During Stephen Curry‘s 27-game absence, the Golden State Warriors’ young core held the fort. The Golden State Warriors‘ 9-18 record in that stretch won’t be indicative of their contributions, but performances from Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, and Gui Santos were commendable. That’s why head coach Steve Kerr came to one of his 23-year-old star’s defense as he was booed on Friday at Oracle Park.
While Brandin Podziemski remains a debatable name due to his turnovers or lack of judgment to find the right pass for his teammates, one thing that can’t be questioned is his dedication to the Bay Area. He is the unofficial mascot for the Warriors’ sister team, the Golden State Valkyries, and recently was present to support the MLB franchise San Francisco Giants. But it seems the fans did not enjoy his presence, which caught Steve Kerr by surprise.
“Well, I didn’t see it, but if so, that’s pretty disappointing,” said Kerr on the Willard & Dibs podcast. “I know that he can be a little bit of a polarizing figure with our fans, but I would hope people recognize just the good things that he does for us and what a good player he is. I think some of the reaction from fans, if there’s booing at the Giants game or whatever, some of that might just be, ‘Hey, he said some things early in the year that maybe rubbed people the wrong way, wanting to be better than Steph, whatever.’
“That’s pretty disappointing. I know that [Podziemski] can be a bit of a polarizing figure with our fans, but I’d hope people recognize the good things he does for us and what a good player he is.”
– Steve Kerr on Podz receiving boos at the #SFGiants game (via @WillardAndDibs). pic.twitter.com/FZcBdPbkZH
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 7, 2026
But look, he’s a young guy, and he’s growing, and he’s maturing, and he’s really a good player. He does so much for our team that I think people don’t recognize and don’t see. His rebounding, his ball handling, you can put him in any spot. When I draw a play, I can have him be the handler, the shooter, the screener, the diver. He really sees the game well. But yes, he’s got a lot to improve on, but that’s what being a young player is all about.”
The interesting thing is that Brandin Podziemski attended Friday night’s game at Oracle Park alongside Warriors rookie Will Richard. But when the two were shown on the TV broadcast as well as the big screen during the game, some fans in attendance only booed Podz when his name was called. It came as a surprise to Steve Kerr because the 23-year-old has been one of the few bright spots for the team.
Kerr even urged fans to stay patient with Podz’s development. The head coach reminded everyone that the young guard just had two years of development, out of which the first one was in Illinois, where he barely played with 4.3 minutes per game. In the next year with Santa Clara, that’s when Podziemski made his mark, and now he is in his third year with the Warriors.
The 23-year-old has also scored 20 points or more in 5 games out of 7 and has been one of the most potent scorers on the team. But Steve Kerr also acknowledged that the personality trait may have created a perception for fans to dislike the young guard.
Steve Kerr had advised Podziemski on the Stephen Curry comparison
Before the season began, the Wisconsin native made his goals clear to be a household name for the Warriors. But there was another quote where he declared striving to be better than the Bay Area’s favorite, Stephen Curry. “I want to be better than him, I think that’s a tall task, but I want to maximize my talent in the league and get as much out of it as I can.”
Podziemski did clarify this statement last week, “I think I could have worded them a little bit differently. But I also think how it’s perceived on the internet is a little taken out of context.” But it seems the mixed bag of display, brash personality type has earned him a reputation that caused the boos at Oracle Park.
