SAN FRANCISCO – Members of the Warriors organization speak about him with reverence.
Coach Steve Kerr brings him up in almost every press conference. Al Horford says the man truly cares about the Warriors’ players. Kristaps Porzingis calls him the greatest of all time.
They are not referring to Steph Curry, the superstar who has led Golden State to four titles. They are lauding Rick Celebrini, the man charged with ensuring the Warriors stay healthy enough to make another run at the playoffs, which begin next weekend.
Now the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance — and perhaps better known in the sports world as the father of San Jose Sharks hockey superstar Macklin Celebrini — he was once a professional soccer player who debuted for the under-20 Canadian National Team in 1987.
That was until a series of injuries, most notably an ankle fracture at age 15, ended his sporting career before turning 30. But as one path ended, Celebrini found his new passion in life.
“I think it probably starts with why I got into this in the first place,” Celebrini, now 58, told the Bay Area News Group. “I was, unfortunately, a mismanaged young athlete that had my athletic career cut short because of that. What has always been a guiding principle is to always look after the athlete first, and to be empathetic, and truly make sure that their care is the first priority.”
Director of Sports Medicine and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini talks to Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) during a time out in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, March 1, 2020. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
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Director of Sports Medicine and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini talks to Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) during a time out in the first quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, March 1, 2020. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Having dealt with subpar medical staff during his playing career, Celebrini has been renowned for his empathy and communication skills since joining the Warriors in 2018 after working with the Canadian alpine ski team, the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, among others.
During the Warriors’ 2022 title run, he oversaw Klay Thompson’s rehab from a torn Achilles and also was lauded for helping famously frail Otto Porter Jr. stay healthy through the grind of the playoffs.
He has had numerous opportunities to display those skills this season, too.
Aside from Curry’s two-month return to play as he manages chronic runner’s knee, Celebrini has also overseen De’Anthony Melton’s return from ACL surgery, Horford and Seth Curry’s months-long battles with sciatica, Porzingis’ illness and knee injuries and more as the team approaches the NBA play-in tournament next week.
Through it all, the Warriors’ players have developed an appreciation for Celebrini, who Kerr says the coaching staff defers to in all situations.
“I had hip surgery a few years back, and there’s a level of communication, there’s a humanity piece he brings to the table,” guard Pat Spencer said. “I think you see guys turn against an organization that they feel like maybe they’re targeting them, and want them to play. There’s just an open communication with Rick, that everybody, all parties, know where they stand.”
Nowhere are those people skills more evident than in Celebrini’s relationship with Steph Curry, which has been characterized by Kerr as more of a collaboration than anything else.
“Working with Rick and the team has been great,” Curry said last weekend before returning to game action on Easter night against Houston.
Celebrini works with Stephen Curry during a playoff practice in Houston in 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Ahead of that 2022 title, Curry had another injury return guided by Celebrini: He missed the final month of the season with a foot sprain and came off the bench to begin the playoffs, ramping up over the course of the Warriors’ first-round series against Denver.
Not one to take credit for medical successes, Celebrini emphasized that the trust Curry has in him is as much a product of time as it is any special method the training staff might employ.
“With Steph, we’ve had the great fortune of getting to know each other over the last eight years, and so there’s an element of trust,” Celebrini said. “We are familiar with each other; we’ve been down this road before.”
So how does Celebrini get new guys like Porzingis or Horford to enjoy that level of comfort with him and his medical staff? Celebrini says each player comes with a unique plan.
“That comes with talking and listening, probably more listening,” Celebrini said, “and trying to understand who they are, and being able to explain so they have a good understanding of what lies ahead.”
Celebrini also emphasized that he was far from a one-man operation in Golden State. Drew Yoder and Kyle Barbour are just two of the medical trainers he credits for working tirelessly to keep players in top physical condition.
“Just (with) probably being the accountable one, perhaps my name is mentioned more, but the reality is all the team members have similar relationships and trust and interactions with the players,” Celebrini said.
Golden State Warriors Dr. Rick Celebrini, Director of Sports Medicine and Performance, talks to Golden State Warriors’ Kristaps Porzingis (7) before the strat of the fourth quarter of an NBA game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Regardless of which player is paired up with which staffer, Celebrini stressed that there are a few steady principles. “The human body hasn’t changed” since he began working in medicine, regardless of health trends and fads.
“There’s so many technologies and ways to convince athletes and medical people that there’s a quick and easy out, and you don’t have to work hard, and you can get back faster if you take this supplement,” Celebrini said.
While Celebrini and the Warriors are constantly looking to stay current in the ever-evolving field of medicine, he wants to make sure that his foundation is rooted in the people skills he developed decades ago.
“They all come with different experiences, personalities, biases and experiences,” Celebrini said. “So it’s about understanding where they’re at.”
Golden State Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini looks on during the second quarter of an NBA game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)