Top Quotes From Warriors 2023 Media Day

The Warriors' roster previewed the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season in their media day interviews on Monday. With official team practices beginning this week, the players gave insight into the roster, their individual game/role and the team's overall connectivity.

Read below for the most notable quotes from Media Day.

"I had an opportunity in '08 to come off the bench for the Olympic Team, and that went well." - Chris Paul on starting vs. coming off the bench

Newly acquired guard Chris Paul was asked about starting vs. coming off the bench and shared his willingness to put team success above all. Paul shared that throughout his 19-year NBA career, he has tried to prove that he will do "whatever it takes to help the team win." The 12-time All-Star has started in every game of his NBA career, but cited his success in a bench role on the stacked 2008 'Redeem Team' when he played with other greats such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the Olympics. That Olympic team went undefeated en route to a Gold Medal and Paul was a key contributor, averaging 8.0 points, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 21.8 minutes per game.

"We did have the best starting lineup in the league, so you can't ignore that. And yet you can't ignore Chris Paul is Chris Paul." - Draymond Green on the starting five decisions

Draymond Green is aware that Head Coach Steve Kerr has a difficult decision to make when choosing the Warriors' starting lineup this season. In his introductory presser, Kerr also alluded to this dilemma, saying that the team "has six starters, but only five can play at a time." Green said he will leave that decision to Kerr and is confident he'll make the right decision. 

"I am a basketball player and not a coach, so it's not my job to figure it out," Green said. "Whatever is best for this team is going to happen."

Having spent time with the team, including his new teammates, Green knows that everyone is bought in on winning, regardless of their individual roles. 

"Spending time with these guys over the last month and a half, the number one goal from everybody here would be to win," Green said. 

He also appreciates Paul's input and perspective as "one of the smartest players in the league."

"It's going to be fun to have those conversations. Obviously two of the best point guards to ever do it." - Cory Joseph on being in a point guard room with Stephen Curry and Chris Paul

Veteran Cory Joseph, entering his 13th NBA season, is excited for the opportunity to learn from two of the best players ever to play his position. Joseph plans on being a "sponge every day, listening to them and trying to gain any knowledge he can." He mentioned that despite his extensive NBA experience, Paul, entering Year 19, and Curry, entering Year 15, have even more than him.

"The energy is different, you can feel it. This team already won the Championship multiple times." - Dario Šarić on first impressions of the Warriors' organization

Having played for four different organizations before joining the Warriors, Dario Šarić immediately felt the difference of being a part of an organization with championship pedigree on the roster. Šarić said that on the Warriors, "everybody already knows the way" and doesn't feel like they need to prove anything individually but are thinking about the bigger picture of how to fit into the collective makeup of a team.

"We're really here to win, and I'm doing everything I can to continue to be a leader on that front and put ourselves to be in position to be championship contenders." - Stephen Curry on his longevity with the Warriors

Stephen Curry said that being on one franchise for 15 years as the longest-tenured player in the league means everything to him, but he also wants to ensure that he leads that franchise to continued success.

"You can't control everything and you can't guarantee anything in this league," Curry said. "That's the nature of the competition, but if I can keep doing that every year (put the team in a position to contend for titles) and still represent this organization, all that we've built. It's a dream come true."

"It's a goal of mine, and I think it's attainable."- Klay Thompson on being an All-Star this season

Five-time All-Star Klay Thompson shared his aspiration to return to the All-Star game this season. Thompson's last All-Star appearance came before his consecutive Achilles and ACL injuries, which began in the 2019 Finals.

"Playing in the All-Star Game is always an honor, and you get used to it," Thompson said. "When you don't go for a while, you feel left out. It's in Indianapolis this year, I would love to be there.”

The Splash Brother led the NBA in made 3-pointers last season and talked about how he feels this was the first full offseason he's had to work on his game since his injuries.

Other Notable Quotes:
"This summer, I got to focus on myself and working on trying to be a full complete player." - Jonathan Kuminga on his work this offseason.

"Just culture, man. Knowing a lot of the players, playing on two World Championships with Steph and one with Klay. Chris has been a friend of mine for years." - Rudy Gay on what led him to join the Warriors. 

"It's just me. I came here with it and did some cool things." - Gary Payton II on returning to the number zero.

"The new guys are veterans in this league. Wherever they go, they have a lot of success." - Kevon Looney on the offseason additions. 

"I was very excited when I heard he was coming to the team. I've known him for years, since I was a little kid." - Andrew Wiggins on the addition of Cory Joseph.

"I'm going to screen for some of the best shooters in the world and I'm going to get rebounds. I'm going to try to be a lob threat and I'm going to try to bring energy." - Trayce Jackson-Davis on what he's focusing on this season. 

"Over the years I've realized that the offseason is when you really make those improvements and jumps." - Moses Moody on what he's learned in the offseason entering year 3. 

"I talked to Steph about it and he shot poorly his first year of Summer League, too. It's just how you bounce back." - Brandin Podziemski on his shooting struggles in summer league. 

"That was the key for me last year, taking the right shots. If someone was really leaving me very open, I was taking it." - Usman Garuba on his perimeter shooting success.