Attention, all you kids 30 and under. Listen to your boy Old Man Murph.
This Warriors thing is pretty cool. How cool? So cool, I am here to tell you:
Kids, these are your glory days 49ers.
Understand, guys like me and Paulie Mac once enjoyed a Bay Area dynasty, and it was the 49ers in the 1980s.
Now, now, Giants fans. Simmer down. There’s no bigger seamhead honk than yours truly. But the Giants had three magical Octobers; they did not rule the baseball roost for years, break win records, and re-define the game.
The 2015-17 Warriors do rule the basketball roost, have broken win records and have re-defined the game.
So did the 1980s 49ers.
On that note, let’s make a handy guide that bridges the generational gap.
Let’s call it: “Which Warrior Is Which 1980s 49er?”
After all, dynasties have similar qualities. Here we go:
Joe Lacob = Eddie DeBartolo — It all starts at the top, sports fans. There are bad owners in sports. You know who they are. And then there are championship-or-die owners. You know who they are. When Lacob bought the team, most everyone was upset that Larry Ellison didn’t win the bid. Turns out, Larry Ellison wishes he was half the winner Lacob is. From hiring Jerry West to hiring Steve Kerr to hiring Bob Myers to calling his shot for more banners on the wall at Oracle … it’s Eddie D all over again.
Bob Myers = Carmen Policy — The front office needs to be run with savvy, both public and private. Both Myers and Carmen are silver-tongued gents who charm most everyone they meet. And behind closed doors, their decision-making is bulletproof, from landing Deion Sanders to wooing Kevin Durant. Acumen for people and talent mark both of these gents.
Jerry West = John McVay — No, McVay was not ‘The Logo’ of the NFL, but both men come with the wisdom of experience, and prove to be the calming graybeards who advise their coaches and front office.
Steve Kerr = Bill Walsh — Certainly, Kerr plays more music at practices than Walsh did, but a combination of unforgiving competitiveness with next-level strategy philosophies mark both men. They both use humor with their players, while at the same time are willing to break clipboards in rage. Both use styles — West Coast offense; Kerr’s ball movement and unselfishness — that have re-defined their games.
Steph Curry = Joe Montana — The “Original Gs” who lifted their franchises from hapless to champions. The “It Factor” that wows everyone who watches them play. The singular talent that lands MVP awards. The “Wonka Ticket in the Bay Area For Life” presence in our region. Steph is Joe; Joe is Steph.
Draymond Green = Ronnie Lott — Ronnie drew fewer flagrant fouls, but the two men serve as the visceral centers of their teams, their seething passion accepting nothing less than total commitment from their teammates. Kerr called Draymond “the heartbeat” of the Dubs back in 2015. Lott was the ventricle, aorta and any other heart anatomy part you can name for the 49ers. Plus, when Paulie Mac texted Ronnie this morning to ask him if he agreed, Ronnie texted right back with full endorsement and exclamation points. Heart and soul, these two.
Kevin Durant = Jerry Rice — Both players joined their dynasties after a championship was won, and both players are among the greatest to ever play their sport. Boom.
Klay Thompson = Roger Craig — As our man Bob Fitzgerald pointed out, the versatility of Craig’s 1,000 yards rushing/1,000 yards receiving matches Klay’s offense/defense versatility. I had first pegged Eric Wright, the underrated cornerback who won four rings, but I’ll cede to Fitz on this one. Plus, like Craig, Thompson never needs the full spotlight.
Andre Iguodala = John Taylor — Again, I’ll cite Fitz when he said, “Yes, because only true 49ers fans knew how good Taylor was; same deal with Andre.” Put it this way — John Taylor, not Rice, was the one who caught the winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl 23; just like Iguodala, not Curry, was the one who won 2015 NBA Finals MVP.
We could go on and on, but you guys can take it from here. You can go Shaun Livingston = Brent Jones as hard-working, level-headed presences, like Paulie Mac suggested; or David West = Matt Millen, as tough veterans who signed on for one last shot at a ring or . . . shoot, have fun with it.
After all, Bay Area sporting dynasties are meant to be fun.