NBA legend Jerry West was known for not only his talent on the basketball court but also his knowledge off of it.
And shortly before Warriors stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson became certified legends in the Bay, the former Golden State executive foresaw their future greatness from a mile away.
On June 12, 2014 -- exactly 10 years before West died at age 86 on Wednesday -- the man known as "The Logo" sat down with Jim Kozimor on NBC Sports Bay Area, then Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, to offer some spot-on analysis about the Splash Brothers' future.
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"[Curry's] one of the most unique players I've seen in this league, and he's unique in the sense that you look at him, [and] he's not one of these big, strong guys. He's an unbelievable competitor and a great person," West told Kozimor of Curry after the point guard's fifth Warriors season -- and the year before Golden State's first NBA title with the future face of the franchise.
"And if there's anyone in the league that can make the kind of shots that he makes, I don't know who they are ... He's got a wide following in the league. It's going to get greater. His parents did a heck of a job raising this kid. He's so grounded, and the thing you don't see about him -- you see this kind of baby face, and this guy is really a competitor."
Looking back, everything West said about Curry holds true to this day.
West knew the Baby-Faced Assassin would go on to do great things, and he told Kozimor the same of Thompson. In fact, he correctly predicted Curry and Thompson would be a prolific backcourt for years to come.
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"We've got one of the best backcourts in the league," West told Kozimor. "[Thompson’s] got size. His defensive play is really underrated, and that's where he's come along. And because of his ability to play people at three positions, it tells you how valuable is. He can guard small forwards, and a lot of times if they have a great point guard, you see him [guarding] a great point guard, and obviously he can play two guard.
"I think he would be so much better if he could just cover two guards all the time defensively. But he's come a long way, and he's fun to watch. Another fantastic kid, and he and Curry fit great together.
"Should be a backcourt for a long time."
Ten years, four NBA championships, some untimely injuries and one brotherhood later, West was proven correct in his assessment of Curry and Thompson. And as a key architect behind the Warriors' dynasty, the Splash Bros certainly have the late legend partially to thank.
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