On The Bubba Dub Show, the former three-time All-Star weighed in on the GOAT conversation and shared his personal top 10 players list. His remarks quickly sparked conversation, particularly for how he ranked Stephen Curry ahead of Kevin Durant.

When asked about who he believes is the greatest of all time, Francis did not hesitate. “So, all them dunks and moves, like ain’t no way nobody’s father or even younger ain’t never see Come Fly With Me,” Francis said. “Growing up seeing that, growing up looking at Want to Be Like Mike, and him being able to conquer the Detroit Pistons.”

Francis went on to recall a personal connection that deepened his admiration for Michael Jordan. “I grew to know why Mark Aguirre was so [competitive], ’cause he coached me with the Knicks,” Francis explained. “So he told me what they was doing, their plan to try to assassinate anything Jordan did.”

What he said about Curry and Durant

After making it clear that Jordan was his GOAT, Francis turned to his all-time top 10 list — and dropped a hot take by placing Stephen Curry ahead of Kevin Durant.

“Curry seven, I don’t know who else. Seventh. He in the top 10… He behind Steph, KD in the top 10,” Francis said, clarifying that while both Curry and Durant belong in his top 10, the Warriors star edges the former league MVP.

Steve Francis’ journey

Steve Francis’ NBA career began with massive expectations after he was selected second overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. Nicknamed “The Franchise” by the Rockets, Francis quickly became one of the league’s most exciting players. With his explosive drives and athletic finishes, he emerged as the face of the Rockets and earned three consecutive All-Star selections.

After several strong seasons in Houston, Francis was traded in 2004 in the blockbuster deal that brought Tracy McGrady to the Rockets. He joined the Magic and continued to produce, but his stint in Orlando was short-lived. A surprising trade sent him to the Knicks, where his production declined due to injuries and a reduced role.

The final years of Francis’ career were plagued by knee problems and limited playing time. He had a brief return to the Rockets before stepping away from the NBA. While his career ultimately fell short of the superstar expectations that came with his draft position, his electrifying style and highlight-reel plays made him one of the most entertaining players of the early 2000s.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, there have been no serious conversations between Kuminga and the Warriors regarding his future. The franchise reportedly hasn’t shown genuine interest in offering him a strong deal, despite the 21-year-old averaging 15.3 points per game last season.

“Despite a few conversations between the two sides, the Golden State Warriors have generated no real traction toward a deal with the restricted free agent and, as anticipated, he is expected to explore the market when it opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday afternoon,” Slater wrote.

Two Potential Landing Spots Emerge for Kuminga

If Kuminga doesn’t return for another season alongside Curry, the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls have emerged as the most likely destinations for the young forward. Either move would mark a significant shift in playing style and team identity for Kuminga.

Kuminga was one of the Warriors’ top four scorers last NBA season, averaging 15.3 points per game. While he didn’t start, he became a valuable contributor off the bench for Curry’s squad whenever the big names needed rest.

Money Now a Factor in Kuminga’s Future

It’s clear Kuminga is looking for a bigger payday—especially after proving his worth as a reliable bench player in 47 games last season. His scoring average has remained steady over the past two years (15.3 and 16.1 PPG), and with his four-year, $24 million rookie deal now expired, he’s expected to seek something significantly higher. His salary for this past season was $7.6 million.

While the Warriors are amidst an intense battle for the postseason in the NBA 2024-25 season, with the team hoping to clinch a playoffs berth, and avoid the Play-In round, Curry has also set his sights in college basketball.

Golden State is riding a four-game win streak, and has won nine of its last ten outings. Everything is clicking for Curry and the Warriors in The Bay, but not content, the star guard will be stepping in a big role at his alma mater, Davidson College.

“Warriors’ Stephen Curry has accepted a role with his alma mater Davidson College as assistant general manager for the basketball programs”, via ESPN‘s Shams Charania.

Homecoming

Curry returns to Davidson College, where he spent three years with the program since 2006 until 2009, before being selected with the 7th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by Golden State.

Under his new role, ‘The Chef’ will “provide guidance to the men’s and women’s teams based on his college and professional experience”, ESPN reported. Curry was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame after accomplishing remarkable feats with the Wildcats.

After his junior year, Curry stepped into the NBA, leaving behind an ever-lasting legacy in Davidson, which includes: setting the NCAA single-season 3-pointers record with 162, and being named conference player of the year twice by the Atlantic-10.

Multi-tasking

It remains to be seen how Curry can handle the administrative college basketball tasks at Davidson College in North Carolina, while playing for the Warriors in their hunt for another Larry O’Brien trophy. Meanwhile, the Davidson Wildcats will take on the Richmond Spiders in the first round of the Atlantic-10 Tournament.

Unfortunately, not all players age the same way. Injuries, tough luck, and an ever-changing game can take a toll on a star, and that seems to be the case with two-thirds of their core.

Stephen Curry continues to be a superstar, but Draymond Green’s antics and Klay Thompson’s shooting woes have hurt the team this season. With that in mind, their sharpshooting point guard shared his thoughts on what’s to come.

Curry Hopes The Championship Core Ends ‘The Right Way’

“[Staying together] That’s always been a motivator for us,” Curry told Malika Andrews. “I think the way that we talk about it is, we want to not only end our career as a Warrior, we want to continue to compete at a very high very level. But you want to end it the right way.”

Steph talked about how much things have changed and how tough it’s been for them this season. Still, he has faith in this team’s ability to get over the hump and go back to its winning ways:

“We’ve been through a lot this year, the three of us,” Curry continued. “Especially with Draymond’s absence for a while, with Klay taking on a new role, the new cast of characters that we have that are right alongside in this journey. I think it’s extremely possible to accomplish both. We just have to protect the identity of who we are the best we can and I think we’re moving in that right direction.”

As of now, the Warriors sit one game over .500 and at the 10th spot in the Western Conference. Still, they’re the last team you want to come across in a potential seven-game series.

Jaylen Brown is one of the key players for the Boston Celtics. He played with the franchise during the 2023 playoffs, making it his sixth postseason appearance. It was his second with the most games played, with 20, while in 2022 he played 24 games.

Since the Boston Celtics drafted him in 2016, they knew that Jaylen was going to be a special player for the franchise. In 2017, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and he has since made two NBA All-Star appearances (2021, 2023).

As a small forward and shooting guard, he has joined forces with Jayson Tatum to give the Celtics a strong offense this season. However, even though they have made it deep into the postseason, they have not yet won a championship.

Along with Jaylen Brown who are the members of the $50 million-a-year club?

Jaylen Brown recently joined that exclusive club after signing a $304 million contract with the Boston Celtics. This makes it the largest contract in NBA history, a five-year extension.

1. Jaylen Brown – $60.8m
2. Nikola Jokic – $55.2m
3. Stephen Curry – $53.8m
4. Joel Embiid – $53.2m
5. Bradley Beal – $50.2m

Until less than a week ago, Nikola Jokic had the biggest contract in the NBA at $272 million. However, with Jaylen’s contract, a precedent is being set where franchises may be willing to do anything to keep a top player.

salaries source: Spotrac*

The Warriors‘ commitment to supporting Stephen Curry is evident in their recent transaction. They acquired the experienced point guard Chris Paul from the Washington Wizards, so he is now joining a core of veterans that include Klay Thompson.

Head coach Steve Kerr felt it was necessary to introduce a proven player into the rotation, and as a result, the team has struck a surprising deal that sent Jordan Poole to the Wizards. Not because Paul’s skill set, but because of the rivalry he has with Golden State in past matchups.

This decision was especially unexpected due to the intense rivalry. However, it shows the front office will do everything they can to give Curry, Thompson and maybe Draymond Green a chance to go for another championship.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson share their opinions on Chris Paul

The players that hadn’t spoken about the trade were the two most important players of the team. However, both Curry and Thompson talked about the veteran acquisition ahead of the famous golf event called “The Match”.

“The business is crazy. We all know that. If you asked us six months ago if this was something that could happen, the answer probably would’ve been no just based on where we were. Then you get to the summer and are trying to find ways to get better and put yourself in a position to chase another championship. Every team that CP has been on gets better. That’s the most consistent thing about him, and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everybody’s going to talk about the age. It’s on us to put that all together and figure out how all the pieces work. we’re trying to win next year and CP can help us do that”, Curry said to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Klay went in the same direction than his friend. “Any time you get to play with a player who is one of the best of your generation it’s an honor. It’s a little weird because we’ve had so many battles in the past with Chris, and he’s led so many teams that nearly knocked us off or did knock us off all the way back in 2014. I think he’s just going to add such a calming presence and leadership component that we need. I know Steph and him have a long history together being both from North Carolina. For me, it’s going to be a smooth transition playing with such a passer and playmaker, I’m just excited”, Thompson added.

There hasn’t been a great title defense for the Golden State Warriors this season. They finished sixth in the Western Conference and lost in the semifinals to the Los Angeles Lakers, something that doesn’t live up to the standards set in the last eight years.

That’s why they aren’t in the 2023 NBA Finals. In that series the Denver Nuggets lead the Miami Heat 2-1, with plenty of stuff to analyze. This is what Draymond Green does in his podcast, explaining different things after every game.

Green has been a huge piece for the Warriors for a long time. Very few players know Steph Curry as well as he does, so any hint he offers about him is interesting. Now he told a specific part of the game that makes Curry angry about his teammates.

Draymond Green shares what makes Steph Curry mad

Curry is the best shooter in the history of the league. The GOAT conversation usually creates a lot of debate, but that doesn’t happen around the 3-point shooters because he is the unanimous choice. He can make shots from everywhere, an ability that very few have. A particular aspect of last-second attempts from teammates is the point that Green highlighted.

“Steph Curry made me aware of this through the years. Guys holding on to the ball at the end of a quarter so they don’t lessen their shooting percentage. I saw a couple of guys doing that yesterday. This is the NBA playoffs, the NBA Finals. Who cares if your shooting percentage drops a little bit? That very thing drives Steph nuts. He’s gonna be very upset if you are just holding the ball and not shooting”, Green said.

He also went on to explain how that helped them win games in the past. “Steph is the greatest shooter we’ve ever seen so his numbers are gonna even out anyway. Jordan Poole actually helped us win the NBA championship by hitting two shots last year before the buzzer. Those shots were so important because one of them gave us the lead going to the fourth quarter. If you are going tied or with the lead into the fourth quarter, you are feeling good”, he added.

Their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Conference semifinals could mean that big changes are coming for them. There are a lot of questions marks around the roster, especially with names like Draymond Green and Jordan Poole. However, someone else has already left the franchise.

The season didn’t end how the Golden State Warriors expected. They are still the defending NBA champions after defeating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals last year, although they weren’t able to repeat the title.

There are a ton of people involved in creating a dynasty like the one the Warriors had for almost a decade led by Steph Curry on the court. A person behind all that success was undoubtedly Bob Myers, who confirmed he is stepping down as the general manager.

Why did Bob Myers leave the Warriors?

His continuity in Golden State was subject to speculation the whole month. The odds for him staying for another stint seemed unlikely, but it wasn’t until Tuesday when he confirmed that he was stepping down as President of Basketball Operations and General Manager after four titles with the team.

Myers is leaving the Warriors because he doesn’t think he can continue to do it at 100%. There were some rumors that aimed at his contract set to expire in June being an important reason. Other potential explanation was a difference in the approach with the top of the organization, although he mentioned something else as the reason for his exit.

He decided to go a different direction in his recent press conference. “I’ve only known how to do things one way my whole life. It doesn’t feel right to do something when I can’t give it everything. And that’s what it takes to do what we’ve done over the last, for me, 12 years”, Myers said as to why he left the Warriors despite recently winning another title.

This is a team made with the best players of the regular season. Last week Joel Embiid received the 2022-2023 NBA MVP award, so this was the recognition missing. As it always happens, some fans will disagree with the choices no matter who is picked.

Embiid continues showing he is at the top of his game right now with what he is doing for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics. He was one of the selections, although the stars that joined the former third overall pick have nothing to envy him.

Embiid, Antetokounmpo lead the first team

There was only one unanimous selection in the 2023 All-NBA First Team, but it wasn’t the reigning MVP Embiid. The only player to get that added honor was Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. This was the fifth consecutive year that Antetokounmpo makes the first team thanks to the 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists he averaged.

The full team also includes Luka Doncic despite the Dallas Mavericks had an awful season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a surprisingly good year for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the always consistent Jayson Tatum of the Celtics. It’s a great team, although there are high-profile names that aren’t in it.

All-NBA First Team 2022-2023

G Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks
G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
F Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
F Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
C Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers

All-NBA First Team 2023: Who were the biggest snubs?

5- Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies

Morant had a very wild season for a lot of reasons. Considering the Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference, it’s strange to not see him here being the best player on the team. Injuries played a huge role, but there is no doubt his off-the-court issues went against him. The most curious thing around his absence is that he didn’t even make the All-NBA Third Team.

4- Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat

Anyone watching the playoffs might think that it is a mistake, although the regular season is the only thing that matters in this list. Butler has been impressive in the first round when the eight-seeded Miami eliminated the top seed Milwaukee, but he couldn’t play at his best consistency before the postseason. He was at least part of the All-NBA Second Team.

3- LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers

James has been named to an All-NBA Team for the 19th consecutive year. However, this time he was selected for the third roster. LeBron has the Los Angeles Lakersas a real title contender, although the team wasn’t very good in the first half of the season. He was only able to play in 55 games, so that’s the explanation around his absence.

2- Steph Curry – Golden State Warriors

Curry also missed a lot of games this season, totaling just 56. The two-time NBA MVP ended up being part of the All-NBA Second Team averaging of 29.4 points. He is the player that give the Warriors hope they can win any match they play, but missing 26 games was probably what took him out of the main team. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander had his best year, it is still rare to place him ahead of Golden State’s star.

1- Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

Jokic is the biggest snub without any doubt. The only reason to not have the Serbian in the first team is that there is just one center in it. Embiid was the NBA MVP, so he deserved his spot. Although Denver‘s player finished right behind him in that race. He was in the All-NBA Second Team even though he averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists.