How many more times do we get to watch Stephen Curry pull up from 30 feet like it’s a layup? How many more games where Draymond Green quarterbacks a defense that holds opponents to 79 points? How much more of Jimmy Butler’s two-way brilliance can we witness? How much longer does Giannis Antetokounmpo get to barrel through defenders like they’re traffic cones?
Tonight’s Warriors-Bucks matchup at 5 PM PST isn’t just another regular season game. It’s a reminder that greatness has an expiration date,
and the hourglass is running low. The Warriors are 4-1. The Bucks are 3-1. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama is going absolutely bonkers in San Antonio. Anthony Edwards dropped 28 per game last season at age 24 and went to the Western Conference Finals. The next generation isn’t just coming. They’re already here, breathing down the necks of the legends.
But here’s the thing about legends: they make you take it from them.
Two days ago, the Warriors held the Clippers to 79 points. That’s the first time Golden State held an opponent under 80 since December 20, 2016, and the first time any NBA team accomplished that feat with 10-or-fewer assists in seven seasons. In an era where the opening week made league history for 50-point performances, 35-year old Draymond Green anchored a defense that turned back the clock. This is a Clippers team with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The Warriors held Harden scoreless in the second half after he dropped 20 in the first.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 36.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists through four games. THAT’S INSANE. The man is 30 and playing like he’s 25.
But let me tell you about what Draymond did to Giannis back in March. Zero points on 0-for-7 shooting with Draymond Green as his primary defender. Giannis a near seven-footer who dominates the paint like prime Shaq, went scoreless on seven attempts against a 35-year-old giving up four inches and 30 pounds. Draymond was involved in eight of Giannis’s eleven total misses that night. The Greek Freak finished 5-for-16, his lowest field goal percentage in over two years.
“Draymond’s defense on Giannis was incredible,” Steve Kerr said. “To hold him to five made field goals, Draymond showed why he’s still one of the great defenders in the world.” Intelligence and positioning over athleticism. That’s how you do it at 35. Draymond blocked him from behind, walled him up in isolation, forced hook shots instead of layups. Even Doc Rivers acknowledged it: Giannis took difficult shots all night, and Green was the primary reason why.
Two Defensive Player of the Year winners going head-to-head tonight. Both still elite. Both refusing to acknowledge that Father Time is undefeated.
Now we know Wembanyama could sweep MVP, DPOY, and Most Improved Player this season. And when healthy Edwards is building a perennial All-NBA resume. The force they create is undeniable. But championships? The kind of wisdom that comes from getting knocked down and learning how to get back up? The OGs have all of that. That’s the difference between potential and proven.
Stephen Curry is 37 and still as dominant a player as we’ve ever seen. Draymond is 35. Giannis is 30. Jimmy Butler, who joined the Warriors last February and helped sharpen both their offensive repertoire and defensive identity, is 35. These aren’t young players anymore. They’re in the final chapters, and every game carries extra weight because we know the ending is coming.
Tonight isn’t just 4-1 versus 3-1. It’s a celebration of greatness that’s still here, still dominant, still refusing to yield to the next generation without a fight. The young stars will have their time. But right now, in this moment, the OGs are still running things. While Steph is still splashing 30-footers, while Draymond is orchestrating historic defensive performances, while Giannis is averaging 36 and 14, we have a responsibility: Watch. Appreciate. Remember.
The kids are coming. But the legends aren’t leaving without reminding everyone why they became legends in the first place.
Tonight at 5 PM, we get another chapter in that story.
