Ring Night “Strength In Numbers” notes, quotes, video

[JTA, Kerr, Mo Speights, JP, Wiggs, Klay, Steph, Wise]

From Golden State Warriors Opening Night win vs LA Lakers. We will go live on our YouTube channel on Fri 10/21 at 6:00PM for the live chat of DEN-GSW and commentary during the game, which tips off at 7:00PM. Here’s our video compilations from the Ring Night ceremony:

There will also be an additional behind-the-scenes video that will be posting on our YouTube channel later tonight, which will included clips of three or four of the players’ championship rings shown up close!

The following content is in reverse chronological order (most recent info first).

WISEMAN POSTGAME

• James Wiseman says he was really nervous before tonight's game since he hadn't played in a regular season game since April of 2021. He says he feels good having that first one under his belt. (Kylen Mills)

• After playing in his first regular-season game since 2020-21, Wiseman says his comeback is complete. (CJ Holmes)

• On guarding Anthony Davis: “It’s crazy because I used to watch him play when I was in high school and middle school.”

• On getting up to speed: “The pace is still kinda fast a little bit.”

• On Klay: “He’s just cool. He’s mellow the whole time.”

STEPH POSTGAME

At the 3:00 mark below, Stephen Curry tells Rachel Nichols (now with SHO aka Showtime Sports ) that he was the “connector” behind-the-scenes after the Draymond-Poole altercation:

DISCLAIMER: These are all just notes for my main workflow of YouTube videos, tweeted by beatwriters, as listed, or transcribed by me. I used to transcribe every interview but it became too tedious and not worth the investment for the small amount of views we got on the soundbites on YouTube. The links to the tweets are not available because sometimes I don’t use the full tweet and just having a ton of tweets on this website imo isn’t aesthetically pleasing and gets away from the main goal: transferring information (not so much entertainment) to the brains of DubNation asap.

• Stephen Curry said there’s a “similar vibe” between the Warriors 2014-15 team and this group. (CJ Holmes)

• On Wiggins getting his ring: “Any time you make trades you never know how it's going to shake out for both teams, thank goodness it's been kind of a perfect match or fit with Wiggs from day one to now.” (Kylen Mills)

• Curry said seeing the ring gave him motivation to get another: “That's why we play.” (95.7 The Game)

• Curry says he sat on the bench watching every video, every detail, looking at the reactions of fans in the crowd during the ring ceremony: “I was very intentional in trying to take it all in from start to finish.” (Kylen Mills)

• Curry says the Warriors know how important depth is in the road to a title. He says while the rotation tightens during the playoffs, it takes every player to make it through the regular season, everyone will have their time. Curry says this team’s depth is key. (Kylen Mills)

• On digging deep in his bag for the Dream Shake: “I don't think Coach will call plays to put me in the post yet.” (NBCSBA)

KLAY POSTGAME ON TNT (NO VIDEO)

• Klay TNT postgame on Trayce: “I’m proud of him because he had a journey similar to mine, he was in the minors for a year and a half at 30 years old, and he could’ve easily gone, ‘man, I'm gonna hang it up, I gave everything I had,’ but he grinded.”

• On ring night: “We just have something special going, we're still hungry, but I'm going to wear this thing with pride tonight.” (Kylen Mills)

• Klay Thompson mentioned giving credit to former Warriors coach Mark Jackson (for seeing potential in him and Curry) and Kevin Durant for contributing to this core getting 4 rings: “Give KD a lot of credit too because we wouldn't have 4 without him.” (Kylen Mills)

• Klay Thompson when asked on TNT about the recent drama surrounding Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole at practice: “Winning cures all.” (Kylen Mills)

• On Poole and Draymond: “JP’s our future. Dray’s a legend, going to have a statue outside one day…Without Draymond we're not the Warriors and without JP we're not the Warriors.” (TNT, NBCSBA)

• Klay Thompson says Steve Kerr and the Warriors base their game on FC Barcelona’s tiki-taka. (TNT)

LEBRON POSTGAME

• LeBron on the Lakers’ poor shooting in loss to Warriors: “We’re getting great looks, but it could also be teams giving us great looks. To be completely honest, we’re not a team constructed of great shooting… It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.” (Ben Golliver)

WIGGS POSTGAME

• Andrew Wiggins: “a lot of good stuff…only go up from here.”

• On the rotations: “We have these lineups in practice.”

• On ring night: “It was amazing. I was excited all day, it was hard to sleep last night. Thinking about today, I had all my family here to enjoy the moment with me. So it’s a dream come true.” (KNBR)

• On the ring: “It felt amazing. I need to add some more…idk exactly what I’m gonna do with it yet. I’m just gonna wing it.”

JP POSTGAME

• Jordan Poole: “It was an amazing, beautiful ring. Everybody who worked so hard on them, credit to them. It was just a really dope opportunity.” (KNBR)

• On if there was any awkwardness/elephant in the room with Draymond Green tonight: “We had a job to do tonight to win the game.” (Kylen Mills)

• On fighting for the ball with JTA: “We've been so competitive since Day 1. That's my brother. he's a scrappy player & he goes 100% all the time. I knew he wouldn't let the ball go. It was just really cool to be in that moment, kinda little bit nostalgic. So I'm gonna try to win the jump ball next time.” (Dalton Johnson, Kylen Mills)

• On Andrew Wiggins: “Wiggs was in the lab all summer. He’ll have a really big year.” (95.7 The Game)

• Poole only cares about one thing. “I'm just happy to be out there playing to be honest. Wherever I'm needed, whether it's the first unit or second unit...As long as im out there impacting the game, that's all that really matters.” (Mark Haynes)

• On sharing the court with Stephen Curry and LeBron James: “Just being able to be on the court with them and watch the greatness that they put on as well as learning and asking questions is special.” (NBA)

STEVE POSTGAME

• Steve Kerr postgame: “I'm thrilled with the win. Ring night is never an easy game.” (Janie McCauley)

• On tonight's win: “We’re not where we need to be, but we took care of business.” (Alex Espinoza)

• Kerr says this year's depth reminds him of the depth on the 2014-15 team: “On that team it was veterans and this team is young guys, but the talent is really obvious.” (Kendra Andrews)

• On Steph in Year 14 and LeBron in Year 20: “It's pretty amazing. It's two guys who are so committed to the game, to their health, and their skill set. It's remarkable. They both make it look so easy.” (95.7 The Game, Mark Haynes)

• Kerr says Moses Moody (7:35 min) was essentially the odd man out in the backcourt rotation against the Lakers. Added that he'll play plenty this year, but sometimes nights like this will happen given how deep the team is at guard. (CJ Holmes)

• On Looney: “Perfect Kevon Looney line. Seven points, six rebounds… plus 30.” (KNBR)

• On the size of the Warriors' rings: “They’re handing out medallions now, they’re not rings.” (95.7 The Game)

MO BUCKETS PREGAME

• Mo Speights: “At the college level, I think I’ll be a solid coach.”

• On what he remembers from the 2015 season: “Me and Harrison always talked about it…accomplish what we we talked about…it was a dream.”

• On winning the Finals in Cleveland: “you can only understand when you’re in the moment.”

• On the organization: “It’s not really surprising. They play a brand of basketball that a lot of guys can’t really steal or adapt to…you look at them, you be like, ‘Ahhh, Steph this, Steph that.’”

• On the Strength in Numbers mantra: “to have two starting lineups…Hall of Famer Iguodala…Barbosa…any one of the guys on the second unit could’ve gotten in the first unit.”

• On newer iteration of Strength in Numbers: “sacrificing your role even though you’re gonna be successful…it’s gonna be exciting.”

• On Chase: “Just driving up to Chase…different…Oakland’s gonna be Oakland.,,gritty..,more commercialized over here…Big City basketball here.”

• On knowing when that 2015 team would be special: “starting to see all the fans on the road chanting Warriors, Warriors, Warriors.”

• On his academy: “I’m able to coach these young men…my second year last year…college…something I’m really proud of…put some of your own stuff in.”

STEVE PREGAME

• Warriors coach Steve Kerr singled out Steph Curry, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins as likely playing in mid-30 minute range. Less playing time for Klay Thompson and Draymond Green: “I think a few of them are more ready than others. Steph, Jordan or Wiggs are capable of getting to 30 (minutes) or beyond…We’re going to play a lot of guys this season anyways.” (Mark Medina, 95.7 The Game)

• Kerr said he's "not sure yet" if Patrick Baldwin Jr will be able to play tonight with his thumb injury. Kerr said PBJ is practicing right now. He's listed as questionable on the latest injury report. (95.7 The Game, CJ Holmes)

• On tonight's rotation: “We could see 11 (players) tonight. For sure 10.” (Alex Espinoza)

• Kerr: “I’ve never had a bad ring night. I can tell you that. they’re all awesome.” (Dalton Johnson, KNBR)

• On the 2022 championship: “I really do feel like we won not in spite of the previous two years, but because of the previous two years.” (Alex Espinoza)

• Kerr says back when he was drafted he was just trying to make the team in Phoenix. He says his journey to so 9 rings has been far-fetched and unlikely. Ahead of another ring ceremony, Kerr says some days it feels like a dream he’s going to wake up from: “When I was drafted back in ‘88 I was just hoping to make a team, maybe make the league for a couple of years.” Called his journey “far-fetched & unlikely…incredibly fortuitous in terms of the people that have affected me in the game.” (Kylen Mills, Kerith Burke)

• Kerr’s message to Andrew Wiggins: “I told him if he can rebound like that in the playoffs, he can rebound like that in the season.” (Dalton Johnson)

• Kerr says we'll “probably” see Wiseman and Kuminga on the court together tonight. Said he didn't think entering the season that they could be played together, but preseason/camp changed his mind. (Brady Klopfer)

JUAN TOSCANO-ANDERSON MORNING SHOOTAROUND

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