Before they became a powerful dynasty, the Golden State Warriors were led by Monta Ellis, a talented point guard who played for the franchise from 2005 to 2011.
While Ellis is unknown by many fans today, he played a critical role for the Warriors during their transition to greatness.
In fact, he once played right alongside Steph Curry before he broke out into the All-Time player we know him as today. And, according to Ellis, he knew even back then what his young teammate would become.
“You could see it. He put in the time. He put in the work. He did all the necessary things to put himself in this position,” Ellis told 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny and Guru” on Friday. “From Day 1, he came in, took a lot of criticism. So I think he just embraced that, continued to work hard and got better over the years, and put himself into a position where we’re talking about him breaking Ray Allen’s record. He put himself in the position to be here by working hard and grinding and staying with it.”
Monta worked with Steph worked together for over two full seasons before he was traded to the Bucks in 2012. He went on to continue an impressive career until he eventually retired at 31-years-old. Today, he’s actually attempting an NBA comeback.
Regarding Curry, it seems like he had the mindset of a winner from the very beginning. He worked hard, perfected his craft, and overcame immense obstacles early on to find success in the NBA.
Now, in his 13th season, he is on track to break the NBA’s 3-point record and solidify his place in basketball history. Most impressive of all is the fact that even after over a decade in the NBA, the 7x All-Star, 2x MVP, and 3x Champion is still just as hungry and determined as ever to lift that Larry O’Brien trophy.
