Imago
Apr 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Seth Curry (31), guard Stephen Curry (30) and guard Brandin Podziemski (2) stand on the court during a timeout against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Imago
Apr 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Seth Curry (31), guard Stephen Curry (30) and guard Brandin Podziemski (2) stand on the court during a timeout against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
San Francisco has found itself an unintentional villain. While someone like Dillon Brooks would probably own it, for Brandin Podziemski, it’s turning into a self-imposed punishment. Outside of some jarring mistakes on court, it was the pre-season declaration that he intended to “be better” than franchise icon Stephen Curry that turned into the young star’s reckoning. Now villainized in the Bay, the situation has turned the Golden State Warriors’ locker room, which is known for its championship poise, into perhaps a suffocating place for Podz.
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Very recently, Podziemski and his teammate, Will Richard, were at a Giants game. Podz, in his Golden State Valkyries shirt, was booed when he was shown on the screen. Bay Area insider Nick Friedell witnessed it in person, and it left him worried about the 23-year-old. Friedell, who has interacted with Podz since he arrived in the Golden State, has seen a visible change in his locker room demeanor this season.
“Ever since the backlash early in the season to some of those comments, for months, Podz is like a mute in there,” Friedell reported on Willard & Dibs.
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“He didn’t talk to anybody; he certainly didn’t say much to the media, because he didn’t want the backlash of everything that was coming back his way. It’s just… It’s sad.”
Despite being described as one of the most “affable guys to talk to” behind the scenes, the weight of the “anti-Podz” sentiment forced a talented young player to withdraw entirely from the spotlight he once courted with brash confidence.
“Do I think that this is impacting [Podziemski]? Absolutely…Ever since the backlash early in the season to some of the comments, for months Podz was like a mute in there. He didn’t talk to anybody…It’s sad.”
– @NickFriedell on @WillardAndDibs. pic.twitter.com/SdF9Teajv9
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 8, 2026
It’s a stark contrast to Podz in past seasons, who was bursting with electric confidence, enough to launch a small satellite. Draymond Green even labeled it “irrational confidence.”
But he’s been subjected to a lot of criticism both on and off the court recently. Fans especially question Steve Kerr’s decision to give him more minutes over Gui Santos and Will Richard. It appears that the relentless hate has gotten to him, and the once confident Podz is retreating into a shell.
Brandin Podziemski’s hate train could end the Stephen Curry dream
The disconnect between Podziemski and the Bay Area faithful reached a boiling point last week during a Friday night San Francisco Giants game at Oracle Park. While Friedell cautiously said it wasn’t a barrage of boos, it was still unnecessary. His immediate thoughts in that situation were, “Are you kidding me? Like, this guy has played, I think, every game. He’s played as hard as he can.”
Analysts everywhere slammed the fans’ behavior at the Giants game. However, Friedell worries the latest incident could add to the growing list of reasons Podziemski might decide that becoming the next franchise star after Stephen Curry is not a dream worth having.
The hostility appears to stem from a perceived lack of humility that’s also alienating him from his teammates. At the start of the season, Podziemski made headlines by stating he didn’t just want to learn from Curry, but to eventually surpass him as the face of the franchise. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the comment led to “eyerolls and continued references from several within the organization.”
With Curry missing 27 games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, Podziemski has been one of the few bright spots, recently recording multiple 20-point performances and seeing a surge in scoring. However, his comments have made him the villain in everyone’s eyes.
Certain incidents have made it worse. A poor pass by him made Kerr scold Will Richard, a gaffe Kerr would publicly apologize for. During Curry’s return in Sunday’s game against the Rockets, Podz missed Dray’s cue to set a screen. It forced Curry into an impossible three-pointer, causing them to lose the game by a single point.
Dub Nation already has a reputation as one of the toughest fan bases in sports. But analysts feel it is going a touch too far.
This could compound into Podziemski’s eventual exit from the team, either by his decision or the team’s. With the right amount of money on the table, Friedell believes Podz could be asking himself, “Do these people really want me to do well, or are they all wanting me to fail?”
