Stephen Curry has been the leader of the Golden State Warriors for a decade now. Steph landed in the Bay surrounded by huge expectations and it’s fair to say he has exceeded them. The point guard took the Dubs to play in the last five NBA Finals, winning three titles in the process.
His impact has been huge for the franchise, more so when you see the numbers of the organization. Back in 2010, when Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the franchise, they paid $450 million At the time, things weren’t going well for Golden State. In the prior 15 years, they only attended the playoffs once and the fans weren’t that convinced on them and their quality.
10 years later, after several playoffs appearances, 5 straight Finals trips and three titles, the Dubs are valued $4.3 billion per Forbes, being the third most valuable team in the NBA, only trailing the New York Knicks ($4.6 billion) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($4.4 billion). Curry has played a big role in that situation; he’s led this team to be one of the best franchises in the NBA and this is the prime example of that.
“The secret was winning. Thanks to megastar Steph Curry, who the Warriors drafted in 2009, the team hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2012, reeling off five straight trips to the NBA Finals, winning three times. The Warriors now rank among the top of the league in home-game attendance; they have a brand new arena and their $401 million in revenue last season topped every NBA team except the Lakers. The pair of investors also placed their bet on the right game: NBA team values are up an average 413% since 2009—the average pro sports team has appreciated by some 250% in that time—and the league lays claim to seven of the top 10 appreciating teams and 21 of the top 25,” Chris Smith of Forbes wrote in 2019.
This season hasn’t been the best for the Warriors or Curry, who broke his left hand and only played 5 games, but they are hopeful they can get things back on track next campaign when Klay Thompson returns, Curry is healthy and they have a lottery draft pick. If you think about it, the future looks bright for Golden State, whose worth will continue increasing season after season.
