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Rapper Too $hort is a huge Bay Area sports fan and he revealed how the people in the community felt when the Golden State Warriors traded Monta Ellis instead of Steph Curry.
Monta Ellis and Steph Curry played together for the Warriors for two years. Ellis was a veteran guard during Curry's rookie and sophomore season, but the franchise soon realized that the duo had to be split up because they cannot co-exist on a team. Ellis was a well-known fan favorite and when the organization picked Curry instead of Ellis, the fanbase erupted with rage.
Rapper Too $hort appeared on the podcast "Club Shay Shay" with Pro Football Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe and spoke about his love of Bay Area sports. He mentioned that he is a student and a "junkie" of every sport but is particularly biased about the Bay Area franchises.
He has been a fan of the Golden State Warriors, way before they established their dynasty. Too $hort brought up the famous Monta Ellis trade in 2012 and recalled how the fans were quite upset.
"We really questioned the Monta Ellis trade. Who’s going to be our point guard? The little kid with the weak ankles? People was mad."
Steph Curry had a history of ankle injuries and constantly missed games because of his weak ankles. He played just 26 games in the 2012 season and the franchise had an option to choose between Monta Ellis and Curry in the offseason.
As mentioned earlier, Ellis was a fan favorite who played on the famous 2007 "We Believe" team, whereas Steph Curry was a 23-year-old with injury issues. So it is understandable that fans were upset when the franchise picked Curry over Ellis and traded the latter in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.
Not only were Bay Area fans upset about the trade, but the entire sports world also laughed at the Warriors organization for trading away a veteran borderline All-Star and a fan favorite for a 23-year-old player with injury issues.
On paper, it certainly sounded absurd, but the front office in 2012 was ten steps ahead of everyone else. With two MVPs (including the only unanimous one ever), several 50+ win seasons, five NBA Finals appearances, and three championships later, it is safe to say nobody regrets the trade.
Steph Curry wasn't just the right choice back then, he turned out to be the greatest player to ever put on a Golden State Warriors jersey. He is the franchise leader in games played, points, assists, steals, and three-pointers made along with several other smaller categories.
The baby-faced assassin is one of the greatest point guards of all time and many analysts consider him either 1st or 2nd on the list. He is a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team and the 2012 Warriors front office deserves a lot of credit for their vision. The organization was valued at $450 million when Steph Curry was drafted, they are now worth $5.6 billion.
Monta Ellis acknowledged that the Golden State Warriors made the right decision choosing Steph Curry over him
![Steph Curry (L) of the Golden State Warriors along with Monta Ellis (R) [Source: AP]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/7fb28-16484871760002-1920.jpg)
Monta Ellis appeared as a guest on the radio show "Steiny and Guru" on 95.7 The Game, the Golden State Warriors' home radio channel, in 2019. He was asked about the famous trade in 2012 and he wholeheartedly admitted that the Warriors made the right choice.
He delved into physicality in the Western Conference at the time and mentioned that two wiry guards sharing a backcourt wouldn't have worked out. He said:
"At that time, the West had big, big guards and they were pretty good...So when you have two small, 180-pound guards at the 1 and the 2 positions and playing in the West, it was hard. Like I said, it worked out. I always said it went the way it should have."
It definitely worked out wonders for the team as Steph Curry led them to five NBA Finals and three rings. They found the greatest and most loyal Warrior in league history and the franchise holds several records to its name because of the two-time MVP. They are still in the quest for another championship as the baby-faced assassin isn't finished yet.
Guess the Lakers players!
