Moody, Warriors share mutual respect that led to contract extension

Moody, Warriors share mutual respect that led to contract extension originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Respect means a lot to Moses Moody and always has, ever since he had a conversation with Stephen Curry’s security guard as a Warriors rookie three years ago.

The message? Be respected by the people that you respect.

“That really stuck with me,” Moody said Monday at Chase Center. “You want people to like you, you want to be respected by everybody, but then what about the people who don’t like you? Are you going to be different so they can respect you? But for the people that you respect, for them to see you and have that real type of interaction is something I that I put a lot of weight behind.”

The Warriors showed Moody plenty of respect when they handed him a three-year, $39 million contract extension just hours before he would have become a restricted free agent.

The deal assures the Warriors that they’ll still have one of the major pieces to their puzzle for the next few seasons, and gives Moody the type of life-altering contract he had been hoping for since entering the league as the No. 14 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

“I couldn’t be more excited for Moses and his family,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s everything that we want in our program, our organization. The character, the work ethic, the resilience. He’s earned this and I’m thrilled for him”

To be sure, the Warriors made it abundantly clear that they wanted Moody back in the mix for more than just his skills on the court. He is one of the most popular fixtures in Golden State’s locker room and has been widely praised for his nose-to-the-grindstone and do-what-it-takes-at-all-costs mentality.

And at 22 years old, many people believe Moody is just scratching the surface of what lies ahead.

“We obviously want to invest in people and people we believe in,” Kerr said. “The players have to be talented, they have to fit in with what you’re trying to do. But it’s ultimately investing in people you believe in. Moses, he’s that person.”

There hadn’t been much noise coming from the Warriors’ front office about extensions for Moody or Jonathan Kuminga, both of whom are at pivotal junctures in their respective careers. Word of Moody’s deal came late Sunday night, but it wasn’t finalized until paper was put to pen Monday afternoon.

For Moody, it was a pretty simple decision once the deal was offered.

“One of the things I that I like about this organization so much is the people here,” Moody said before listing names like Kerr, Curry, Draymond Green and general manager Mike Dunleavy “For them to have those feelings and have those things to say about me is really cool.”

Upon getting news of the deal, Moody made a phone call to his parents in Arkansas to notify them. He later received a call from Green congratulating him, then took a few moments to let it all soak in.

“Things get fast, especially when money gets involved,” Moody said. “You get excited and all of that, but really just slowing it down and appreciating what it is and opportunities that it opens up.”

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