This week, Shaun Livingston helped host a session of Warriors Basketball Camp in Monterey Bay. While there, the three-time NBA champion sat down for an exclusive Q&A to share his takeaways from last season, potential plans for the future and more.
Do you have one or two overall takeaways from this past season?
SL: ”This past season was probably the most challenging, I would say for us guys that have been here the past five years…Just injuries, trying to win a championship again, doing it all over again — it becomes harder and harder. The mental, emotional, physical grind was definitely the most challenging but still was rewarding and something we can be proud of.”
What does Dub Nation meant to you?
SL: “Dub Nation has been everything to me… Just the way that Warriors fans have embraced me — I want to send a thank you to all you out there for all the support, for real. The Bay Area for me has provided the most stability and it’s definitely provided life-changing opportunities for myself, for my family, so I’m incredibly grateful for all that’s gone on these past five years … Dub Nation will always be home.”
Do you have a favorite moment over the past five seasons with the Warriors?
SL: “Just probably starting out on our ascend, my first year all the guys that kinda helped create our culture. Everybody knows Steph, Draymond, Klay, Andre, Kevin — guys that have been here. But Brandon Rush, Leandro Barbosa, Harrison Barnes, (Andrew) Bogut just the interaction with all of us, we kinda grew up that first year … the bus rides, the team dinners, over the years that bonding experience, that culture we created. That’s always going to be hands-down my favorite part.”
If you had to point to one or two teammates who have impacted your career with the Warriors who would they be?
SL: “Probably Andre. We’ve always had a bond based on our history, being from the same state, our career trajectory…It’s tough to narrow it down but what Steph, Klay, Draymond and Kevin, what they’ve done for this organization, for guys like myself, for the guys that have been blessed to play with them. It’s an honor, it’s an honor to go to battle with those guys. I’ve won championships with those guys so it’s an incredible feat and part of my story.”
What’s in store for your post-playing career?
SL: “I thought about possibly being in the front office, being on the management side of things like a GM one day…I could also work as a coach down the line — way down the line. But I definitely want to stick around the game. The NBA is kind of where I’ve grown up, coming out of high school at 18. It’s done a lot for me and I feel like I have so much more to give.”