How Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski ‘tunes out’ the outside noise

Story by

Story by
How Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski ‘tunes out’ the outside noise

Kenzo Fukuda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Mar 28, 2026 ·

5 min read

About Our Ads

How Warriors' Brandin Podziemski 'tunes out' the outside noise appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

SAN FRANCISCO– Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski hears all the outside noise. He sees the slander on social media. He knows there's a good portion of the fanbase highly critical of his every step and he is aware that his past statements have ruffled some feathers.

And while it's the kind of noise no NBA player wants to hear about themself, Podziemski is doing his best not to let it affect his game. After the Warriors' 131-126 win over the tanking Washington Wizards , Podziemski addressed the outside noise when asked about the vitriol surrounding him on social media.

"Yeah, I see it," Podziemski said. "A lot of the things I said, I probably shouldn't have said it. Because it can be skewed a certain way. But I understand where I'm at. A lot of it is [self-inflicted], but all I can do is look forward and give my all every night."

It's no secret Podziemski has faced heavy criticism from fans all season long. On X accounts dedicated to spreading vitriol like @HaterReport or @BrickCenter, you'll see numerous videos and posts stitching together Podziemski's lowlights, followed by a mountain of comments dunking on his play.

But there's a pretty big disconnect between the vitriol and Podziemski's actual play. In the 19 games since the All-Star break, Podziemski has averaged 16.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He's had seven 20-point games this year, the same number as guys like James Harden , Austin Reaves , and Desmond Bane .

Contextualizing Brandin Podziemski 's past comments

Still, most of the hatred stems more from what Podziemski has said, rather than what he's done.

One of the main comments Podziemski referred to is his "I want to be better" than Stephen Curry quote, the one that's been repeated on social media to malign his shortcomings or critique his arrogance. A quote that ruffled feathers within the Warriors organization and put a target on Podziemski's back from the get-go.

But while it's not a great quote to have on your rap sheet, in some ways it's also been miscontextualized. This is the full quote of Podziemski's Curry comments on media day back in October:

"To be honest, not everybody wants to be as great as Steph Curry," Podziemski said when talking about the greatness of Curry entering his 17th season. "Some people say it, but not everybody wants to. So it's– how can you find that balance of what you want to do, and be as great as you can be?"

Podziemski was then asked directly, Do you want to be as great as Steph Curry? At which point he answered:

"I want to be better than him," Podziemski said. "I think that's a tall task, but I want to maximize my talent in the league and get as much out of it as I can."

Podziemski's point seemed to be– I want to strive to be better than Curry so I can get the most out of my talent, even if that's impossible. But it was taken as– I can be better than the greatest shooter of all time. Hence the subsequent firestorm.

How Brandin Podziemski ignores the haters

These were the comments Podziemski addressed earlier this week on 95.7 The Game radio. At the time, he said something pretty similar to what he said after the Wizards game.

"I think I could've worded them a little bit differently," Podziemski said. "But I also think how it's perceived on the internet is taken a little bit out of context. You guys said your biggest strength is your biggest weakness. And I think [my confidence] has got me to this point."

To Podziemski's point, confidence is a must-have to make it in the NBA. And to his maturity, Podziemski is taking accountability for the trouble he's brought on himself.

As for how he keeps the outside noise from affecting his game, Podziemski keeps his attention on what's in front of him.

"I really just try to tune it out when I'm between the four lines," Podziemski said. "I'm not going to think about what someone says about me on the internet. So every day, just coming with a clear head, be happy, be blessed. I'm here. And so that's my perspective."

"I've had a little ups and downs [this season]. I think as of late, I have been able to find a good rhythm [and] understand what's being asked of me every night. And I just kind of try to follow through with that and let the results fall where they may."

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: