A small team with no championships located in Philadelphia, to one the most dominant, resilient, and explosive teams to ever exist in the National Basketball Association. Many people have heard of the Golden State Warriors but often do not know the full history behind this famous and respected basketball team.
The dynasty began in 1946 in Philadelphia, known then as the “Philadelphia Warriors.” They inherited their name from a no longer existent team that played in the early nineteenth century. The old “Philadelphia Warriors” played against 11 teams in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) before the NBA was founded there.
After 25 years in Philadelphia, the Warriors decided to move to Oakland, where they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors. Oakland brought the Warriors victory in many championships. Their first NBA championship was in 1975, after they won against the Washington Bullets. During this time period, the Golden State Warriors were considered underdogs. Many people did not believe the team would sweep the Washington Bullets 3-0. A member that played a key role in this victory was Rick Barry. He helped the team bounce back after many points scored by the opposing team.
After this win, the Warriors faced many challenges and tough seasons. The team barely made any playoff appearances since a great number of their crucial players had retired or had been traded to another team. But hope for the team was still there. Fortunately, the Warriors fan base never gave up on supporting the team, wishing for even one more NBA championship.
In 2009, the Golden State Warriors drafted a young rookie by the name of Stephen Curry. It appeared as though he would not contribute to the team much since he faced many injuries to his left ankle. Due to this, the Warriors organization wanted to trade the player for a more dominant individual, such as Andrew Bogut, who was on the Milwaukee Bucks at the time. Fortunately, the Milwaukee Bucks did not want a player who sprained their ankle; instead, they were intrigued by other players on the Warriors. This left the Warriors no choice but to keep the young Curry.
In the 2014-2015 season, it seemed the Warriors had assembled a championship team including major players such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Harrison Barnes. The coach was, and still is, Steve Kerr (a five-time NBA champion). That year, the Warriors won an NBA championship after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers. Slowly, but surely, the Golden State Warriors dynasty began to form.
Arguably, many people still consider the GSW 2015-2016 roster to be one of the best NBA teams to ever touch a court. The team had broken an impossible record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls, finishing their season with 73 wins and nine losses. The team once again entered the championships against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a talented, competitive, and determined team, and came out victorious.
After this harsh loss against the Cavaliers, the Warriors signed a highly talented player named Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson had carried the team to the NBA finals once again. This time, the team, with the help of all these young superstars, was able to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers. The highly ranked roster seemed unstoppable.
The team’s strategic skills, high-scoring plays, and consistency was able to bring them right back into the 2018-2019 championships against the Toronto Raptors. Unluckily, the Golden State Warriors had lost the finals after Stephen Curry missed an important three-pointer.
Kevin Durant had left for the Brooklyn Nets, Klay Thompson suffered a long healing injury. It seemed as if the unstoppable team had finally been stopped after dominating the league by winning three NBA championships and appearing in five finals.
Seasons went on as the Warriors fell deeper into their struggles. Key players had gotten injured, traded, or retired. The team had fallen into the same difficult situation they used to face. Yet, these struggles did not stop them. They rebuilt the roster and defeated the Boston Celtics in 2022 with the help of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole (a young rookie), Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Andrew Wiggins. This win meant a lot for Stephen Curry, knowing the challenges, struggles, and difficulties the organization faced in those years.
Today, the Golden State Warriors are known as a famous worldwide team that have appeared in 11 NBA finals, winning seven of them. The organization is known for its inspiration, struggles, and challenging moments, which they faced in order to be successful today.
