Getty Charles Barkley looks on during Capital One's The Match at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in 2021.
Several heroes emerged over the course of the Golden State Warriors‘ epic march through the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Sure, it was Stephen Curry who led the charge during the Finals, but players up and down the roster played critical roles in securing the club’s seventh championship.
Andrew Wiggins’ stingy defense, his sudden explosion on the glass and his ability to take advantage of offensive opportunities around the margins rewrote the book on his career to date. Meanwhile, Kevon Looney’s lunchpail game was a steadying factor on both sides of the court.
And that’s to say nothing of Klay being Klay, Gary Payton II’s heroic return, Otto Porter Jr being a plus/minus god, and so on and so forth.
The one person who probably doesn’t get enough credit for the Dubs’ incredible success last season may also be the one person who’s the most responsible for pulling it all together. Namely, the team’s chief decision-maker: Bob Myers. However, one hardwood icon is determined to give the Warriors president the roses he deserves.
Sir Charles Sounds Off on Dubs Prez
NBC Sports Bay Area‘s Monte Poole caught up to legendary baller turned TNT fixture Charles Barkley at the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. And while Sir Charles had plenty to say about the Warriors, he made a point to shout out Myers for his efforts in constructing a perennial winner.
“They’ve done a tremendous job,” Barkley said. “They got a great organization. They got great players. The general manager, what he’s doing is incredible… Bob Myers was the second-best thing to happen to the Warriors since Steph Curry the last few years.”
Of course, Myers has been the point-man on basketball ops for a decade now. But Barkley singled out one of his more recent moves — the Wiggins trade — as proof of the exec’s incredible impact on the franchise.
“I’ve got to give a shout-out to Bob Myers because when he made that Wiggins trade, not many people thought that was a good trade,” Barkley said.
“[Wiggins] ended up being the second-best player on the team during the Finals. So, give Bob Myers some credit. And, obviously, Otto Porter played great. Drafting Jordan Poole. You talk about Steph and those guys, give Bob Myers a ton of credit. He deserves it.”
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The Wiggins Trade Was a Low-Key Steal
Barkley is definitely not wrong about the Wiggins trade. That move, perhaps more than any other Myers has pulled off in recent years, may be the thing most responsible for the Larry O’Brien Trophy finding its way back to the Bay area
When it became clear that Kevin Durant was leaving Golden State for Brooklyn after the Dubs’ ill-fated Finals run back in 2019, Myers acted quickly to engineer a sign-and-trade bringing star guard D’Angelo Russell to the Bay. Seven months later, he was able to flip Russell for Wiggins who, to that point, had disappointed as a No. 1 overall pick.
At the time, his career had descended to the point where the hoops intelligentsia looked at him more as a future trade piece than an actual, on-court contributor. Clearly, though, the Warriors architect had a vision for Maple Jordan.
Flash forward to now and his team may not be defending champions without having brought Wiggins into the fold. After becoming a first-time All-Star in 2022, Wiggins went on to finish fourth teamwide in win share during postseason play. Now, the baller is in-line for another massive contract extension
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Sir Charles Sends Strong Message on Bob Myers’ Impact on the Warriors