Former Warriors great goes full blasphemy on Steph Curry with bold claim

Nypost · Aug 09, 2026 · 421 words · By Thomas L Murray

Golden State Warriors Team Dynamics NBA Player Legacy

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What to know about Golden State Warriors Team Dynamics

Since Steph Curry joined the Golden State Warriors 17 years ago, they have been the blueprint for success in the NBA.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Since Steph Curry joined the Golden State Warriors 17 years ago, they have been the blueprint for success in the NBA.

Why it matters

But according to one of Curry’s former teammates, the team would have had the same level of success even without him.

Common ground

“If you switched me and Steph out with the team that won championships, it’d be the same thing,” Monta Ellis told ESPN.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, False Equivalence: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Golden State Warriors Team Dynamics story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Curry, alongside Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, would go on to win four NBA titles?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/09/sports/monta-ellis-says-warriors-wouldve-had-same-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

False Equivalence 70% confidence

Treating two vastly different things as equal to create a misleading comparison.

Why it matters: Recognizing false equivalence helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 3

verified Verified By Reference 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

cancel Disputed 1

verified Verified 1

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Claim 1: “Curry, alongside Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, would go on to win four NBA titles”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Ellis, on the other hand, did not garner a single All-Star nomination throughout his career”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 3: “Monta Ellis told ESPN, “If you switched me and Steph out with the team that won championships, it’d be the same thing,””

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (TikTok/Myron Medcalf, Warriors news, and Jeff Teague report) confirm that Monta Ellis made this specific claim to ESPN regarding switching places with Curry on the championship teams.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_State_Warriors

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played his first 13 seasons with the G…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klay_Thompson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wardell Stephen Curry II ( STEF-ən; born March 14, 1988), also known as Steph Curry ( STEF), is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Asso…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 4: “he appeared in only 26 games for Golden State as he was dealing with an ankle injury, after having surgery on it during the offseason [in 2011]”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results for this specific claim.

info

Claim 5: “Ellis’ career went on to last another six years, during which he still saw regular time as a starter for the Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for claim 6 consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'following' and a movie reference, providing no factual data about Monta Ellis's career path after the Warriors.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Following is a 1998 British independent neo-noir film written, directed, photographed and edited by Christopher Nolan in his feature film directorial debut. He co-produced the film with his wife, Emma…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Following

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · The meaning of FOLLOWING is being next in order or time. How to use following in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/following

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — FOLLOWING definition: 1. after: 2. The following day, morning, etc. is the next one. 3. a wind that is blowing in the…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/followin…

verified

Claim 6: “During his first six seasons with Golden State, Ellis averaged 35.7 minutes, 19.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for claim 4 consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'his' and general team history, but does not provide the specific statistical averages (35.7 min, 19.6 pts, etc.) to verify the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, whe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Golden_State_Wa…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Monta Jerome Ellis ( MON-tay; born October 26, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a McDonald's All-Amer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta_Ellis

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Steph Curry joined the Golden State Warriors 17 years ago”

DISPUTED

The claim states Steph Curry joined the Warriors 17 years ago. However, evidence for claim 8 (though the search results for claim 8 were empty, the general knowledge and the context of the other claims) and the timeline of the NBA draft show he was drafted in 2009. As of 2024/2025, that is 15-16 years ago, not 17. Furthermore, the web search results provided for claim 0 are quoting a specific article that makes this claim, but the math does not align with his 2009 draft date.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2017–18 Golden State Warriors season was the 72nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 56th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors entered the season …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017–18_Golden_State_Warriors_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2021–22 Golden State Warriors season was the 76th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), its 60th in the San Francisco Bay Area, and its third season at the Chase Ce…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021–22_Golden_State_Warriors_…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 8: “The Warriors only made the playoffs once during his tenure in Golden State, losing in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs to the Utah Jazz”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for claim 7 discusses Ellis's draft position and general career stats but does not provide the specific playoff record or the specific loss to the Utah Jazz during his tenure.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a McDonald's All-American and first-team Parade All-American. He entered the NBA directly out of high school, being drafted with…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta_Ellis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Monta Ellis played 12 seasons for 4 teams, including the Warriors and Pacers. He averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 833 regular-season games.
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/monta-ellis-1046

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web search NEUTRAL — Monta Ellis may be one of the best second-round selections in modern NBA history. The 40th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, Ellis immediately contributed 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds as a rookie.
https://www.sportscasting.com/news/whatever-happened-to-mont…

verified

Claim 9: “Ellis was selected by the Warriors in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple sports data sources confirm Monta Ellis was selected with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 10: “played with the team until 2012, when he was traded in the middle of the season to the Milwaukee Bucks”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and CBS Sports confirm that Monta Ellis played for the Warriors until March 13, 2012, when he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 11: “Curry was selected seventh overall by the Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results for this specific claim.

schedule

Claim 12: “In 2015, Curry won his first of two NBA MVP awards, when he averaged 30.1 points per game, knocking down 5.1 three-pointers per game”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “He won the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2007”

VERIFIED

NBA.com and other sources explicitly confirm that Monta Ellis won the NBA Most Improved Player Award for the 2006-07 season.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Monta Jerome Ellis is an American former professional basketball player. Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a McDonald's All-American and first-team Parade All-Ame…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monta_Ellis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — NEW YORK, April 26, 2007 – Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors was named the winner of the 2006-07 NBA Most Improved Player Award, the NBA announced today. The annual award is presented to a play…
https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002038/http://www.nba.co…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Now, by winning the Most Improved Player award, Monta has continued to follow in Gilbert’s footsteps. The one major difference between Monta and Gilbert?
https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2007/4/26/171850/457

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.