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Steve Kerr explains how Stephen Curry ‘sets the tone’ for team culture

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OAKLAND – Even on a Golden State Warriors team that is coming off their second championship in three years and were 41-12 heading into Tuesday night’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s not easy maintaining a healthy culture within the roster. And as the Warriors work to finish the first half of the regular season with some momentum, Steve Kerr accredited Stephen Curry as the one who’s maintained the team’s joyful culture.

“I think for me, having the players that we do made my vision for the team so much easier to achieve because, you mention joy, I think that playing basketball for a living we’re so lucky,” Kerr said. “I inherited a team where you have Steph Curry, who’s out here like he’s 10 years old every game, just having so much fun. I think Steph really sets the ton more than anybody in that regard for what our culture is about.”

Hidden behind their 41-12 record before Friday night, the Warriors have alternated a win with a loss over the last four games and are coming off a 115-108 defeat to the Denver Nuggets. After narrowly beating the Boston Celtics on January 27, Golden State lost a pair of unenthused games to the Utah Jazz and Nuggets.

Over that span, Curry has averaged 27.5 points, including a season-high 49 against the Celtics, along with five assists and 4.3 rebounds. Nonetheless, Kerr sees Curry’s worth as more than what he does on the court.

“A big part of what we are too is our competitiveness,” Kerr said. “You can look up and down the roster and you have guys who hate to lose. Andre, Draymond, and Klay. Klay is quietly competitive. So we just have a great mix of guys who love to play and who love to win. We put the work in, but don’t take ourselves too seriously.”