The beauty of basketball lies in watching how the best teams come together. Even the best player is no one without the right teammates. That’s why general managers are constantly making changes to hit the jackpot and create a team that will be legendary.
It took a long time from the years in which Wilt Chamberlain wore a Warriors jersey to create something so lethal that it could shake up the whole NBA and change the game of basketball even more. But with a lot of effort and a little bit of faith, the Golden State Warriors became a ruling dynasty and true kings of the modern NBA.
Philadelphia Warriors – History
Before World War II, there were efforts to make basketball a national American sport. Philadelphia was represented in the American Basketball League by the Philadelphia Warriors. As the world shut down overwhelmed by the surrounding terror, the thoughts of playing basketball professionally went into oblivion.
But then, in 1946 someone decided to honor their legacy. This, someone, was Peter Tyrell, who named a new basketball team Warriors in honor of the original one. He hired Eddie Gottlieb as a head coach and together they went on a lookout for talent. They found Joe Fulks, a future NBA legend, who became the first league’s scoring champion. Philadelphia Warriors won the first BAA Championships, which are recognized by the NBA as their own.
Wilt Chamberlain
The team was good at picking their star players from the start. In 1959 the Philadelphia Warriors drafted Wilt Chamberlain, who turned out to be one of the best players of all time. During his run with the Warriors, Wilt started to set new records with crazy numbers, showing to the public that basketball can be exciting. The most legendary moment was when Wilt single-handedly scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks, on March 2, 1962. To this day no one can surpass this incredible number.
San Francisco Warriors
In 1962 the team was bought out by Franklin Mieuli and relocated to San Francisco in California. The team accordingly changed its name and they started to play their home games just outside of the city, at the Cow Palace, later relocating to the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. Sometimes they were banished to close cities, like San Jose or Oakland, or to the gymnasium of the University of San Francisco.
The radical change brought bad luck to the team. At first, the management tried to make Wilt Chamberlain more effective and drafted Nate Thurmond to pair up with Chamberlain. The San Francisco Warriors won the Western Division Contest and went to the NBA finals to battle the dynastic Boston Celtics. They lost the finals and in 1965 Wilt Chamberlain went back to Philadelphia as a trade for three players.
Nate Thurmond and Rick Barry
As said before, the management of the Warriors had an eye for talent. In 1965 the team signed draft pick Rick Barry who went on to become a Rookie of the Year. In the 1967 NBA Finals, the San Francisco Warriors faced the Philadelphia 76ers led by Chamberlain and lost the championship four to two. Promising player Rick Barry decided to sit out the next season, as he felt he wasn’t paid what he was promised. This protest wasn’t enough to get a reaction and Barry left the team to play for the league’s competition, American Basketball Association.
Thurmond was a great player but he couldn’t lead the team all by himself and the Warriors were out of the competition. The team struggled and they moved to Oakland full time. They couldn’t call themselves San Francisco Warriors anymore.
Golden State Warriors
Many people ask where the Golden State is. The answer is simple, the Golden State is where the winners are. After fully leaving San Francisco, the team changed its name to Golden State Warriors. A new name had a positive impact on the team as they started to make regular playoff appearances.
In the 1974-75 season, they won their first NBA championship since the Philadelphia times. Coached by Al Attles, they absolutely destroyed Washington Bullets 4 to zero thanks to the incredible performance of Jamaal Wilkes and Rick Barry. Barry, the prodigal son who returned, was named NBA Finals MVP. Next season the Warriors went into the playoffs with a 59-23 record but they lost the Western Conference Finals to the Phoenix Suns.
It was Sunnier in Philadelphia
In the 60s and 70s, the Warriors were one of the NBA’s most dominant teams but their spell ended in 1978. The star players, Nate Thurmond, Rick Barry, and Jamaal Wilkes left the team one way or another and proper replacement for them didn’t exist. They managed to have their hand on Robert Parish for a few years, but the talented center was traded to the Boston Celtics in 1980.
It seemed like a pattern, the management signed promising players and let go of them just for the players to find success somewhere else. Head coach Attles became a general manager in 1980 and the team was on the lookout for a new coach. The sudden changes were reflected in poor performances and the team couldn’t find its pace for a long time.
It was like the Warriors hit rock bottom. They managed to bounce back in 1985 when they drafted Chris Mullin and complimented him with a new, respected coach, George Karl just in the next year. The executive decisions made by the new owners, Jim Fitzgerald and Dan Finane provided the team with tools to repair what has been broken.
Run TMC
In 1987 the refurbished Golden State Warriors battled Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. Both sides gave an incredible spectacle, but the most memorable was the one by Sleepy Floyd, who made the playoff record, scoring 29 points in a quarter for the Warriors. Going up to 51, Floyd secured the win for the Warriors. The event consequently brought more viewers and fans to the Golden State franchise which filled the hearts of players with a passion for winning.
A new coach, Don Nelson, had his hand in creating a lethal trio, called “Run TMC” after the music band “Run DMC”. Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin were definitely tricky the two seasons they played together.
The 1993-94 Golden State Warriors again made the right draft pick, choosing Chris Webber. Webber became Rookie of the Year and the Warriors made the playoffs. Unfortunately, Chris Webber and his teammate, Latrell Sprewell, didn’t get along with the head coach. Upon constant disagreements, all three of them left the franchise. The Warriors were sold to Chris Cohan and Chris Mullin was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
Years of Conflicts
In 1997 the tensions were growing and the center of it was Latrell Sprewell, who came back to the team. After a new coach, P.J. Carlesimo tried to motivate Sprewell to work harder, the player exploded and attacked the coach. He threatened to kill him and tried to choke P.J.
After the incident, he took his arm up again. He was suspended without pay for 10 games. Sprewell was removed from the Golden State Warriors roster permanently but only after the media started to publicize the event. General manager Garry St. Jean said that there is no going back for Sprewell.
After that statement, Garry might seem like a reasonable person but the truth is, he made a lot of unforgivable mistakes. He should’ve fired Sprewell when he heard of his first aggression outbursts but he ignored all of the red flags. He also wasn’t the best in drafting players, as he passed on Kobe Bryant and took Tod Fuller instead. It wasn’t surprising that the Warriors recorded 12 years without going to the playoffs.
We Believe
The team made further improvements, such as bringing back coach Don Nelson. The Warriors faced early difficulties but managed to win 16 of 21 games in the second half of the season. The song “We Believe” became a local battle cry as the Warriors fans started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. For about two months the crowds filled up the Oracle Arena, cheering for their team like never before in NBA history. Sadly, the Warriors lost to the Utah Jazz in the second round of the playoffs.
Opening the 2007-08 season Warriors’ performance suffered significantly because their star player Jason Richardson was traded for rookie Brandan Wright. Stephen Jackson, one of the original starters, missed games because of his legal troubles. The Warriors still did pretty well, supported by their fans and selling out all of the seats at Oracle. But this season was incredibly strong for other Western Conference teams and the Warriors didn’t qualify despite having a 48-34 record.
The next season wasn’t as successful and dark clouds hung over the franchise once again. Injuries were extremely prevalent and starting lineups weren’t certain, which affected inconsistent performances.
Stephen Curry
As the management changed again, the scouting for talent started. And this time, Larry Riley, former assistant coach, didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. He drafted future superstar point guard, Stephen Curry, which was probably the best decision that the Warriors made in franchise history.
Stephen Curry almost won the Rookie of The Year Award but wasn’t given many opportunities to show off at first. A few seasons passed, continuing the drought, but the Warriors slowly started to go in the right direction. Coach Don Nelson announced his retirement from coaching in 2010 and was replaced by former assistant coach Keith Smart.
After the season, Curry received the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award. In 2011 Klay Thompson was drafted, in 2012 the team added Draymond Green. In April 2011, after the franchise changed owners, Coach Smart was let go and replaced by Mark Jackson.
As a head coach, Mark Jackson couldn’t get his way. The Warriors were plagued by injuries that resulted in absolute chaos and often change in the lineup. Stephen Curry, the rising star, injured his ankle which limited him to only 26 games of the 2011-12 regular season.
The 2012-13 season started promising despite earlier mentioned obstacles. The team decided to give Curry a four-year rookie scale contract for 44 million dollars. This decision was heavily criticized by the experts, because of Curry’s injuries but turned out to be a great move for the Warriors.
We Belong
The Golden State Warriors made their second playoff appearance in nineteen years. They were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs but the brilliance of the young players shined through the failure. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were nicknamed “The Splash Brothers” to highlight the chemistry of this duo.
The 2013-14 season was graced by the presence of Andre Iguodala. Iguodala helped the team to go on a 10 games winning streak, despite his earlier injury. Curry and Klay Thompson kept breaking league records in three-point shooting. Curry, who ended the year with 533 three-pointers, established a career-high for most threes in two years.
The Golden State Warriors Dynasty
Despite the team wanting to keep Mark Jackson, the coach was swapped for Steve Kerr, a former player, who excelled at three-pointers during his career.
The 2014-15 regular season finished with 67-15, setting the Warriors franchise record. The team was going strong, both offensively and defensively, finishing as the second-best offensive team and the best defensive team.
Stephen Curry became this season’s Most Valuable Player, as the first Warrior since Wilt Chamberlain. He also broke his own record of three-pointers made in one season with 286. Klay Thompson made 37 points in one quarter, setting a new record for the NBA.
NBA Finals
The Golden State Warriors got into the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. They battled the Cleveland Cavaliers and when the score was 2-1 for the opponent, Kerr decided to give Adre Iguodala a chance in the starting roster, creating a Death Lineup.
The Warriors destroyed the Cavaliers in six games and Iguodala became NBA Finals MVP. This NBA Finals sweep started the Golden State Warriors dynasty as they made five consecutive finals appearances in the following years.
Breaking Records
The Warriors started the 2015–2016 regular season by going undefeated in their first 24 games, breaking the previous best start record set by the 1948–1949 Washington Capitals. By the end of the season, they broke another one, finishing with 73-9, the most wins in league history. Stephen Curry received the MVP honors for the second consecutive year and was named to the All-Star Team along with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
The NBA Finals ended up being a rematch between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite getting all the records and having the best season in NBA history, the Warriors bowed down to the Cavs, who made an incredible comeback after losing three first games.
But the victory road wasn’t over. In 2016 Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant, who became the fourth All-Star on the team. It was obvious that the Warriors would win the 2017 NBA Finals and they did just that.
After setting an NBA playoff record with a 12-0 starting streak, the Warriors matched up against the Cavaliers once again. This time the Golden State Warriors won 4-1. They clinched the title, and again in 2018, they faced the Cavaliers, this time winning the second straight NBA championship with a 4-0 record.
The Championship winning streak was stopped by the Toronto Raptors in 2019. This loss brought bad luck for the team and soon the injuries started to destroy the dynastic team from inside.
Durant’s Departure
The Golden State Warriors moved back from Oakland to San Francisco, upon building a new stadium. Chase Center was to be their home for the future NBA seasons. There were considerations of going back to the old franchise name, San Francisco Warriors, but ultimately the team stayed with their current name.
In 2019 Kevin Durant was injured and signed to the Brooklyn Nets. His medical trouble was followed by Curry’s and Thompson’s injuries that left the team without their star players. The Warriors missed the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.
Bouncing Back And Winning Again
Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s injury led to a dark time for the Golden State Warriors. They missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and some argued they were never going to get back to the top.
Then, Jordan Poole’s breakout and Klay Thompson’s return proved to be what the Dubs needed to get the ship afloat again. They had one of their best seasons in the Steve Kerr era and proved to be tailor-made for the postseason once the playoffs started.
Led by Stephen Curry again, the Warriors got past Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies, and Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. Then, they squared off against the no. 1 ranked defense in the Association in the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors fell to a 2-1 deficit in the Finals and then rallied with three straight wins, including a 43-point explosion by Curry in Game 4. They went on to win the title in six games with Steph earning Finals MVP honors and they proving that the dynasty was still alive and well.
Conclusion
Together with the Chicago Bulls, the Golden State Warriors have the third most NBA championships. They dominated the NBA during their peak and changed the way that three-point game was looked at. Right now, their main strength is in Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The 2021-22 regular season started very promisingly for the Warriors and we have to hold our breath and hope for the best.
Who is the best Golden State Warriors player?
ESPN’s top 100 players in the NBA heavily feature the Golden State Warriors, with five out of their eleven total picks being Warrior members. Of these five fantastic athletes, Steph Curry- two-time MVP, three-time NBA champion, and greatest shooter in history- takes fifth place overall.
How many world championships have the Golden State Warriors won?
So far, the Warriors have won six NBA championships and one Basketball Association of America (BAA) title.
