With the latest round of NBA chatter surrounding the point guard, Curry said that he has been told by Warriors general manager Larry Riley and new coach Mark Jackson that he is “safe and secure” with the only franchise he has ever known.

At least for now.

The latest buzz with Curry involves New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who holds a player option for next season but has been reluctant to sign an extension with the Hornets and could opt for free agency in the summer if he’s not traded. The Warriors have refused to part ways with Curry in any such deal because of his favorable contract and upside, and there’s a more pressing need for an experienced center.

Nothing short of a blockbuster deal that nets the franchise considerable return will likely change that mindset.

“They want me here,” Curry said. “Obviously, there’s the business of basketball and there are things that may happen with a GM having to make a decision for the best interest of the team. When you have a guy like Chris Paul, who is a franchise player, that’s something you really have to think about it with anybody on the roster. I understand that. I’m not going to be upset if they entertained that.”

New owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have promised to make splashy signings and bold moves to revamp a team that has made the playoffs just once since 1994. The brass hired Jackson as a first-time coach, former agent Bob Myers as assistant general manager and respected executive Jerry West as a board member this summer.

All they need now is wins.

As has been the case the last two years, almost any major deal for the Warriors would involve parting ways with Curry or backcourt teammate Monta Ellis. Nobody understands that more than Curry, whose name generates more inquiries into Golden State than anybody on the roster.

“It’s nice to be in the conversation with a guy like that,” Curry said of Paul. “I know myself, I’d be part of a package, but that’s something that’s going to happen when you’re in this career, in this business, and you’ve got to run with it.”

Even while working out, it’s not exactly easy for Curry and others to overlook trade talk.

Lacob peered down from his office window above the Warriors practice court Wednesday, watching players compete in a four-on-four half-court game and run sprints and other conditioning drills supervised by trainers. Riley, Jackson and other members of the coaching staff also looked out of their office windows on occasion.

The voluntary workouts, of course, have no coaches involved until a new collective bargaining agreement can be ratified. Ellis and center Andris Biedrins showed up at the facility for the first time since the NBA lockout, although they didn’t participate. Training camp is expected to open Friday.

“We just really can’t wait to get going for real,” said second-round pick Jeremy Tyler, who became the first American-born player to drop out of high school for a professional basketball career overseas in 2009 until he was eligible for the draft this year. “Been waiting a long time for this chance. Just glad it’s finally here.”

Golden State’s biggest need is still size.

The Warriors pledged to be active in trade discussions, and free agent centers Tyson Chandler and Nene are among the franchise’s top targets. With teams not allowed to officially sign free agents until Friday, the roster is sure to be in flux until Golden State opens the regular season at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 25.

Even after that, there’s no guarantee.

“It’s just different,” Curry said. “It’s a good possibility there’s going to be some new faces in here after training camp all the way up until Christmas.”

___

Follow Antonio Gonzalez at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)

Stephen Curry woke up Wednesday morning to a flurry of text messages from friends and family back home wondering about the trade talk surrounding the Golden State Warriors point guard.

”Seven text messages saying `Hornets, question mark,”’ Curry said, chuckling.

With the latest round of NBA chatter surrounding the point guard, Curry said that he has been told by Warriors general manager Larry Riley and new coach Mark Jackson that he is ”safe and secure” with the only franchise he has ever known.

At least for now.

The latest buzz with Curry involves New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who holds a player option for next season but has been reluctant to sign an extension with the Hornets and could opt for free agency in the summer if he’s not traded. The Warriors have refused to part ways with Curry in any such deal because of his favorable contract and upside, and there’s a more pressing need for an experienced center.

Nothing short of a blockbuster deal that nets the franchise considerable return will likely change that mindset.

”They want me here,” Curry said. ”Obviously, there’s the business of basketball and there are things that may happen with a GM having to make a decision for the best interest of the team. When you have a guy like Chris Paul, who is a franchise player, that’s something you really have to think about it with anybody on the roster. I understand that. I’m not going to be upset if they entertained that.”

New owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have promised to make splashy signings and bold moves to revamp a team that has made the playoffs just once since 1994. The brass hired Jackson as a first-time coach, former agent Bob Myers as assistant general manager and respected executive Jerry West as a board member this summer.

All they need now is wins.

As has been the case the last two years, almost any major deal for the Warriors would involve parting ways with Curry or backcourt teammate Monta Ellis. Nobody understands that more than Curry, whose name generates more inquiries into Golden State than anybody on the roster.

”It’s nice to be in the conversation with a guy like that,” Curry said of Paul. ”I know myself, I’d be part of a package, but that’s something that’s going to happen when you’re in this career, in this business, and you’ve got to run with it.”

Feel free to leave your comments below.

The Golden State Warriors are one of the oldest teams in the NBA, and as such they’ve got one of the richer histories of any franchise in the league. They might not have as many championships as the Lakers or Celtics, but the number of Hall of Fame players they’ve put out is pretty staggering, too. There are plenty of excellent players on this list, but you know the drill at this point; only the best make the top five. And here they are:

#5 – Paul Arizin (1950-1952, 1954-1962)

What he did for the Warriors: Since the Warriors are such a storied franchise, there are bound to be some guys in the annals of their history that did a lot for the team, yet nobody’s ever heard of them. Arizin is probably the best of these players, even though it shouldn’t be quite so easy to forget a guy who averaged 22.8 points and 8.6 rebounds over the course of his 12-year career with the Warriors. He won a championship with the team in 1956, is the franchise’s all-time leader in free-throws made, and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to ten All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams, and led the league in scoring in 1952 and 1957. He was probably the second-best player of the Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain era, which is a large shadow to reside in. Despite that, he’s one of the best players the franchise has ever had, regardless whether the general public remembers him or not.

Worth noting: Arizin was Philadelphia’s first pick in the 1950 draft, but this was at a time when teams were assigned picks. It was done territorially, so since Arizin played locally at Villanova University, he was selected by the pro team closest to him. That’s how he ended up with the Warriors for his 12-year NBA career.

#4 – Chris Mullin (1985-1997, 2000-2001)

What he did for the Warriors: Mullin only made five All-Star teams and four All-NBA teams, but he did so much for the Warriors over the course of his career that he was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame just this past April. His #17 isn’t retired just yet, but it will be soon, and that’s an appropriate homage for the franchise leader in steals and games played. He was a member of the 1992 Dream Team and has always sort of been considered the consummate Warrior. It took him a while to get into the Hall, but Warriors fans would’ve voted him in first ballot, and rightly so.

Worth noting: Mullin also worked as VP of Basketball Operations for a few years after retiring as a player, but that wasn’t exactly his calling. He is now an analyst for ESPN.

#3 – Nate Thurmond (1963-1974)

What he did for the Warriors: They didn’t call him “Nate the Great” for nothing. Early in his career, the Hall of Famer split a frontcourt with Wilt Chamberlain, but once Wilt left for the Sixers, Thurmond came into his own, averaging over 20 rpg from 1966-1968. His high-level rebounding abilities over the course of his career have placed him eighth all-time in total rebounds, and fifth all-time in rebounds per game. It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that Thurmond is the franchise leader in total rebounds. He’s also the franchise leader in games played, as well as a five-time All-Defensive Team selection and seven-time NBA All-Star.

Worth noting: Thurmond was the first player ever to record a quadruple-double, but he did it as a member of the 1974 Chicago Bulls. He scored 22 points, hauled in 14 rebounds, dished out 13 assists, and swatted away 12 shots. It’s only been done three times since, and not at all since David Robinson last did it in 1994.

#2 – Rick Barry (1965-1967, 1972-1978)

What he did for the Warriors: Barry was one of the most enigmatic players in the history of the game, partly due to the fact that he shot his free-throws granny style (don’t knock it—he’s third all-time in free-throw percentage), and partly because of his decision to leave the NBA in 1967 to play in the ABA. That’s the explanation for the gap in his playing years with the Warriors, but he was equally great in both leagues.

Even missing those five years of NBA eligibility, Barry is still one of the best players in NBA history. For starters, he helped lead the Warriors to the 1975 title, where he was named the Finals MVP. During his career he led the league in various categories at different times, including field goals made (1967), steals (1975), and scoring (1967). He was an eight-time NBA All-Star (thought it could have potentially been 13), and he was also the Rookie of the Year his first season in the league. Some have called him the greatest pure small forward ever to have played.

Worth noting: Barry is the only player in history to lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in scoring for an individual season.

#1 – Wilt Chamberlain (1959-1965)

What he did for the Warriors: Neither of Chamberlain’s two rings came while playing for the Warriors, and most of us probably remember Wilt more for his tenures with the Sixers and Lakers. Still, Chamberlain’s 100-point game came while playing for the Warriors, and during his short time with the team he was named Rookie of the Year and MVP (both in the same season), and he was an All-Star and an All-NBA team selection all six years he was there. There’s no reason to list all the guy’s other records because we all understand that he holds a ridiculous amount of them, but few of those career stat records would’ve been possible without the great start in Philadelphia.

Worth noting: Chamberlain is one of only two players ever to have won the Rookie of the Year and the MVP trophies in the same year. Wes Unseld was the other one.

Honorable Mention:

Neil Johnston (1951-1959)

What he did for the Warriors: It’s not often that the same player leads the league in scoring and rebounding in a given season, but that’s what Johnston did in 1954-1955. He also led the league in scoring in 1953 and 1954 and field goal percentage three separate times as well. The man had a nasty hook shot before such a thing was commonplace, hence the high shooting percentage. When the organization won its second championship in 1956, Johnston has a huge part of the reason why, and for that and the rest of his accomplishments he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame despite only playing eight years professionally.

Worth noting: After retiring from the Warriors because of ongoing issues with a bum knee, Johnston took over as coach and led the team to a 95-59 record during the first two seasons of Wilt Chamberlain’s career.

Joe Fulks (1946-1954)

What he did for the Warriors: Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, a man named Joe Fulks was the best player for the brand new Philadelphia Warriors of the BAA. The average hoops fan has probably never heard of the guy, but he’s a Hall of Famer and the key member of the 1947 Warriors championship team, one of only three the franchise has ever won. He led his league in points in 1947, points per game in ’47 and ’48, and was a two-time NBA All-Star. He was named to only one All-NBA team, but before the new league rose up he was also named to three All-BAA teams. He’s known mostly as a pure scorer, and his career accomplishments are certainly impressive. However, it’s hard to sneak him into the top five considering the competition at the time. The era wasn’t nearly as competitive as it was 20 years later, nor was the BAA as strong a league as the NBA.

Worth noting: When Fulks scored 63 points in a single game in February of 1949, it was then the most points that any player had ever scored in a game. It was a record that would hold up for ten years, until Elgin Baylor scored 64 in November of 1959.

Tim Hardaway (1989-1993, 1994-1996)

What he did for the Warriors: In his earlier days as a member of the Golden State Warriors, Tim Hardaway was easily among the most exciting point guards of his day. His killer crossover was a nasty, nasty move, and there’s no question he was an integral part of the famous “Run TMC” group that ran opponents during the early ‘90s. He was a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, and is tenth all time in three-point field goals made. Had he played his whole career with Golden State, he’d probably be higher on the list, though many of the guys above him are Hall of Famers. That’s not a conversation Timmy is in, at least not yet.

Worth noting: Hardaway reached 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster than anybody in NBA history other than Oscar Robertson.

And those are the best Warriors in franchise history, which has taken the team from Philadelphia to San Francisco to Oakland. In 65 years of existence, plenty of good players have come and gone, and while none of the guys on this list are particularly recent, an argument could be made for Baron Davis to appear on the honorable mention portion of this list. If not him, though, who? Are there any players on the current roster that could put themselves in this conversation someday?

Even with the NBA lockout under full lock and key the Golden State Warriors still want to engage their fans as best as possible, trying to keep some semblance of excitement alive for the likely shortened if not cancelled 2011-12 season. On Thursday they tried to do just that, holding a fan rally with new head coach Mark Jackson at Oracle Arena, spouting off grandiose claims and perplexing chants to a group of unsuspecting W’s fans. 

This event was more of a meet-and-greet type get together put on by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber as a way to connect with the people more, something they’ve done very well with thus far in their tenure with Golden State. Nevertheless, a swimsuit competition with some fireworks and free food isn’t the time to be making claims of championship banners. Or is it? Here’s the Chronicle’s Rusty Simmons:

In his first meeting with Warriors fans, new coach Mark Jackson started an impromptu chant of “De-fense” among a confused audience, which has rarely heard that word while missing the playoffs 16 of the past 17 seasons.

This description gives a good sense of what it was like there, with everyone just kind of looking at one another like “ok, were doing this now?” Jerry West, along with Lacob and Guber were all in attendance, making sure to please the crowds with some sweet talk without a season: 

“We’re not here to kick tires. We’re here to kick butt,” said Lacob

Hey I think my pee-wee football coach told me that….

“I watch Warriors games,” West said. “They come so close so many times and find a way to lose in the fourth quarter. This franchise just needs a little polishing.”

Yea, I think just a little Pledge and a roster overhaul will do the trick. 

I applaud the W’s efforts to keep the fans involved, and also admire their positive attitude toward the future of the franchise, but when fans become jaded like Warriors fans have, sometimes you have to walk the walk before you can talk the talk. 

It’s a new era for the Golden State Warriors, with owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber leading the franchise and head coach Mark Jackson plucked from the ESPN broadcast booth to mold the players into winners. No one’s quite sure what the team is going to look like a few years from now, but Chris Cohan and his cronies being nowhere near the franchise’s Oakland offices has bred a good amount of optimism. Still, the new braintrust hasn’t proven much of anything — Lacob and Guber have had just one transitional season as owners and Jackson has never coached at any level.

Ultimately, they’ll only be able to win over fans with wins. But, for now, they’re trying in other ways. On Wednesday, the Warriors held an event for roughly 3,000 fans at Oracle Arena. Based on comments from the team’s head honchos, they are setting some huge goals. From Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle (via TBJ):

“Don’t stand up and clap when we’re a playoff basketball team, because we won’t be standing up and clapping as a team,” Jackson said. “Our ultimate goal will be to hang a championship banner.”

Those kinds of stirring and outrageous statements were the norm as about 3,000 Warriors season-ticket holders listened to a panel discussion with the team’s hierarchy, including Jackson, co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber and executive board member Jerry West. [...]

The foursome was introduced to the crowd like a team’s starting lineup. They took seats at midcourt under blue and yellow lighting as some of the league’s elite introduced each one via previously recorded video. David Stern introduced Lacob, Magic Johnson for Guber, Pat Riley for West and Reggie Miller for Jackson.

Wow, it is really too perfect to have Miller introduce Jackson. I mean, not only were they teammates in Indiana, but they have also been the two most widely despised announcers of NBA games for the last two seasons. I bet they even traded tips on how to spout off even more cliches about a sport they understand at an expert level.

The real issue here, of course, is not related to Jackson’s famous friend. Instead, it’s figuring out why a coach with no experience whatsoever would pretend that the playoffs are an insubstantial goal for a team that’s made the postseason twice in the last 19 seasons. When the “We Believe” team made the playoffs as the eighth seed in 2007, fans jumped for joy. I know, I was one of them. Beating the Mavericks that year was just considerable icing on the cake.

I understand the idea behind Jackson’s quotes: He wants to shoot for the highest heights of the sport, and that competitiveness is noble. On the other hand, he’s also setting himself up for failure. It’s perfectly fine to set multiple goals for his team, the last of which should definitely be winning a championship. To act as if anything short of ultimate glory isn’t worth cheering is pigheaded and irresponsible. Making the playoffs would be a terrific step in the right direction for a franchise that hasn’t had a coherent plan for some time now. Fans are smart enough to realize that these things take time.

Jackson’s biggest problem with the Warriors is that, because he hasn’t coached a single game, he appears to be all talk with no substance. These comments do nothing to dispel those concerns. As long as he makes ridiculous promises, he might find it difficult to get the respect he covets so dearly.

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