After three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Brandin Podziemski has turned into a polarizing player among the team’s fanbase.
Podziemski initially exceeded expectations as a rookie before underwhelming performances led to online criticism from a portion of Warriors fans.
There was even a sense of “favoritism” by coach Steve Kerr, especially during the Jonathan Kuminga situation over the past two seasons.
Brandin Podziemski on Getting Hate From Warriors Fans
GettyBrandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena on March 20, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
Speaking on the latest video on his YouTube channel, Brandin Podziemski answered questions from fans. One of the queries was about how he deals with some of the negativity directed toward him.
“I think the easy answer for me is just being process-oriented and understanding that people’s opinions outside the people in my circle are pretty irrelevant,” Podziemski said. “They don’t see me on the day-to-day, what I go through, so to let someone affect my perception on basketball or my game, I just don’t let it affect me.”
Another reason why some Warriors fans started criticizing him more was his comments before the start of last season. Podziemski was confident enough to say that he wants to be better than Steph Curry, which definitely raised some eyebrows.
The 23-year-old guard did have the best year of his career so far last season, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He played in all 82 games and started in 43 of them, mainly due to Curry missing around half the season because of a knee injury.
Steve Kerr on Brandin Podziemski
At the height of the criticism thrown at Brandin Podziemski last season around March, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr publicly defended his player.
Kerr went on Willard and Dibs on 95.7 The Game and explained why Podziemski earned his spot on his rotation.
“He’s got a really good feel for the game,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “When he’s off the ball, he’s one of the best defensive players we have on our team, and I know people may not see that, but it’s the anticipation, it’s playing on the weak side, it’s weak sidehelp, it’s being disruptive, taking charges. He’s one of our best rebounders. Two straight 15-rebound games last week.
“Offensively, he’s still finding his way. I talk about it all the time, publicly, but getting off the ball early in a possession and then getting it back. He generates a lot of shots for us. Running through the catch, generating close outs and then all of a sudden we’re attacking five on four. He does that better than most of our guys. For us to generate good shots, he’s generally got to be out on the floor more often than not.”
Podziemski is eligible for an extension this offseason, though he has yet to sign one. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. revealed earlier this month that locking the lefty guard long-term was one of their priorities.
Warriors Guard Brandin Podziemski Finally Breaks Silence on Getting Online Hate