Bob Myers resigning as Warriors’ president, GM
Myers has guided the Warriors to four NBA titles since joining the team in 2011. With his contract expiring this summer, he is stepping away from the team.
SAN FRANCISCO – Bob Myers’ time with the Warriors is coming to an end.
Myers, the architect of the Warriors’ four championship teams and a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, will be stepping down from his role as the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, marking the end of an era for Golden State that might never be replicated.
“It’s just time,” Myers told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Myers’ contract is set to expire toward the end of next month, though a decision on his future was expected to be made Tuesday as he’s scheduled to meet with reporters at 1 p.m. NBA sources confirmed Myers’ choice to walk away Tuesday morning, a decision that could cause a domino effect within the team.
Ownership and Myers had discussed a contract extension throughout the season, including a deal that sources said would have made him among the highest paid executives in the NBA. But Myers maintained he wouldn’t make a decision until after the season ended. The Warriors’ premature exit in the Western Conference semifinals gave him time to mull over what he might do next as the team went its separate ways. He ultimately settled that it was time to call it quits.
Myers’ successor will have to find solutions to a littany of problems from a skyrocketing payroll and luxury tax ramifications to creatively retooling a roster with championship aspirations as long as Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are around.
Vice president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. seems to be in line to Myers’ successor. He’s served as Myers’ right-hand man for several years now and had subbed in for the team’s top executive numerous times.
Known for his leadership skills and cutthroat drive to win, Myers was a sports agent before he made the move to front office executive more than a decade ago. The Bay Area native and UCLA grad was hired as an assistant general manager in 2011 before being promoted to general manager a year later. He led the construction of the roster that won the Warriors’ first championship in 40 years. Three more titles and a total of five more trips to the NBA Finals would follow, including last year’s improbable run.
Myers selected Green in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft and signed Andre Iguodala to elevate the Warriors to create the core of the 2015 title team, then pushed to get Kevin Durant to join Steph Curry & Co. in the Bay Area via free agency in 2016.
It was also Myers’ call to replace Mark Jackson in 2014 with Kerr, who helped guide the team to six of the last nine NBA Finals.
In his 11 years as general manager, the Warriors have posted a .653 winning percentage (571-304) and have made the playoffs in all but two years. Golden State’s 108 playoff wins during that span are the most in the league.
It’s unclear what might be Myers’ next pursuit. His proven track record will undoubtedly make him a desire candidate for any front office openings in the coming years. He could also seek a job as an analyst or commentator. Myers’ dipped his toes in media this season, recording a 13-episode podcast series, titled “Lead by Example.” He could also opt to take a year or more off to spend time with his family.