On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Golden State Warriors fans know their team’s chase for a fifth championship banner in the Stephen Curry era will likely be their toughest.
The Dubs have an outside chance at winning as long as Stephen Curry continues to blow past defenses the same way he did against the Memphis Grizzlies . Jimmy Butler will continue being relevant for the Dubs as his two-way presence reduces the pressure on Steph.
Their first-round matchup will be anything but easy, though. The Houston Rockets have the impeccable combination of exciting young talent and gritty veterans ready to play gritty basketball to win. To say that Steve Kerr has a series on his hands tactically is an understatement, given how masterfully Ime Udoka coached the Rockets all season long.
While unlikely, the Warriors are doing everything to give Chef Curry his fifth ring. A former NBA champion opens up about what a fifth title would mean for the best shooter in NBA history.
Paul Pierce thinks Stephen Curry will force his way into the GOAT conversation if he wins one more championship with the Golden State Warriors
Paul Pierce made a compelling argument in a recent SPEAK episode that Curry would put himself into the GOAT conversation if he manages to win it all with his current Warriors team.
He explained that while many still agrees that LeBron defined much of his generation, it’s hard to deny how much Curry has won in his era of ball:
“If Steph Curry wins one more championship—let’s say this year—wins the Finals MVP, we are gonna have some very, very, very, very uncomfortable conversations.
“You know why? That’s gonna mean in the LeBron era, he would have won his fifth title with pretty much three different squads. Three of those championships he won without a Top 75 player.
“In my eyes, he would have won this era with LeBron. So then that tells me… Is he greater than LeBron?”
It’s important to note that Pierce is known to have a slight bias against LeBron, having played against him during his peak years with the Boston Celtics. His takes aren’t often accepted warmly by figures in and around the league.
While Pierce’s personal history might blemish this take, it’s hard to deny that his words have weight. While two of Curry’s four championships were won with Kevin Durant, it’s hard to deny that he’s been consistently relied on for much of his career in Golden State.
The odds don’t look good for the Dubs, but Curry winning an unlikely fifth title will surely drive the narrative about him being greatest forward.
More must-reads:
- Warriors still positioning themselves for Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster
- Warriors' Stephen Curry believes NBA players are 'underpaid'
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
76ers unexpectedly waive veteran guard despite career season
The Sixers are waiving Ricky Council IV, the team announced in a press release. Council signed a four-year, partially guaranteed deal with the Sixers in 2024, which contained a team option for the 2026-27 season. Last season, he averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.1 minutes per night — all career-high numbers. Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports notes that the timing of the move was unexpected, given that Council’s guarantee date is on Jan. 10, 2026, and the team currently has an open roster spot if they need it to add restricted free agent Quentin Grimes. While Council struggled with his three-point shot last season, he emerged as a reliable depth contributor, playing a team-high 73 games while bringing athleticism and energy from the wing positions.
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
'In what world does this make sense?’: Oilers and $63M forward
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
Rangers Now Predicted To Have Quiet Trade Deadline
In years past, the Texas Rangers getting hot right before the trade deadline would have resulted in Chris Young finding a way to make a roster splash, acquiring a notable player or two who would help them for the rest of the season. However, that doesn't seem to be coming for the Rangers this year. Much of that has to do with their middling performance for much of the season, with it looking like Texas would have to sell at one point based on the number of impending free agents they had and how far back in the playoff race they were. More News: Rangers Activate Outfielder Sam Haggerty From Injured List for Braves Opener But after getting hot to the tune of owning a 54-50 record entering Saturday that puts them just a half-game back from the final AL Wild Card spot, Young could get aggressive if he wanted. Adam J. Morris of Lone Star Ball doesn't expect that to be the case, though, outlining why he thinks this is going to be a quiet deadline for Texas. "... the Rangers don't appear to be in a position where they're going to be real aggressive buyers at the deadline. The rotation, in a bit of a departure from previous years of Rangers contention, does not appear to be an area in need of reinforcements ... So, barring injuries or a collapse in the next six days, I don't expect a ton of action from the Texas Rangers at the deadline," he wrote. More News: Rangers Front Office Needs To Reward Players With Aggressive Deadline That seems to be about right. Bullpen arms could be added, and that likely is going to be the course of action for the Rangers in the coming days if they go down that route. But as far as acquiring a sizeable lineup upgrade goes, the impending returns of Joc Pederson and Jake Burger don't make that a huge need. More News: Rangers Skipper Hints That Best Version of Joc Pederson Could Come When He Returns Young could surprise everyone and pull of a headlining deal. However, it seems much more likely Texas will stand pat with their roster and hope that internal improvements will be enough to get them into the playoffs and make some noise when they get there. For more Rangers news, head over to Rangers On SI.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
