Stephen Curry bought a home in Weddington, North Carolina, which is near Charlotte, and continues to rent in San Francisco.

"Of course I'd like to play here - it's home and I know a lot of people. But that doesn't mean I'm trying to get out of Golden State,'' Curry said Thursday in a wide-ranging interview with the Observer.

"There's no reason I would not want to play in Charlotte. Maybe the pressure of being around family all the time would affect some people, but I wouldn't be opposed to any of that.''

Curry said he's excited about the Warriors' recent change in ownership and new coach Mark Jackson.

"I think the Warriors are headed in a good direction, and I want to be a part of that,'' Curry said.

Curry wrote on Twitter to clarify the comments he made to the Charlotte Observer.

"I'm #GSW for life and ready for the long haul," wrote Curry. "Just answering a question about the pressure of family in my hometown."

The Golden State Warriors have named Rick Welts as the team’s new President and Chief Operating Officer, it was announced this evening.  Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Welts, 58, will oversee all business-related operations for the Warriors and will report directly to the organization’s Co-Managing Partners, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber.  He joins the Warriors following a nine-year stint with the Phoenix Suns where he served the organization as President and Chief Executive Officer for the last two seasons.  He resigned on September 9.  

“Peter Guber and I have made it quite clear since we assumed control of this team in November that we’re looking to build a world class organization from top to bottom,” said Lacob.  “We feel that we’ve taken a quantum leap in that direction today with the addition of Rick Welts as our President and COO.  Rick is simply one of the most highly-regarded executives in the NBA and his accomplishments at both the team and league levels are extremely impressive.  He’s been an integral part of every organization that he’s worked for in the NBA, including the league office in New York, where he earned the respect and admiration of David Stern, as well as with the SuperSonics in Seattle and the Suns in Phoenix.  His track record in all facets of the business – sponsorship, marketing, public relations, event management, team services, merchandising – and his ability to be strategically creative and cutting-edge make him the ideal candidate to lead our organization.  Quite honestly, I’m convinced that we could not have found a better candidate for the job.”

The Golden State Warriors will retire Chris Mullin’s jersey, #17, in a special ceremony on January 20, 2012, when the team plays host to the Indiana Pacers at Oracle Arena, it was announced on Wednesday evening.  Plans to retire Mullin’s jersey were first made public tonight by Owner Joe Lacob, who broke the news to a crowd of the team’s Season Ticket Holders.
 
“We are looking forward to adding another former Warriors’ icon, Chris Mullin, to our exclusive list of players who have had their number retired,” said Lacob.  “Our history has been dotted with many terrific players who have had an incredible impact on our franchise over the years and Chris certainly falls into this prestigious category.  His contributions to this organization – both on the floor and in the community – are quite impressive and have certainly made him one of the most beloved figures in Bay Area sports history.   His recent Hall of Fame induction solidified his role as one of the greatest players in the history of the game on a global scale and we hope that this deserving honor on January 20th will help ensure that his many outstanding accomplishments are never forgotten here at home.”
                   
The jersey retirement serves as just the latest honor celebrating Mullin’s illustrious NBA career, as the Brooklyn, NY, native was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 12, 2011.

Former No. 1 overall pick Joe Barry Carroll and attorney Joseph Shaw say they were humiliated when a security guard escorted them from the Tavern at Phipps in Atlanta when they refused to give up their seats to a couple of white women, an action they say was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against blacks.

"You're probably thinking: Two black gentlemen go to a bar -- this is a joke," Jeffrey Bramlett, an attorney for the men, told the jury during opening arguments. "But it's no joke. The evidence will show a serious civil rights violation."

The restaurant's lawyers said the men were asked to give up their seats as part of a long-standing "good manners" practice that's been in place at the restaurant for 20 years. Attorney David Long-Daniels said thousands of men have complied with those rules, from stars like Michael Jordan to the other men at the bar the night of the incident.

"Chivalry is not dead," he said. "And it's not a civil rights violation to give up your seat to a woman."

Kirk Lacob, director of basketball operations for the Warriors, has been named general manager of the Dakota Wizards.

The Warriors own the Wizards of the D-League.

Kirk Lacob is the 23-year-old son of co-owner Joe Lacob.

Kirk Lacob brought basketball and statistical smarts with out-of-the-box thinking to the Warriors' front office, according to team sources.

The Dakota Wizards, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, will hold an Open Tryout for the upcoming 2011-12 season on Saturday, October 15, at Dream Courts in Hayward, CA, it was announced today. The tryouts are scheduled to run from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m.

The participation fee to secure a spot in the tryouts is $125 if paid by September 23, and increases to $150 for applications submitted after September 23 and for walkups.

“These are the opportunities that make dreams come true,” said Jim Weyermann, President of the Dakota Wizards. “I have personally watched young players enter the various developmental leagues in basketball/baseball and end up playing for a Championship. You simply never know what you will find in an open tryout situation.”

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Mark Jackson talked about his coaching philosophy. Jackson has no previous coaching experience, but was hired by the Warriors in June.

"When you're talking about coaching, you're talking about someone who has a responsibility to impact players on the floor. But I truly believe that you're also talking about someone who has the responsibility to impact players off the floor."

Golden State had previously interviewed for positions with the Knicks, Bulls, Hawks, Grizzlies and Wolves.

"I look at the talent, the upside, the draft, the coaching staff and the culture change," Jackson said. "I am not a guy who would say, 'We're going to playoffs' because it's a great headline. That's not me. In fact, people were shocked that I said only that, because that's not all I believe.

"I've been a winner all of my life, and I truly believe that great things are about to happen."