Alabama guard Houston Mallette grew up watching the Golden State Warriors transform from underdogs to champions. The Alameda, California native reflected on those early years and the moment that changed everything.
“I remember, man, it was a crazy time period because when I was really young, the Warriors weren’t very good,” Mallette told NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on Scoop B Radio. “We had Monta Ellis… and we had Steph Curry, and Steph Curry in the Bay, kind of when we were growing up, he struggled with a lot of ankle injuries.”
He recalled the day Golden State traded Ellis and handed the franchise keys to Curry. “I remember me and my dad were driving, and it came on the radio that the Warriors were trading Monta Ellis… And then Steph Curry came alive, and man, the Bay was special.”
Mallette, a sharpshooter himself, named his basketball idols. “My favorite basketball players ever are Larry Bird and Steph Curry,” he said. “Klay Thompson is also a guy, because Klay Thompson is also from California. And he’s a really cool guy and has a really interesting story.”
While the NBA is a goal, Mallette is focused on the game beyond just making the league. “I don’t play basketball to play in the NBA,” he said. “I play basketball because I love to play basketball and I love to share the court with my teammates.”
He remains open to playing overseas. “I would love to play in Europe and travel the world and play in Asia and see all these different parts of the world. But it would be an honor to play in the NBA, and I’m really going to try my best to get there.”
Mallette has appeared in just six games for Alabama this season, averaging 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 7.8 minutes per contest. Last season, he posted 14.7 points per game for Pepperdine while shooting 41.5% from deep.
