If the rumors are true, Al Horford is officially a Golden State Warrior. But is this move good for the team? That’s still up for debate. Is it being celebrated? Not exactly. Despite analysts hyping the addition, fans haven’t bought into the excitement. In the Bay, the appetite has been for youthful energy around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, not another veteran entering his twilight. With Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney gone, Dub Nation has grown wary of piling on more experience instead of investing in the next generation.

That skepticism is exactly why Gilbert Arenas framed Curry’s situation so starkly. When asked on No Chill Gil if Curry would retire as a Warrior, Arenas didn’t hesitate: “Oh, he’s forced.” Then came the metaphor: “He’s like a tiger in a zoo.”

Arenas wasn’t praising Curry’s ferocity- he was pointing out the boundaries. “The zoo looks open but there is boundaries with his legacy for it to compete with the Kobe’s, Michael Jordan’s, right? – Because they don’t count the Wizard years – Magic, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki. He has to stay there. And he knows from what media has done. If he puts on another jersey, it’s going to wash kind of his legacy and loyalty away.”

It’s a little nuanced (for lack of a nicer term) for an old opinion. Sure Stephen Curry has everything to be a franchise star like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki. The Warriors’ identity with Curry is inseparable.

And it’s true, that they don’t count Jordan’s Wizard years. Because the numbers, teammates, and market simply didn’t match. But, similarly, most diehard Dubs still uphold Klay Thompson as a franchise star for Golden State even though he’s gone to Dallas because he’s got the legacy in the Bay to validate it.

To say Curry is ‘forced to stay’ is the most No Chill Gil take there is. And why doesn’t it apply to Draymond Green?

Arenas was getting dragged by fans for claiming this in the comments. Curry said in 2020, “Wearing the same jersey for as long as I can, that’s a huge goal, for sure. It’s an elite club of guys that you look at that have played with the same organization and been successful and achieved greatness in that respect.”

That was before he lost Klay and Kevon, Jimmy arrived, and the Kuminga situation escalated. But Curry is determined to be a franchise star like Kobe and stay where he is. Analysts believe Al Horford is key to that. Fans aren’t so on board.

Al Horford is not enough to bury fans’ anxiety

The Golden State Warriors have been in pursuit of Al Horford more seriously than they are about making a decision on Jonathan Kuminga’s contract. A multi-year contract is in the works to cement this huge offseason pursuit. The team also has commitments from Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton, contingent on Kuminga’s final contract before the deadline.

Analysts hail Horford’s signing. At 39, he might just retire a Warrior. Unfortunately, that’s also why fans aren’t loving this signing.

Fans want the front office to focus on a more younger core around Curry and Green, i.e., resolve the Kuminga dilemma and focus on players like Trayce Jackson Davis. While Horford is undeniably one of the best bigs still around in the league and can actively contribute as a starter as he did with the Celtics, fans are tired of the aging roster in the Bay.

Stephen Curry is 37, three seasons away from the plan to retire as a Dub at 40 (unless the plan has changed in five years). Jimmy Butler is 36, Green is 35. But Pritchard has emphasized in the past that Horford elevates any roster he’s added to. And most predictions state that he’d make Steve Kerr and Draymond Green’s jobs much easier.

The Horford news sparked a bit of displeasure over the average age of the Warriors’ roster. Most of them were laced as jokes. But there’s that unspoken fear if the Warriors fail to maximize Curry’s limited window – that he’d leave.

The fear didn’t come out of nowhere. No one thought Klay would ever disband the Splash Brothers. And even Kobe Bryant had been frustrated with the Lakers at times to demand trades unless they worked with him. At such times, fans might hope that Gil is right and Curry feels compelled to stay with the Warriors till the end.