Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors are an experienced team used to overcoming adversity, so seeing the reigning NBA champions lose their composure isn't a typical occurrence.

However, that's exactly what happened to the Warriors in Tuesday's 128-111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Golden State grew frustrated with the referees early in the game and never recovered, trailing by as many as 26 in the blowout.

The whistles started flying early and often, as the Warriors were called for three technical fouls in the first quarter alone. Golden State was unhappy with the free throw disparity, as none of its players made it to the line until late in the second quarter.

The Warriors shot just 19 free throws on the night, while Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 17 by himself on his way to a game-high 30 points.

Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry was among those to receive a technical foul when he surprisingly let his anger get the better of him after a referee didn't call what he thought was an obvious foul on a three-pointer. Golden State finished with five techs, while three were called on Milwaukee.

Fans online called out the Warriors for letting the referees throw them off their game in what was supposed to be an exciting matchup against an Eastern Conference powerhouse:

Warriors have gone ice cold and are letting the refs get to them

— Golden State of Mind (@unstoppablebaby) December 14, 2022

Three first quarter techs. The referee fraternity is close and they definitely talk. The dubs have intentionally showed them up a few times in the last year and it seems like the refs remember and have been sticking it to them this season.

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) December 14, 2022

Warriors Franchise worth 900 Billy’s, most in the NBA and NBA/Refs treat’em like they the Tropic Thunder 🥴

— Sir $leepy Flo¥d™ VALLEJO’FIED ☕️Face Of Dubnation (@ElSleepyFloyd) December 14, 2022

Warriors and refs need a peace treaty or something lol

— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) December 14, 2022

Andre Iguodala picks up Golden State's fourth tech of the night for yelling at the refs during the Warriors' coach's challenge timeout.

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) December 14, 2022

https://twitter.com/KerithBurke/status/1602849165838467072

10 more MIL techs and the Warriors are right back in this. And that's not impossible the way this is going.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) December 14, 2022

Steph would be chasing Kareem if the refs actually gave him obvious calls

— De🅿️ressed Warriors Fan 💔 (@GoIdenState) December 14, 2022

Hate to say it, but the refs aren’t going to rule in favor of Dubs come post season.. they’ve made that very clear. Better get used to it now

— Emily Kate (@_PickEm) December 14, 2022

Seems like refs vs warriors!

— Intan (@ilymoon___) December 14, 2022

https://twitter.com/freegamep_/status/1602832888118099970

There is a serious warriors vs the NBA/refs war going on this year.

— Crypto Agenda (@SprdsheetAgenda) December 14, 2022

Glad I tuned in to watch the NBA refs show tonight. Quite the performance going on.

— r/Warriors 🏆 (@GSWReddit) December 14, 2022

Nah Refs put money on this game l actually feel sorry for the Warriors rn

— aunty_mufasa (@Aunty_MufasaOG) December 14, 2022

The refs tonight handing out techs #bucks #warriors #nba pic.twitter.com/UemTRW14fl

— fuck zach edey (@mrthxgivin1125) December 14, 2022

At 14-14, Golden State has struggled to find consistency this season. Perhaps the slow start is just a championship hangover, but at this point, it's starting to become concerning.

The Warriors have the expectations of contending for a title once again, but there are multiple issues they need to fix if they want to achieve their goal.

Golden State will look to bounce back in the second matchup of its six-game road trip on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers (14-14).

The Golden State Warriors were once an NBA laughingstock.

Now they're the class of the league.

Sportico released its NBA franchise valuations Tuesday, and the Warriors are by far the most valuable team at $7.56 billion. That marks a 25 percent increase from 2021 and puts them nearly $1 billion ahead of the New York Knicks.

1. Golden State Warriors ($7.56 billion)
2. New York Knicks ($6.58 billion)
3. Los Angeles Lakers ($6.44 billion)
4. Chicago Bulls ($4.09 billion)
5. Boston Celtics ($3.92 billion)
6. Brooklyn Nets ($3.86 billion)
7. Los Angeles Clippers ($3.73 billion)
8. Toronto Raptors ($3.34 billion)
9. Houston Rockets ($3.3 billion)
10. Dallas Mavericks ($3.26 billion)

This is the first time the Knicks have fallen to the second spot in the team valuation rankings. Despite having not won a championship in nearly 50 years and being mismanaged by governor James Dolan, the Knicks remain consistently relevant thanks to their prime New York City location and the aura of Madison Square Garden.

The Warriors' ascent to the top spot is a testament to a strong ownership group and a generational superstar.

Joe Lacob's group of investors bought the Warriors 12 years ago for $450 million. The franchise was largely ignored on the national scale and had made the playoffs just once since 1994.

A few strokes of drafting genius from the front office, highlighted by the arrival of Stephen Curry, combined with the bustling Bay Area tech community turned the Warriors into an NBA juggernaut. The Warriors are worth about 17 times what Lacob paid for them, and he could likely get even more on the open market if the franchise came up for sale.

Franchise valuations across sports have long undersold their actual sale price, as the combination of safety of investment and scarcity drives up bidding.

The Golden State Warriors finally started looking like defending NBA champions on Saturday night.

Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry combined for 66 points and the Warriors locked in on defense for a 123-107 win over the Boston Celtics.

"Especially the way they've played this year, they've just been so good, so dominant. I thought we needed a game like that," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "We've been a bit stuck in the mud. It feels like we've gotten better, but not a whole lot to show for it. This was an important win for us."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4h-Wa6Y_Ms

The Celtics are off to a blistering 21-6 start and look like favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

Meanwhile, it's been a slog both on and off the court for the Warriors. Their title defense began with Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole in the face during a preseason practice, and a malaise has followed Golden State to a 14-13 start. Thompson is playing the worst basketball of his career as he continues his journey back from a pair of devastating leg injuries, and Poole has been disappointing since signing a four-year, $128 million extension.

Golden State has just a 2-11 record in away games this season, which is typically a pretty good barometer of a team's togetherness.

Kerr and Curry said they're hopeful Saturday's win over the Celtics will help spark a turnaround.

"It just gives you the recipe on the intensity and focus you have to have to beat a team like that," Curry said. "Knowing how hard it is to win on the road, we haven't done it well at all this season. ... We want to feel good about ourselves getting on the plane ... and figure out how to really take advantage of the opportunity in front of us."

Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry doesn't have retirement on his mind.

When asked about his NBA future at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards, Curry suggested he plans to play for a long time to come:

Steph Curry was asked at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards how long he thinks he can play, his response: “I don’t see myself slowing down any time soon.” At 34-years-old, Curry is averaging 30ppg while shooting 50/43/91 #dubnation pic.twitter.com/TjclHXNNzR

— Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) December 9, 2022

Curry noted that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady gave him the advice of taking things one year at a time, before adding: "I don't see myself slowing down anytime soon."

The 34-year-old Curry already boasts a Hall of Fame resume with eight All-Star selections, four NBA championships, two NBA MVP Awards, two scoring titles and one NBA Finals MVP Award.

Last season, Curry helped the Dubs bounce back from two consecutive years out of the playoffs by winning a fourth championship in eight years. Curry was also named NBA Finals MVP for the first time, plus he won the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award.

For his efforts, Curry was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for 2022, making him the second individual NBA player (LeBron James, 2012, 2016, 2020) to win the award since Dwyane Wade in 2006.

All told, Curry has spent 14 years as an NBA player, appearing in 849 regular-season games.

In addition to averaging an impressive 24.4 points per game for his career, Curry is the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made with 3,234.

Curry is also the top free-throw shooter in NBA history at .908, plus he is 43rd on the all-time scoring list and 50th in NBA history in total assists.

The sharpshooter has not shown any signs of falling off this season, as he is averaging 30.0 points per game in 23 contests. That scoring average would be the third-highest of his career if it holds up.

Golden State has disappointed as a team with a 13-13 record, but it boasts a ton of talent and veteran experience, which suggests it will be in the championship mix by the end of the year.

Only 26 players in NBA history have won more championships than Curry, and it is safe to assume that moving up that list is a huge motivating factor for him to continue playing for years to come.

On the night he was honored as Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry used his platform to pay tribute to Brittney Griner as she makes her way back to the United States.

Curry opened his speech at the ceremony with thoughts on Griner:

Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) opened his speech at the 2022 SI Sportsperson of the Year Awards by expressing his thoughts on Brittney Griner’s return home:

“We are glad she’s home, we’re glad she’s reunited with her family.” https://t.co/FtAly07gB4 pic.twitter.com/GpgbO785py

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 9, 2022

President Joe Biden announced on Thursday morning Griner was on her way back to the United States after Russia agreed to a prisoner swap

Griner was arrested in Russia on a drug charge in February. She was sentenced to nine years in prison in August after pleading guilty in an attempt to accelerate the process for a potential exchange of prisoners.

Athletes from all sports used their platform to speak out for Griner to keep her name at the front of people's minds and potentially help speed the process of getting her home.

After Biden's announcement that Griner was on her way back to the U.S., there was an outpouring of support for the Phoenix Mercury star from her fellow WNBA players:

No more days. She’s coming home 🧡 pic.twitter.com/HsjbdPfdn5

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) December 8, 2022

BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!! 😭🤍🙏🏻❤️

— Stewie (@breannastewart) December 8, 2022

https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22/status/1600842666698149888

A United States official told CNN that Griner is expected to land in San Antonio, Texas. She is expected to be back in the country at some point on Friday.

So what is Stephen Curry's all-time starting five?

The Golden State Warriors star point guard was asked to pick the four players from NBA history who would join him in the ideal starting lineup during an interview with Sports Illustrated, and he went with Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Shaquille O'Neal.

Who's missing from Stephen Curry's all-time starting five? 👀@StephenCurry30 @SC30inc pic.twitter.com/Fq5NkC0Jek

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 8, 2022

"I'm at PG. I'm going with Magic—we'll play hybrid guards," he said. "You got Jordan. You got Dirk spacing the floor, shooting the ball. And you got the big man, the Diesel, holding it down. So, that's a solid lineup I think."

While that's a lot of talent to share one basketball, a lot of the skill sets do mesh nicely.

Curry and Johnson would keep the ball moving. Curry and Nowitzki would space the floor. Shaq would dominate the paint and give both Curry and Jordan a solid pick-and-roll partner. Jordan, being Jordan, would give the team that isolation scorer for when the play broke down or the team needed a huge bucket in crunch time. Johnson, Curry and Jordan could push the pace in transition.

It would be fun to watch. And basically impossible to play against.

Sports Illustrated has named Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry as its 2022 Sportsperson of the Year.

Another dominant season, another ring, and another Sportsperson of the Year award for @StephenCurry30: https://t.co/6kVLcy7Znx pic.twitter.com/9mgq9HPtke

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 6, 2022

Curry capped the 2021-22 season with his fourth NBA title after averaging 25.5 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game.

He saved his best work for the NBA Finals, where he posted 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists en route to a six-game win over the Boston Celtics.

The NBA Finals MVP notably amassed 43 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4 before closing out the C's with a 34-point outing in Game 6.

It was a tremendous comeback for Curry and the Warriors, who were just two seasons removed from finishing a league-worst 15-50 in 2019-20. Curry missed all but five games that year due to a broken left hand.

He returned to form in 2020-21, dropping an NBA- and career-high 32.0 points per game and earning All-NBA First Team honors. However, the Warriors did not make the playoffs after falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.

The Warriors found their groove again in 2021-22, however, winning 53 games and largely cruising through the Western Conference playoffs before taking out the Celtics.

Curry's resume now includes eight All-Star Game appearances, two scoring titles, two NBA MVP awards, eight All-NBA team honors and a pair of FIBA World Cup gold medals, among other accolades. He was also named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Off the court, Curry earned his degree from Davidson, where he starred for three years before jumping to the NBA in 2009.

He and his wife, Ayesha Curry, have also continued their charitable efforts in a variety of fields, per Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated.

"Since 2019, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation he and Ayesha founded has served more than 25 million meals to food-insecure children, spent $2.5 million on literacy-focused grants and distributed 500,000 books, according to Curry’s representatives. He has also provided seed funding for men’s and women’s golf teams at Howard University, a historically Black school, and started the Underrated Golf Tour, a junior circuit designed to make the game more inclusive. He is co-chair of Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote initiative."

Curry has continued his dominance this season with 30.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Warriors.

Stephen Curry might be the greatest shooter in NBA history, but he isn't that good.

On Sunday, a video went viral showing the Golden State Warriors star sinking five straight full-court heaves at the team's practice facility.

Haters will say it's fake 🔥😂 @StephenCurry30

(via @SInow, @ari_fararooy)pic.twitter.com/iXvUi4S7Mj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 5, 2022

There's just one problem. The Associated Press' Janie McCauley confirmed the video is fake.

That raises an obvious question: Were any of Curry's 3,232 made three-pointers real? How deep does the conspiracy go?

Opposing teams have grown accustomed to paying attention to Curry as soon as he crosses half court, such is his shooting range. Luckily they don't have to start crowding him immediately after he catches an inbound pass.