When Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the Golden State Warriors they had one clear task — change the franchise’s culture.
The Warriors had been to the playoffs once in the last 19 years — this was a corporate culture that had come to accept losing as part of doing business and it started with the former owner, Chris Cohen. He was no good at owning a basketball team. The new owners needed to change that and so they made bold, big moves — they hired Mark Jackson as coach, they pushed to trade Monta Ellis and they started efforts to get a new arena built in the city.
Lacob was speaking with Geoff Lepper (the Warriors official reporter) talking about the Bogut trade when he said this.
Lacob: "And we’re going to win an NBA championship here. I guarantee it."
— Geoff Lepper (@geofflepper) April 10, 2013
Good. I want an owner to say that, to have that drive. I want an owner to demand that of the organization. It’s not going to happen this year, but they made the playoffs again. That’s the first step and shouldn’t be discounted.
Here is Lacob talking with Ric Bucher of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area about Golden State making the playoffs.