Golden State Warriors: Bogut-Ellis Trade Still Paying Off

Stephen Curry Becomes a Superstar

December 2, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after the game against the Orlando Magic at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Magic 98-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

First, trading Ellis suggested the Warriors wanted to hand the franchise over to Curry. It was clear from Curry’s rookie season that he should be the future of the franchise, not Ellis, given his talent on the court but also his likeable, humble demeanor off the court.

Because of this display of commitment, Curry has fluorished as the team’s number one option and leader on and off the court. On the court, he didn’t have to compete with Ellis’ constant desire to possess the ball and dominate the game, and Curry was able to play more freely and get his teammates more involved. Curry represented hope that the Warriors would someday become a title contender.

Off the court, Curry is exactly the type of player that any NBA franchise, or any professional sports team in general, would want to be the face of the team. Curry is humble, gracious, kind, easy to talk to, and thankful. Not that Ellis had bad character, but Curry certainly was a juxtaposition to Ellis’ somewhat closed-off, sometimes cold personality.

Curry truly helped bring excitement back to Bay Area basketball, even before the Warriors made the playoffs in consecutive years. Although this was a somewhat indirect result of the trade, Curry became a superstar with Ellis out of the picture.

Next: Emergence of Klay Thompson