Georges Niang spent years on the wrong side of Stephen Curry’s magic, and now he gets to live inside it.
The 33-year-old power forward signed a one-year, $3.8 million veteran minimum deal with the Golden State Warriors this summer, then opened up on the “Not Even D2” podcast about what it means to join the team and finally share a locker room with Curry.
Niang made it clear he has long understood why the Warriors never feel safe out of a game. He described the constant motion around Curry and the way one possession can flip in a heartbeat.
“I think it’s the way that they play. There’s a lot of player movement, body movement, and ball movement. And then when you play with a guy like Stephen Curry… I don’t think people understand how much you worry about a guy like that.”
He backed that up with a memory from the other side of those fourth-quarter comebacks.
“Like, there have been so many times where we’ve been up 15 or 16 against the Warriors in the fourth quarter with like two minutes to go, and we’re still like, ‘All right, like the game’s not over.’ You know, whereas some teams are like, ‘All right, we can kind of play this out.'”
For Niang, the appeal goes beyond simply being teammates with Curry. He said he’s eager to join a group that still feels motivated and overlooked.
“But Steph is like amazing. He’s throwing the ball behind his head, hitting someone for a dunk.
He’s making a deep three, then stealing the ball, getting a layup. It’s just like he’s a magician out there,” Georges Niang said about Stephen Curry.
“And I think the biggest thing that I’m excited about is to join a hungry Warriors group that has something to prove, right?”
“I think the guys that they have over there obviously have a chip on their shoulder. They’ve won a bunch, but you know, I think this is a time where they’re like, you know, people are counting us out, and I’m happy to be a part of something like that,” Niang added.
He’s also looking forward to the other high-IQ pieces around him. Niang pointed to Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler as major reasons he’s excited about the move, while also mentioning the younger names in the mix.
“Draymond has an unbelievable IQ. Like, the way he sees the game, the way he can speak the game, it’s really exciting to have a teammate like that.”
“And then you also have guys like, you know, Jimmy Butler. Like, you can’t ever forget what he’s like when he comes back, and he’s healthy.
Um, just having those-the grouping of those three all together, and you have young guys, you know, like Podz, Moses Moody, and then the kid, Yaxel Lendeborg. It’s going to be really exciting,” Niang concluded.
Niang is returning to the league after sitting out a year as a free agent while recovering from a left foot injury. In 2024-25, he put up 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 46.1% from the field and 40.6% from three.
That kind of shooting fits naturally with a Warriors offense built on volume from deep. Niang is a career 39.9% three-point shooter, which makes him a clean fit on paper for Golden State’s style.
After facing Curry in nine of the past 10 years, Niang now gets the rare chance to be on the other side of all that chaos. The next step is seeing how his 3-and-D game translates in Golden State.
In Other News...
Warriors Cant Afford To Watch Ben Simmons Prove Them Wrong
The Warriors at least did their homework on Ben Simmons this summer, showing interest in bringing him in for training camp before he took another path. For a team that has long valued versatility and defensive playmaking, the idea of a healthy, engaged Simmons was worth a look, especially with the kind of low-risk familiarity that comes with a camp invitation.
Simmons went elsewhere, though, and landed with the Kings on a non-guaranteed deal that gives him a quieter setting to try to rebuild his career. Richard Jefferson has even floated the idea that Simmons could still play at an All-Star level if the mental side falls into place, which is exactly the sort of rebound story Golden State does not need to watch unfold from afar if he finds his footing in Sacramento. [Read more 🡒]
D'Angelo Russell's NBA Future Just Took Another Brutal Turn
DAngelo Russells latest stop may be over before it really starts. After being acquired by Memphis from Washington in July, he has been stuck in the kind of roster limbo that has followed him since his second stint with the Lakers, and the Grizzlies are now trying to sort through a crowded backcourt picture as camp and roster decisions come into focus.
For Russell, the larger issue is the same one that has shadowed him for a while now: where does he fit, and who still sees a clear role for him? He did not play for the Wizards after signing there, and if Memphis moves on, the next chapter would likely be as a free agent trying to latch onto a veteran team that still wants a backup point guard and believes there is something useful left in his game. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans Are Spiraling Over A New Stephen Curry Offseason Video
Stephen Currys offseason trip through China has already given Warriors fans plenty to watch, with the veteran guard making stops on the Li-Ning Wide Open Tour in cities like Beijing and Hong Kong. The trip is part of his longstanding relationship with the brand, but one recent video clip has quickly taken on a life of its own among Golden State supporters as they wait for the next bit of team news to break.
The clip has fueled speculation because Curry appears to be limping, and for a fan base already paying close attention to every offseason development, even a brief moment like that can send social media into overdrive. There has been no official injury report from Li-Ning, the Warriors, or Currys camp, leaving the conversation stuck in the space between concern and overreaction while Golden State still waits on another major unresolved issue involving Curry and a possible contract extension. [Read more 🡒]