In the five seasons between 1997-98 and 2001-02, the Golden State Warriors didn't win more than 21 games all year. Now, in their fifth season under Joe Lacob's ownership, the Warriors have won 21 games less than two months into the season, shattering the franchise record for best start to a season while embarking on a team-record 16 game winning streak. At the Chat Sports Minds Behind the Game panel on Tuesday evening, Warriors assistant GM Kirk Lacob gave some insight on how the ownership and front office have fundamentally changed the team's culture:
"My dad uses this word a lot - we try to be relentless. If you reach a goal, find the next one. We're perfectionists in a good way. There's nothing we don't want to be the best at."
In his answer, Lacob touched on the controversy surrounding comments his father made about former Warriors HC Mark Jackson, who was fired after the end of the 2013-14 season:
"He [Joe Lacob] got in trouble a few weeks ago for some comments, but he's being very honest, very forthright about how we want to do things. Every single facet of the organization, if they aren't trying to be the best..."
"There's a quote above my desk...I didn't realize it was [popularized by] Tim Duncan until it had been there for a year, but it exemplifies the mentality we want. 'Good, better, best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best'"
Despite Golden State's blistering start to the season, the mentality the Lacobs want to instill won't let them celebrate:
"We're 21-3...but that isn't good enough. We want to be the best in history. The goal is to continue in every facet - continue to improve everything we do."
Lacob discussed team chemistry, answering a question about whether personality and chemistry is something the front office looks at when constructing the roster.
"Chemistry is really important, and while we don't quantify that statistically, I know people out there are trying. The A's worked on it...I don't know how it went, but I'll have to check with...actually, the guy I talked to there is with the Dodgers now (new Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi was an executive with the A's until LA hired him this summer), so we'll see if I can reach him.
"I don't know if you've seen the 'CoCo' videos on Instagram...that is a really tight-knit group. All the guys, 1-14 were really into those coco videos. That's real."
Lacob also touched on the team's upcoming move to San Francisco, with a new arena slated to open in the Mission Bay area in time for the 2018 season:
"We have a number of years and a number of smart people working on it. The crowds at Oracle are tremendous, and we don't want to lose that...so the decisions we make all keep that in mind."
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