Bob Myers’ Warriors exit likely means owner Joe Lacob’s son will gain more team control

Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers is stepping down from his position, he told ESPN.

Myers, who was the president f basketball operations and general manager for Golden State, spent 12 years with the organization. He was highly influential in creating one of the most successful stretches of winning in recent NBA history.

Golden State will not have an easy time replacing Myers, who helped lead the team to win four titles over the course of the past eight seasons. But, per league insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the ownership group already has some succession plans prepared for the post-Myers era (via ESPN):

“With Myers’ departure, Warriors owner Joe Lacob is expected to seek more prominent roles for his son, Kirk, an executive VP of Basketball Operations, and VP of Basketball Operations Mike Dunleavy Jr.”

Joe Lacob became the majority owner of the Warriors in 2010. His son, Kirk, began working for the team not long after graduating from Stanford. Before his father ever had any affiliation with the Warriors, Kirk says he was offered an internship to work in the video room for the Phoenix Suns.

Kirk has over a decade of experience with the team, including experience as the general manager of their G League affiliate. He was promoted to become assistant general manager in 2012 and became the executive vice president of basketball operations in 2019.

Tim Kawakami shared more details about Kirk last year (via The Athletic):

“It’s always been generally assumed that Kirk is the heir apparent. He’s obsessive about basketball. He’s put in the work — he’s the one who was assigned to show why a G League affiliate would work for the Warriors, he arranged the purchase of the team, moved it to Santa Cruz and ran it for a few years, helping to make it a vital part of the Warriors’ holdings.”

According to Kawakami, Kirk is the “basketball ops staffer who argues with his father the most” when it comes to basketball decisions.

Last year, Kirk was named to The Athletic‘s NBA 40 under 40 series.

Earlier this year, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that Kirk’s power with Golden State “stretches throughout the basketball and business operations” and that he profiles more as an “owner-in-waiting” than a general manager.

Kirk’s brother, Kent, is considered a ‘”rising voice” on the basketball side and works as the director of team development.