GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 21, 2021

Kent Bazemore

Media Conference

Memphis Grizzlies 117, Golden State Warriors 112 (OT)

Q. Kent, 41 turnovers in two play-in games. Is that the category you look at in these losses?

KENT BAZEMORE: 100 percent. You know, this is a very talented league and any time you're giving teams extra possessions, it puts a lot of strain on your defense. We've been the best defensive team in the league over the past couple weeks and at some point you keep turning it over. Live ball turnovers come back and bite you. That's the biggest thing.

But a heck of a year from the guys in the locker room. With everything that's been thrown at us, we're sitting up here early on in the year, bottom-feeders, basically. No real identity. I mean, we turned it around and we had our chances and that's all you can really ask for.

The growth has been amazing just from top to bottom, myself even, ninth year, contract year, just pushing through and having guys in there going to war with you every night, picking you up, being there for you. It says a lot. Very, very close-knit group.

Like I told them after the game, regardless what happens. If they ever need anything, they got a brother in me. So great year.

Q. Took awhile for you to come together but the last few games, you rode this eight-man rotation really hard, it's all you had, and what did it mean to you to finish the way you guys did?

KENT BAZEMORE: It means a lot and it says a lot. I've been using the word "resilient" all year and I think that's the word for us. Just being resilient, sticking to it. You get eight guys out there every night -- I told Draymond during the game, it's been a grind. We play for eighth, then we're playing for seventh and then we're playing for eighth again. Just mentally, that's a lot. It's a lot mentally to continue to get up every day just to bring the juice in order to give yourself a chance.

We fought as hard as we could. You know, we're human at the end of the day. A lot of tonight was just, I mean, I think guys are just worn out. You know, called a play; we ran a totally different play. I think we called 'horns down' but we ran 'horns out,' every guy on the court. So you know, that's just a play that kind of sticks out to me just kind of where we were, you know, mentally.

But we gave ourselves a chance there late. You know, give big props to Memphis. Taylor Jenkins was with me in Atlanta, and they lost last year and they got it done this year. Obviously we wanted to be in that spot but I'm really happy for him and happy to see him get it done. A lot of pressure off him for sure.

Q. Do you have the words right now to describe the season Steph Curry had. If you can put into context the greatness, or do you need some time? Do you need hindsight to capture what this was?

KENT BAZEMORE: Man, that dude is unbelievable. I'll go get tape while he's wrapping up before the meeting and he's getting his butt pack put in, and no one's talking about the hairline fracture in his tailbone that he got a couple weeks ago or, you know, tweaked ankle here and there. Like the dude is just a machine. You know, the inspiration is just unreal. Regardless of how we're feeling, regardless of how he's feeling, he'll never let you know.

You know, he goes out and he leads by example and you follow. That's a true definition of a leader right there. He doesn't have to -- he got into us one game, I think they got it on film early in the year when everybody was frustrated, but for the most part he's leading by example. Dude just lays it on the line, and I'm grateful that I was kind of able to be back here and watch this historic season from a guy that I love like a brother.

I mean, like I say, it's going to take some time for me to really, really grasp what happened, but the record, being over 33, and the records, it's too many to remember right now. But just extremely proud that he continues to raise the bar, not only for himself but everyone that's chasing.

And I'll go back to my little hamstring thing. I can relate to that because I've been playing through stuff all year just trying to keep up. I don't want to single one guy out. Everybody's playing through something. Just to be out there with your guy and go hard, so amazing year from him and big, big decision coming up here the next couple days about the three letters.

So we'll see what happens.

Q. You're playing your best basketball of the year the last 20, 25 games. What was the turning point to get you on this run and the position to where you were tonight?

KENT BAZEMORE: Just we realized what time it was. Early on in the year, you kind of just plan every other day, things aren't going right. Then the dust kind of settled and we saw who we were, and we just wanted to attack every night. That's the culprit of it, you have those kind of guys in the locker room, back against the wall, you know, Juan, Toscano-Anderson, just a dog, Jordan Poole. I mean, the young guys really stepped up, Mychal Mulder here late.

Just, you know, you got guys -- you got two leaders in Draymond and Steph that are going to lead, and then you have Wiggs who is just a beast two-way, and then everyone else just kind of gets in line, and Loon out there giving it his all.

We had a bunch of guys that just gave it, and you know, our result was giving ourselves a chance. You know, who is to say, 82-game season, where we would be if we had, what, five games to go.

And you know, the Laker game, but it would have been interesting to see that in the series. It's a lot of hypotheticals you can throw out there but all in all, the guys are hanging out in the locker room. We are all just extremely proud of each other, amazing group, and whatever each guy in the locker room learned this year, it's going to be with them moving forward.

Q. You were on a one-year deal. Do you expect to be part of the core moving into next season?

KENT BAZEMORE: Dude, that's a whole another headache. Free agency is a freaking beast. I'm just going to take -- I mean, I don't even know when it's going to start with this new season or whatever but I'm enjoying my family, reconnect with my kids and I'm going to trade my jersey for a golf ball over these next couple weeks. So that's going to be my focus, getting back down to a 4-handicap.

Heck of a season, appreciate all you guys, mad love, if you need anything, call me.