Could Draymond Green's screw-up actually tarnish Steph Curry's legacy? NBA analyst thinks so

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is typically stoic. The entrepreneurial sharpshooter keeps his feelings safely tucked away behind the media-trained polish that has driven the Curry Brand. Facing the Orlando Magic, Curry's emotions poured out.

Draymond Green was issued a second technical foul just four minutes into the game, triggering an automatic ejection. As Green walked to the locker room, Curry went through every stage of grief to process the loss of his All-NBA forward. He paced the court, shaking his head in disbelief. He clenched his jaw in anger. He hunched over to collect himself. He covered his face with his jersey, seemingly on the verge of tears. And then, silently, he accepted the situation and got back to work.

In the end, Curry plunged the dagger into Orlando with a step-back three-pointer to seal the game, 101-93. The Warriors improved to 38-34, desperately clinging onto a one-game lead for the No. 10 seed as the red-hot Houston Rockets attempt to chase them down. Curry was emotional, head coach Steve Kerr said, “because our team needed the win.”

ESPN's Jay Williams makes bold assessment of Steph Curry's legacy

Curry has managed to keep an overmatched and emotionally fatigued team in playoff contention. Yet, there are those out there who believe Green's propensity to burn everything down is a reflection of Curry's leadership ability.

During a segment on ESPN's "First Take," co-host Jay Williams claimed that he received text messages from "high-level people" who said Green's actions reflected poorly on Curry's legacy.

"I’m getting texts from people that I really value their decision, high-level people, and what these texts are reading is, 'Well, how about the leadership of Steph Curry?' That’s where these conversations are going," Williams said on ESPN's First Take.

Williams claimed that he didn't agree with these text messages, but it's hard to believe that "high-level people" in the NBA are concerned about how Green's ejection affects Curry's legacy. What's more likely, perhaps, is that Williams wants to indict Curry for Green's ejection without taking accountability for it.

"Draymond Green is diminishing the ultimate legacy of how people are looking at the leadership of Stephen Curry," Williams continued. "That’s what’s happening right now."

Was Michael Jordan's legacy and leadership judged based on the actions of Dennis Rodman? Or, if Green's ejection reflects poorly on Curry's leadership, can we go one step further and say LeBron James' legacy is diminished because he didn't make sure J.R. Smith knew the score?

Wednesday's matchup against Orlando wasn't a layup. It was a back-to-back game against a physical team, just one night after a big win against the Miami Heat, with Jonathan Kuminga already sidelined. The win was a group effort, with Andrew Wiggins (23 points) and Klay Thompson (15 points) leading the team in scoring. But make no mistake about it: Curry's leadership is a large part of the reason why the Warriors were able to win without Green.

The Warriors' defense improves by nearly five points per 100 possessions when Green is on the court, and Golden State has made the most out of a difficult season by leaning on their defense. Without Green, the chances of winning were bleak.

“All I’ll say is we need him,” Curry told reporters after the game. “He knows that. We all know that. So whatever it takes for him to be on the floor and available, that’s what’s gotta happen. Especially at this point of the year.”

Green has been ejected from a game four times during the 2023-24 NBA season. In total, he has been ejected 21 times, including twice in the playoffs. He trails only Rasheed Wallace (25) for most career ejections.