An angry Golden State Warriors fan decided to take his frustrations straight to the top, and to his surprise, the team’s owner actually wrote back.
Like many Warriors supporters, 27-year-old Justin Dutari was fed up after Golden State’s 136–131 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last Sunday. Despite Stephen Curry pouring in 48 points in just his second game back from injury, the Warriors still came up short, dropping to 13–14 on the season and extending a run of close, frustrating losses.
Feeling fed up, Dutari emailed Warriors owner Joe Lacob to vent. In the message, he questioned how much more Curry could reasonably be expected to do and pointed to roster construction issues as a major problem. He argued the team lacks a true second scoring option, claimed Jimmy Butler’s skill set is being misused due to lineup constraints, and criticized the absence of a legitimate center.
“I am so frustrated,” Dutari wrote in the email, which he signed with his first name. What Dutari didn’t expect was a response, let alone one that came just two minutes later.
Lacob replied candidly, acknowledging the fan’s frustration while making it clear that he shares it.
“You can’t be as frustrated as me,” Lacob wrote. He added that the situation is complex, pointing to factors such as style of play, coaching preferences, and league-wide trends, while emphasizing that “Jimmy is not the problem.”
Dutari later shared the email exchange on Reddit, where it quickly went viral among NBA fans. The authenticity of Lacob’s response was later confirmed by Warriors spokesperson Raymond Ridder, lending credibility to the rare glimpse into direct fan-owner communication.
The loss to Portland also sparked self-reflection from head coach Steve Kerr, who took responsibility for the team’s struggles. Kerr pointed to turnovers and late-game execution as recurring issues, admitting he hasn’t done a good enough job this season despite believing the roster is capable of better results. Golden State will have an opportunity to turn things around when it faces the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.