After the Warriors’ NBA championship repeat aspirations fell short with a season-ending playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the focus shifted to what the future held for Bob Myers.
The Warriors beloved general manager and president of basketball operations announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from his role in which he served for 12 years.
If the defending champions won their fifth title in nine seasons, though, would that have changed Myers’ decision to walk away?
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“This year, I don't know, it's hard to repeat,” Myers said while speaking to Bay Area reporters Tuesday. “And there were some tough things this year, I'm not going to discount those. But some people asked me, ‘If the team wins the championship, would you leave?’ I think, yes.
“So if this was a perfect year, it might have still been the time, I don't know. But they are all -- they all come with their own challenges. There's one happy GM at the end of the year. It's a hard one. One happy coach, one happy team. Luckily we got to be happy four times.”
Golden State's efforts to repeat as NBA champions hit a major roadblock before the season even started.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that the preseason altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole impacted the team's chemistry and trust throughout the season.
Golden State Warriors
And on Tuesday, Myers revealed whether the season took an emotional toll on him, too.
"Well, yes, but that's not why I'm leaving," he said. "This was a hard year. I don't know, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't.
"But there's been hard years and there's been tough ones. Even when we were winning, those years with Durant and those teams, there was no outcome that was acceptable except winning. I think we were favored in every game we played. It's great but pressure."
Myers’ tenure officially will end June 30, and that likely wouldn't have changed if the Warriors held their championship parade this year either.