Second-year Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski exudes confidence.
The 21-year-old walks the walk and talks the talk, and sometimes, he does a little too much to tick off his Golden State teammates -- playfully.
But when you replace Klay Thompson in Steve Kerr’s hard-to-crack starting lineup as a rookie, sharing backcourt duties with Steph Curry, you should have belief in yourself. Podziemski further explained where he gets his confidence from Wednesday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.”
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“I think it comes from a bunch of different places,” Podziemski said. “Part of it is growing up around a family that is about winning. We want to win at everything we do. Another part of it is the work you put into stuff like this that you care about, and knowing that you put it in for a reason … [Thirdly,] basketball predominantly isn’t a white man sport, so half the battle is kind of looking the part, and for me, just kind of showing that I belong, from a look perspective.
“A combination of those three things is what has led me to have that daily confidence in myself.”
Podziemski credited his parents, John and Barbara, and his sister, Gabriella, for raising him in a success-oriented environment. He also highlighted his journey to the NBA and his role as a white player as two other key factors.
Podziemski’s confidence is as evident in the box score as it is in the locker room. The Santa Clara product shined as a rookie, averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 74 games, and he is an energetic person. He is hopeful to keep it rolling during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Golden State Warriors
In addition to the three reasons he detailed, Podziemski cited some NBA legends -- including one of his teammates -- as inspirations for his confidence.
“History always repeats itself, and those who put in the work before you tend to have success, so you kind of follow that motto,” Podziemski said. “A lot of the greats are super confident. You look at Kobe [Bryant], Michael [Jordan], even Steph, just super confident people.
“They believe in what they put into the game, so they feel they would get that in return.”
Those three players certainly do receive respect, driving Podziemski to earn similar platitudes.
Podziemski has big things in store for his second NBA season with Golden State. And after the Warriors missed the playoffs during the 2023-24 season, the franchise could use more of his upbeat energy.