KEY POINTS

  • A former Golden State Warrior said players should not be loyal to their teams
  • Stephen Curry is the longest tenured player who remained with his team after Dirk Nowitzki
  • Curry is arguably the most loyal player in NBA today

A former Golden State Warriors forward urges NBA players to forget about loyalty and focus on themselves.

After the bizarre trades that happened in the offseason, it seems like loyalty is something NBA players today care less about. However, there are few players who prove that gratitude is part of being a great basketball player.

Al Harrington, a seasoned NBA veteran, begged to disagree with all the loyalty talks. While hosting on VladTV, Harrington talked about the relationship the players usually have with the organization in the NBA.

The NBA journeyman played for 15 seasons in the league, being traded to several teams throughout his career, Harrington was one of many vets who were able to witness how NBA front offices do their job. And based on his experience, teams would only get what they want from a player and once it becomes bumpy along the way, they’ll get rid of them.

Harrington revealed that he would always tell the young players to just take care of themselves and how being faithful to an organization is not a wise business decision, Basketball Network reported.

“One thing I learned about this s**t is that it’s business and everybody is going to do whatever is good for them. I tell these young guys, don’t be loyal to no organization because they are not going to be loyal to you. It’s important to keep it real,” Harrington pointed out.

Hardened by the lessons he learned from NBA teams, Harrington went full blast and took a dig at team owners whom he referred to as “fakes.”

“Do what is good for you because they will do what is good for them. The owners are billionaires and the front office people, as soon as you can’t do something for them, they are going to turn their back on you. They are faking in the beginning and act as they care.

Warriors’ lone superstar Stephen Curry’s record-breaking $201 million dollar deal in 2017 is the best example of loyalty. This move was viewed as a sign of gratitude from the “Dubs” front office to a player who had led their team to years of success.

Stephen Curry Kevin Durant Warriors
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates on the bench against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, Jan. 15, 2019. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Contrary to Harrington’s claims, Curry's loyalty to Golden State seemed to work well for the scoring point guard. It even resulted in the superstar becoming the league's longest tenured player in the NBA who is still on the team that drafted him (Golden State Warriors).

After Dirk Nowitzki hung up the boots following a historic 21-year career in Dallas, Curry, who is only 31, has somehow become the most loyal player in the league.