SAN FRANCISCO - Among the stars the Golden State Warriors are credited with developing, hockey player Maclin Celebrini may turn out to be one of the most talented players of them all.
The son of Golden State vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini, the 19-year-old Maclin has achieved superstar status in the NHL for the revamped San Jose Sharks and Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. This is a miraculous achievement that not only has the hockey world excited, but the entire Warriors organization is also cheering him on.
Before Celebrini and Team Canada's highly anticipated gold medal match with Team USA, Dubs coach Steve Kerr spoke at length about the kid's inner excitement as he watched him shoot hoops after practice with his dad and some of the players.
"It's been a lot of fun," Kerr said. "Yesterday, in the film session, half our team was watching the last two minutes of the game, because it was 2-2. It was 10 o'clock, and we had to start the film, and we were like, 'No, we're gonna see what happens.'"
What happened was that Canada was leading Finland in the final minutes of the third period, and Celebrini finished with a team-high 25:53 TOI – an incredible feat for a young player.
But before becoming the youngest NHL player on Canada's men's Olympic team, Celebrini was on the hardwood when he wasn't training on the ice. Kerr recounted several occasions when Maclin and his brothers would play 2-on-2 full court at the Dubs facilities after practice. You read that right, 2-on-2, full courtWith his mother, Robin, jumping as the fourth player to do the same split.
“You want to see an athletic family working out,” Kerr said with a laugh. "That's one of the fun parts of the job, seeing the families be a part of it...it's one of the best parts of the job. When we finish the game, every game, win or lose, we open the doors to the family room, and the kids come in in droves, and it's awesome.
"I sit in my office, I have a beer, and I look down, and I see these little pickup games happening with our players' kids and the coaches' kids. People are running around and players are coming out, hugging their kids like it's a special profession, you know, being able to share that with their kids and they have, you know, memories to last a lifetime, but also good perspective for everybody."
Whether Kerr and the Warriors saw early signs of what Celebrity would become is debatable. For Moses Moody, who recalled the time the two spent over the summer rehabilitating their personal injuries, he always knew Celebrini was destined for greatness.
"You know that trend that was going on with LeBron? Telling how he knew from the beginning?" Moody smiled. "Yeah, when I first came here, I saw him and he had that look in his eyes! And I said he's going to do that—no, I'm kidding."
Although Moody may not have the vision that LeBron James has when it comes to Maclin, he is quickly making an impact on his youngest brother, RJ.
"Actually, his younger brother, the youngest brother. I talked to him for a while, and really, he has this quiet confidence and competitiveness, composure. I'm saying it already. I see something; got a look in his eyes. But even in Mac - he's got that quiet confidence... Being around him, he doesn't overdo it. But you can tell he's working. He's precise in conversation, you can just tell when someone is a thinker, More of a talkative type of person.”
In that vein, Kerr compared Celebrini's maturity and leadership to that of another superstar—Stephen Curry. Kerr described intangible things you can't teach. There's no limit to where those traits can take him. But if you ask Gary Payton II, he believes Celebrini can enshrine his name among the greats.
"I think he's eventually going to be one of them when it's all said and done, like Wayne, Sid, Alex, Mac," Payton said. “It's exciting to see it from the beginning. [We'll] Let's see where it goes, and it's going very, very well right now... I'm definitely supporting Mac."
Even with the incredible opportunity to be with Team USA tomorrow on the global stage, Celebrini is just getting started. But for a Warriors organization that saw one of their own truly develop into the star everyone looks up to today, that's a special, special thing.
"Everyone is busy, especially the people who have been here a while, who know Rick and Macklin and the family very well," Kerr said. "So it's been great to see it all develop. And to see the pride in Rick's eyes and hear it in his voice, it's amazing."
