spilled the beans on 95.7 The Game on YouTube. When host Daryle “The Guru” Johnson asked what made Lacob laugh, Myers admitted he wasn’t entirely sure. “I just said, you know, it’s a long game and, you know, it’s gonna be better,” Myers recalled, noting that Lacob’s body language showed how much he wanted the win. He also joked, “I think I might have said you got the deadline coming up, if you need to, you know, something like that.”
Myers was impressed by the Warriors’ turnaround, calling it “a top-five win” and credited Wiggins and Brandin Podziemski for shifting the momentum. Myers is correct. And did the Warriors celebrate? You already know it. They did.
Ice water for Steve Ker no champagne
Golden State’s locker room was a mess—melting ice chips everywhere, a sign of the postgame celebration. Steve Kerr took an ice-water shower from his players, a fitting reaction after the Warriors pulled off their biggest win in months against the Thunder.
Steph put it best: “We need some feel-good energy around here… can’t forget to celebrate the small wins and infuse some joy.” That joy has been missing. The Warriors started 12-3 but then spiraled, dropping 20 of their next 32. Lately, they’ve looked nothing like contenders. But on Wednesday night, with their backs against the wall, they reminded everyone who they can be.
Nobody expected much. No Draymond Green. No Jonathan Kuminga. A 10-point underdog at home, on the second night of a back-to-back, against the West’s best team. But Golden State didn’t fold. They scrapped, they hustled, and they finally looked like themselves.
Jan 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and guard Stephen Curry (30) are recognized as the USA Basketball head coach and male athlete of the year before the start of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Wiggins led with 27 points. Curry, ice-cold early, turned it on late, sinking five threes and scoring 17 in the second half. Kevon Looney tied his career high with 18 points. Gary Payton II? He added 15 points, nine rebounds, and a ridiculous poster dunk on Isaiah Hartenstein.
“I haven’t been hunting it, but I know I haven’t been up there in a while,” Payton joked. Kerr, fresh out of his soaked tracksuit, kept it light. “You could see the belief, the energy,” he said. “We’ve got to sustain it.” Let’s hope this will not be the only celebration for Warriors in the near future. And they can sustain this momentum.
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