Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry was chosen to host this year's ESPY Awards. With the event being held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, it was only natural that he took a dig at the Lakers and their general manager Rob Pelinka.
Steph Curry needled the Warriors’ rivals by comparing them to Super Bowl champions LA Rams.
“Super Bowl champions! I know that sounds great. It was so inspiring watching y’all play, watching y’all win a Super Bowl, watching y’all celebrate. And it’s just inspiring to see that strategy of buying old superstars pay off for a local team around here.
"Hey, [Dikembe] Mutombo! Where you at? I hear you’re looking for a 10-day [contract]? Yes? Or no, no, no no! I’ll let Rob Pelinka know.”
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The Rams were the Lakers’ equivalent in the NFL. Rams GM Les Snead bought the best talent available to fill his squad, and they finished last season on top of the NFL.
The Lakers, meanwhile, brought in Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan to reinforce the team. They didn’t even make the play-in tournament and were blown off the court in several games.
The aging All-Stars showed that they are no longer what they once were. Realizing that last season was a huge mistake, Rob Pelinka shifted his focus to signing young, hungry players, with new coach Darvin Ham promising to play with more gusto next season.
Unlike the LA Lakers, Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors were formed through smart drafting
The Golden State Warriors’ All-Star core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were all drafted. They had their growing pains but eventually made it to the top of the NBA. The Bay Area team has now been to six NBA Finals in the last eight years, winning four of them.
The Warriors’ next batch of potential superstars were also taken from the draft. James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga are poised to carry Golden State’s dynasty when the current core starts to age.
The LA Lakers went in the opposite direction. They mortgaged their future for Anthony Davis and gave up plenty to acquire Russell Westbrook. LA are now desperately holding on to future draft picks as LeBron James and Westbrook could leave after next season.
LA won the title in 2020, but they’ve struggled ever since.
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