San Francisco’s Golden State Warriors hold their annual training camp on BYUH’s campus
The sounds of KD16s and Kobe 8s squeaking on the court, the swishing of the ball being thrown toward the hoop and the bouncing of basketballs on the floor echoed around the Cannon Activities Center from Oct. 1 through 4 as the San Francisco’s Golden State Warriors met at BYU-Hawaii for their annual training camp.
Students gathered outside the CAC to catch glimpses of the players, take pictures with them or sign their jerseys. Mark Nephi Simene, a junior from the Philippines majoring in computer science, said, “Seeing them in person makes me so grateful to be here.” He explained having the Warriors on campus was inspiring and motivating for students because of how influential basketball is around the world. “As a Filipino, basketball has been part of our culture .… We love basketball so much that it’s like the number one sport in the Philippines,” he said.
Kobe Wolfgramm, a junior from Utah majoring in biology, said getting his hat signed by Steph Curry and Draymond Green made him ecstatic. “I lived in Utah, [so] I wasn’t able to go to a lot of games, but [Steph Curry] is like a childhood hero of mine. It was awesome just seeing him in person, seeing all of the other players,” he shared.
Sophomores Zeke Johnson and Mayson Prock said they camped outside the CAC overnight to attend the Warriors’ open practice on Oct. 4. Johnson, a mathematics major from Utah, said he and Prock, an accounting major from Arizona, lined up at 10:30 p.m. the night before to show their support for the team. Prock shared, “I also wanted to support Coach Steve Kerr, who is from Arizona, where I’m from. My dad grew up going to his father’s sporting goods store throughout his childhood.”
Tekaai Tekanene, a junior majoring in information technology from Kiribati, said growing up, he loved basketball, but there were very few opportunities to watch games in person. “We always watched them on TV, and now we see them in real life,” he shared.
Adjusting to a new team
With the addition of new players and Klay Thompson’s trade to the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors experienced many changes this year, according to the ESPN website. Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors’ coach, said, “It’s just good to get a fresh approach to training camp,” which is why they chose to hold it in Hawaii.
According to the NBA website, Thompson, the former small forward and shooting guard for the Warriors who was known for his three-point shots, was a monumental player on the team for 13 years. Kerr said to NBC Sports, “We were fourth in the league last year in three-point attempts … but Klay probably shot eight to 10 of them himself every game.”
Kerr told NBC Sports, “We’re going to have to fill the void” left by Thompson’s trade. “That’s going to come from multiple people.” To accomplish that goal, Kerr said the focus of this year’s training camp was instinctive play and getting the new players acclimated to the team, according to NBC Sports. “It’s not as easy as just teaching. It all has to tie together over time,” Kerr said.
Point guard Stephen Curry told the Honolulu Star Advertiser, “I’m coming into this training camp with an open mind of how we’re supposed to play.” He continued, “We have to have kind of antennas up on and an openness to accept what this team’s strengths are, what our weaknesses are and kind of lean into those.”
Kyle Anderson, a small forward recently traded to the Warriors from the Minnesota Timberwolves, explained how he’s adjusting to being on a new team. “It’s a different situation when you join a new team. You’re doing things you haven’t done before, and you’re learning new concepts,” he said.
Recently traded from the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting guard Buddy Hield, said he is also getting used to how the team operates and learning new strategies, terminology and play concepts. “It’s all about improving yourself, and I want to keep getting better,” he explained.
New players like Anderson and Hield shared how observing veteran players like Curry and Draymond Green has been an opportunity to learn from “the greats.” Hield explained, “They know how to win and what it takes to win. It helps me see how I can be effective and improve my own shots.”
A successful training camp
After four days training in the CAC, Kerr said this year’s training camp has been a successful one. “I’ve been really impressed with the whole team, in terms of movement, catching and swinging the ball,” said Kerr. He touched on the strengths of some of the newer players, and discussed how the team was continuing to improve.
Kerr said one of the key takeaways from training camp was “The bonding amongst the players, that’s important that these guys have done that this week.”
Forward Lindy Waters III, recently traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder, has done this especially well, Kerr shared “He’s more than just a shooter he’s got good size, good player and fun to play with,” he shared. “No matter who we put him with, things flow really well.”
New Warriors shooting guard De’Anthony Melton, has proven himself to be a very versatile player over the course of the four-day training camp, said Kerr. “He can handle the ball and run your offensive movements, really good shooter off the ball, he can guard multiple positions, and I think he’s the guy who connects the line-up,” he explained.
All information regarding player positions and trades received from NBA.com and ESPN.com.