In emotional return, Bob Myers reminds Warriors of his lasting impact

For the first time since leaving the organization last June, Bob Myers returned to Chase Center on Wednesday night.

The former general manager who helped build and maintain Golden State’s dynasty was a visitor in his old home. And he got a royal welcome.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Warriors played a tribute video on the center screen. In front of the four Larry O’Brien trophies he played a part in bringing to the Bay, his daughters re-introduced him to the Chase Center crowd.

Myers choked back tears as his daughters spoke on the public address system. Steph Curry and Draymond Green stood on the court applauding. As a “Thank You Bob Myers” message showed on the big screen, Myers smiled in front of a standing ovation.

He evoked the kind of catharsis he helped bring to Warriors fans as a key architect of the NBA’s modern dynasty.

“Your goal in life should always be to leave whatever it is that you’re leaving behind in a better place than it was when you got it,” Draymond Green said postgame. “And he far exceeded that. He left it in the best place it could possibly be.”

The two-time Executive of the Year served as the Warriors’ general manager for 12 seasons before leaving. He’s now a consultant for the Washington Commanders and an analyst for ESPN, the latter gig being the reason why he returned to Chase Center for the first time since stepping away nine months ago.

“Occasionally, I’ll be walking my dog and we’ll run into each other,” Steve Kerr said of his neighbor. “It’s so fun seeing him. I’m so happy for him, he’s living such an interesting existence. He’s obviously doing the TV stuff, he’s great at that. But for him to get into the NFL world, what a fascinating journey that must be…But that doesn’t surprise me, Bob is a guy with a lot of interests. He’s so talented, he can help any organization, whether it’s sports-related or not.”

Bob Myers is back in the building tonight pic.twitter.com/itflOLICTS

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 7, 2024

The Danville native came back from two decades in Los Angeles to propel his hometown team to by far the highest mountain top in its history. Myers’ front office drafted Green, hired Steve Kerr, traded for Kevin Durant, and used the first round pick in the Andrew Wiggins deal to select Jonathan Kuminga. His first championship ring came in 2015, and the fourth in 2022.

Despite not being with the team anymore, Myers’ residual presence, born from the decisions he made and culture he set from the top, remain. He still lives in the Bay Area, and while he maintains a respectful distance from the organization, Myers keeps in touch with its key players like Kerr.

“It’s not putting the team together,” Green said. “For a basketball savant like Bob, that’s the easy part. It was the work that he did on the relationships. Every single day being in here, building relationships. From the top to the bottom. From the best player to the worst. From Joe Lacob, Peter Guber, Kirk Lacob, Steve Kerr, Raymond Ridder, on to the community. From top to bottom. The relationships, the work he did on relationships every day was one of my biggest takeaways in working with Bob.”

Right outside the Warriors locker room, Moses Moody dapped up the man who drafted him. Klay Thompson gave Myers a big hug. Surely he and the rest of the Warriors have a new favorite on-air personality.

“Bob Myers is awesome,” Thompson said. “His love for the game, his ability to be personable with everybody — just a great, great guy.”

Thompson and Myers don’t talk often, but when they connect, Thompson said “we hit it off like it was just yesterday.” Kerr said he and Myers have run into each other about four or five times since the season started. They also talk on the phone semi-weekly, mostly about Myers’ ventures.

At ESPN though, Myers has been put in the awkward position of publicly commenting on the dynasty he helped build, on the people he developed lifelong relationships with. That has included tumultuous moments, such as Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension for erratic on-court behavior.

When Green picked up an early technical foul against the Bucks, Myers quipped on the broadcast that, “The best news is, if he gets kicked out after another technical, I don’t have to go talk to him.”

It would be foolish to read much into that joke; it’s all love between Myers and Green. As Myers’ tribute video played, Green pantomimed a hugging motion while standing on the court. In an over four-minute speech at the postgame podium, Green recounted several instances Myers made a lasting impact on him, including when the general manager sat with him while he was suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals. How he was there for Green not just when he was winning Defensive Player of the Year awards and championships, but when things were going wrong.

Draymond Green went long on Bob Myers: “His name will be in the rafters.”

Toward the end of this clip, Draymond goes into detail about how Myers managed him during the tough times pic.twitter.com/kTJ0zvUF63

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 7, 2024

“I couldn’t have asked for a more special person to spend my first 11 years with, because if it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure where I’d be,” Green said. “Where my career would’ve gone. The things I’ve learned from him about being a father, being a husband, being a great person. I’m not sure I’m sitting here talking with you today without that man.”

Myers handed the GM keys to Mike Dunleavy Jr. after the 2023 season, shedding the weight of over a decade running what has become one of the most valuable franchises in sports.

“I did everything I could do, the best I could do it,” Myers told The Athletic. “I just felt like Joe (Lacob) hired me to do something. I did it for as long (and) as well as I could. And it came to a point where I realized I did that job in my mind. And it’s time for someone else to take it. There was no part of me that was not happy. It wasn’t like I was unhappy. It was just realizing it was time.”

So on Wednesday, it was time for the Warriors to celebrate him. Kevon Looney and Thompson narrated video footage of Myers at various championship parades.

“Such a special, special soul,” Green said. “I think we’ve all been able to learn from him. To see him be celebrated tonight the way he should have, you talk about jerseys getting retired and all those things — his will. His name will be up in the rafters.”

The championship core he helped put together was still on the court as they dismantled the Bucks, and they’ll be there as long as they’re capable of playing like they did Wednesday. Until one day, they’re all back together as names hanging over the Chase Center court.