Mike Dunleavy Jr. was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, selected by the Warriors.
Now, he will take over for Bob Myers as Warriors GM. That could prove to be as difficult a task as playing in the NBA — as Myers shaped the Warriors into a modern-day dynasty, drafting the likes of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and hiring Steve Kerr as coach.
Dunleavy, 42, now has the chance to run things with those star players on the back nine of their careers. And he is already being asked how he intends to replace Myers, who spent 12 years on the job before stepping down.
“As far as similarities, we were really close, so I guess there’s gotta be a lot of things aligned,” Dunleavy told reporters. “I’d probably start with humility. For the most part, we’re pretty humble guys. Family first, and I think we’re good listeners. We both like to hear people out, hear groups out. As leaders, we try to make the right decision.”
And what about differences?
“I think I’m a slightly better basketball player than him,” Dunleavy joked. “After that, Bob is out-of-this-world talented, what he’s able to do with people. His record speaks for itself. If I can be anywhere near the realm of being successful as he’s been here, it’d be great.”
Dunleavy and the Warriors already have one big decision looming, as Green intends to decline his player option and enter free agency, as we relayed here.
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