SAN FRANCISCO -- Few objectives in public life require more cultivation and maintenance than an image. Though a single wonderful act can create it, one misstep can leave it in ashes.
The Warriors over the past 12 years have done a masterful job of scrubbing out the stains of the past, taking a forlorn franchise and shining it so brightly it can be seen from Mars. Temptation within competition is inherent, but they now stand as a relative paragon of virtue in American sport.
That smooth surface has been chipped of late, first by four-time All-Star Draymond Green’s right hand to the face of gifted young Jordan Poole in October and this week by a civil lawsuit alleging another player, Anthony Lamb, committed rape while a student-athlete from 2016-2020 at the University of Vermont.
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Debate continues to linger related to the team’s handling of the Green-Poole matter and it’s starting to escalate in the case of Lamb.
The Warriors have done so much to engender community goodwill and harmony, but these such incidents kick them in the image and test their principles.
Though Lamb is not the subject of the suit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Vermont -- UVM is the defendant -- the allegations, which aren’t new, paint a damning picture of his character.
Kendall Ware, who was on the Vermont women’s swim team, says she was victimized by Lamb after the end of a six-month dating relationship. Lamb says he did nothing wrong.
Golden State Warriors
“The allegations made against me in 2019 that have recently resurfaced are patently false," Lamb said Thursday, in a statement to SF Gate. “I have always been fully cooperative regarding the alleged incident, and have welcomed any investigation into the matter. Simply put, I have never committed sexual assault.”
The Warriors on Friday made no further comment on the matter.
“As an organization, we put out a statement [Thursday] that captures everything that we believe,” coach Steve Kerr said after a practice in which Lamb participated. “So, I will stand behind that statement and leave it at that.”
If only this were that simple for a franchise that has places a high premium on character and has taken such huge steps to address justice and equality for all.
Though it could be said that the Warriors are “catching strays,” they voluntarily placed themselves in a compromising position in October, when they signed Lamb to a two-way contract. His name and those of several of his teammates were linked last year to similar allegations on the UVM Empowering Survivors Instagram page.
The Warriors at that time said they were thorough in their due diligence.
“We checked with the NBA, we checked with the two teams that had prior signed him and didn't hear anything as far as official charges or anything like that,” general manager Bob Myers said on Oct. 16. “It’s tough because we take that very seriously.
“At the same time, it’s difficult because if someone’s accused of something but not charged or convicted, and we then deny them an opportunity, is that fair, too? But again, that’s something we take very seriously. We can only, at times, look at what the law has done. And also follow the leadership of the NBA.”
To reiterate, there have been no criminal charges. Lamb, despite his two-way status, has evolved into a solid rotation player. He brings value to the defending champion Warriors team yet to find consistency this season.
But this is another case that should have the Warriors examining their principles. Are they willing to continue their association with a man who has been subjected to multiple accusations of sexual assault? Are mere allegations worth the risk? How much latitude do they give someone whose presence could plausibly darken some of the light they have generated with an adoring public?
Everybody deserves a chance to make a living, and certainly anyone who has been neither charged nor convicted. Then, too, every principled individual or group has a line that if crossed will fracture, or even terminate, the relationship.
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As this lawsuit proceeds, and if the allegations directed toward Lamb remain a focus, we’ll learn how much the Warriors cherish their image.
This much is certain: They won’t be willing to keep doing their part to cultivate a positive image of Lamb if it comes at the expense of their own.