SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors prepared to start Friday morning’s film session, many players and coaches had a more pressing issue on their mind than preparation for Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. The reason? A member of their extended Warriors family, Team Canada men’s hockey star Macklin Celebrini, was in a tight Olympic game in Italy, so the group couldn’t take its eyes away from what was going on about 6,000 miles away from Chase Center.
“We had half the team watching the final two minutes of the game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Saturday’s practice. “Because it was 2-2, and it was 10 o’clock, and we’re supposed to be starting film. Nope, we’re gonna watch to see what happens.”
The reason the Warriors are so engaged, and will be again early Sunday morning when Celebrini and Team Canada take on Team USA for the gold medal, is because many within Golden State’s organization knew him long before he became the first pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a worldwide hockey sensation. That’s because Celebrini’s dad, Rick, is the Warriors’ vice president of player health and performance and has been with the organization since 2018. After staying in Los Angeles for a couple of extra days after a recent road trip to be there for Jimmy Butler’s ACL surgery, Rick flew to Milan to be with the rest of his family and cheer on his son. From a distance, the Warriors are doing what they can to support Macklin and the rest of the Celebrini family.
“Everybody’s engaged,” Kerr said, “especially the guys who have been here a while, who know Rick so well and Macklin and the family. So, it’s pretty cool to just see it all develop and to see the pride in Rick’s eyes and hear it in his voice — it’s wonderful.”
That pride extends throughout many within the Warriors’ team. Swingman Moses Moody got to know Macklin several years ago as the pair rehabbed injuries under Rick’s watch and has enjoyed getting to know the family. Moody is impressed with the way the entire family carries itself, noting Macklin’s little brother, RJ, an up-and-coming teenage hockey player, is just as impressive in how he goes about business. He said he’s excited for Macklin and hopeful the game turns out the way the Celebrini’s want.
“I want Rick to come back in a good mood,” Moody said with a smile.
Macklin Celebrini leads the Olympic men’s hockey tournament with five goals. (Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)
Moody and several of his teammates have noted they appreciate the way Macklin conducts himself, which seems to be a family personality trait.
“Mac, he’s got that silent confidence, too,” Moody said. “I don’t know him for real, but being around him, he doesn’t overdo it. You can tell he’s working. He’s precise in conversation. You can just tell when somebody’s a thinker, more than a talker, type of guy. And that’s how he seems, and I like him.”
Kerr acknowledges he doesn’t know hockey particularly well, but what he sees is a steadiness in the young man’s game and an appreciation of the way he conducts himself on the ice. So much so that early signs of what he’s seeing remind him, on some level, of the star player he’s enjoyed coaching for the last 12 seasons: Stephen Curry.
“What I feel is that Macklin has the combination that is so rare of incredible talent and unbelievable leadership,” Kerr said. “Maturity, humanity, he gets it. He gets it at 19. Usually, it takes guys years to be mature enough to understand how to compete, how to conduct yourself, how to treat your teammates. Not to make the Steph comparison, but that’s what it takes to be a superstar. It’s not just the talent — it’s the intangibles. And Macklin seems to have the intangibles. I couldn’t have told you that five years ago, when he was in here training, or even two years ago. We just knew he was a really good prospect. But it’s impressive to watch.”
What makes Kerr smile even more these days are the cutaway shots to Rick and the rest of the Celebrini family calmly celebrating in the stands every time Macklin does something else for Team Canada. It’s a point of pride that the tenured members of the organization share. Gary Payton II has worn Macklin’s Sharks jersey after games. Draymond Green has popped up at some of Macklin’s games through the years. Now, they see Rick celebrating and share in the happiness with him through the screen.
“It’s been so fun when they flash to Rick and the family in the stands,” Kerr said. “To see the joy on their faces, the pride. And then watching Macklin — I don’t know a ton about hockey, but it’s pretty obvious that, at 19, he’s one of their most-trusted players and seems to be on the ice an awful lot at the most critical times. Pretty remarkable at that age that he can become that trusted, that good, this quickly.”
Then, with a wry grin on his face, Kerr can’t help but poke at his friend, Rick.
“Especially in the face of such poor parenting growing up,” Kerr continued. “I don’t know how he’s been able to overcome (it). Thank God for Robyn – that’s what I always say. The mom clearly has done all the work.”
Kerr still remembers seeing Robyn, Rick’s wife and Macklin’s mom, playing in a two-on-two full-court basketball game at the Warriors’ old practice facility in Oakland against a couple of her sons. It’s a moment he cherishes and a reminder of some of the bonds many within the organization share in watching one another’s children grow up through the years.
“After practice there were a lot of two-on-two full-court games with Robyn and Macklin playing against Charlie and Aiden,” Kerr said. “So, it was mom and three kids involved in a full-court, two-on-two (game). You want to see an athletic family in action — it was always fun to watch. And Rick would take it all in.”
Kerr joked that he might need to TiVo Sunday’s early-morning gold-medal game, which starts at 5 a.m. PT, and watch it before heading to the arena in advance of the Warriors’ game against the Nuggets. But Payton said he would be waking up early to take all the action in live. Like many other Warriors, he is proud of Macklin’s success, and he is eager to see the young man he’s developed a relationship with the last few years live out one of his dreams on the biggest Olympic stage.
“It’s unreal,” Payton said. “The kid’s unreal. I feel like he’s gonna end up being one of those when it’s all said and done, like Wayne (Gretzky), Sid (Crosby), Alex (Ovechkin), Mac. So it’s exciting to see from the start and see where it goes, and it’s going pretty damn good right now, and I’m excited. I’m rooting for Mac, for sure.”