How The Golden State Warriors Built a Dynasty

steph curry is the best player in the world this brother is on another level kevin durant steph curry clay thompson draymond green these finals are about golden state being the best team in the history of basketball four years 44 million that's essentially 11 million a year for a guy with no ankles that's a horrible contract [Music] he's got it his three [Applause] [Music] the golden state warriors journey from being a bottom feeder franchise to a dynasty is one of the most incredible in sports how they managed to save their team from almost drowning in the waters of mediocrity is a story unlike any other they didn't luck into the number one pick and hope that a big name would carry them into relevance no the warriors slowly brought in more and more pieces over the years with savvy draft decisions and clever free agent signings the franchise went from one that appeared to be dead in the water with no future to one in the upper echelon of the basketball world in 2009 they took a chance on davidson sharpshooter steph curry a pick that was met with question marks at the time klay thompson didn't fall into their lap either he was picked 11th overall and was also seen as a risk the warriors two lottery picks were both reliant on shooting a concept that hadn't been fully grasped by nba offenses just yet at one point in 2012 they had to choose between monte ellis or steph curry to build a round and they came very close to getting rid of number 30. steph curry wasn't always looked at as a future mvp in fact there were plenty of critics who believed he never reaches potential due to ankle injuries draymond green was no easy selection either 34 players were picked over him in the 2012 draft firing mark jackson in favor for steve kerr was viewed with skepticism as well as some fans felt jackson wasn't given enough time it's easy for any spectator to glance at the warriors dynasty and overlook how improbable building this team was but the reality is that there were many difficult decisions that were made along the way trying to replicate the warriors core that won them multiple championships is an impossible task so how did they do it how did they grow the big three of steph curry clay thompson and draymond green in the first place how did a 73 win team in 2016 then position themselves to sign a superstar in kevin durant what choices were made that helped them grow into the eventual nba kingdom that reigned supreme over the basketball world with an iron fist this is how the golden state warriors went from a franchise with no future to an nba [Music] dynasty uh [Music] [Music] the first chapter to this story begins towards the end of the 2008-2009 season where the warriors finished with 29 wins the team was two seasons removed from their we believe playoff run where golden state as the eighth seed beat the 67 win mavericks in six games by far the most success they had achieved in years and one of the most memorable runs in warriors history a performance like this in 2007 made the fans in oakland hungry for success but two years later in 2009 the optimism had faded golden state didn't have a star player just a bunch of role players and young guys one of those young guys was monte ellis a 23 year old scorer who was in the midst of averaging 19 a game for the foreseeable future it would be ellis who would be the number one option but his scoring didn't lead to wins they finished the second half of the season losing 18 of 28 finishing with 29 wins total not good enough to earn the number one pick and definitely not good enough to make the playoffs the warriors were stuck in mediocrity the 2009 draft lottery saw them earn the seventh pick with many options at that spot some mockboards had them choosing james harden jordan hill or even ty lawson the warriors said no to all of them and instead selected davidson guard stephen curry infamously booze rained down not from warriors fans but from knicks fans who also wanted to choose the guard at the eighth pick it didn't matter the warriors had their guy a six foot three point guard from a little-known college curry had potential but also had a low floor his offensive game relied on shooting the three ball when point guards to that point had been focused on playmaking some believe steph wasn't even fit to be a point guard many believing he'd be better suited at the shooting guard spot nbadraft.net claimed he was a poor finisher around the hoop and that his shot selection had to improve at the next level despite these various remarks the warriors were confident that a backcourt of monte ellis and steph curry would bring success monte however wasn't pleased with this pick ellis said that he couldn't play with the rookie there were already plenty of concerns surrounding number 30 but steph simply put his head down and went to work he knew what he was capable of the 2009-2010 season for golden state was filled with excitement regarding their newly formed duo and curry immediately showed his potential on opening night against the rockets he scored 14 points on 7 of 12 shooting with flashy dimes and smooth jump shots unfortunately for golden state the season wasn't meeting the expectations they had hoped for they were 14 and 37 at the all-star break steph had been up and down instead all the attention went to the player wearing number eight monte ellis averaged a career-high 25 points per game a star shooting guard and the unequivocal number one option during this time while the team was struggling a young curry tweeted out to warriors fans all across the globe telling them that they would figure it out post all-star break the warriors won 12 out of 31 a slight improvement that was led by none other than curry himself in the final game of the season against the blazers curry exploded for 42 points with four threes by far the most impressive game of his young career him and ellis combined for 76 total curry completed his rookie campaign with averages of 17 points on six assists shooting 43 percent from three these numbers earned him a first-team all-rookie appearance as well as the runner-up for the rookie of the year award a solid ending to an up and down year this finish left warriors fans feeling confident that their future was in good hands golden state ended with 26 wins and the warriors chose zepe judah with the sixth pick in the 2010 draft yudo was a 23 year old big man with a shot blocking ability unlike any other don nelson the head coach since 2006 was fired in favor of assisting coach keith smart in other news a july 2010 trade to acquire david lee also caught some attention lee was coming off an all-star season the biggest news didn't come from roster decisions though rather the purchasing of a franchise joe lake up and peter goober both bought the warriors for 450 million dollars in july of 2010 the hope was that a new ownership could spice things up in the bay the warriors were set with fresh names and exciting young talent the expectations were higher than usual the 2010-2011 warriors won 36 games with monte tyrell wright and david lee taking control ellis continued his high level scoring putting up 24 as leon wright put up 16 each epee udo the sixth pick was quiet but he did show flashes with his high flying blocks steph curry's offense also took a leap he shot 93 percent from the line and averaged 18 his field goal percentage and three point percentage both already elite continue to rise up the ranks up to this point curry was an exciting prospect with tantalizing potential but there were still question marks surrounding his game could he improve his defense enough to the point where he wouldn't be a liability could his finishing and play making evolve and most importantly could his ankle stay healthy that's right throughout the regular season steph suffered minor ankle injuries that would add up to the point of needing surgery in the 2011 offseason not the most alarming problem in the world just yet and fans hoped that these issues would subside with time the warriors went from 26 and 29 at the all-star break to 36 and 46 by the end of the season thus dropping any chances of a playoff appearance this disappointing ending brought the firing of rookie head coach keith smart golden state certainly had some exciting pieces but they still lacked the firepower to make the playoffs new additions were needed the 2011 draft was the perfect opportunity to add another piece to the young core and with the 11th pick who the warriors would take was unclear should they take another big man like jonas valenciunis or pick a forward like hawaii leonard the warriors were intrigued by washington state shooting guard clay thompson and took a chance clay was selected number 11 overall when some mock drafts had him going as low as 17. thompson was an elite sharpshooter with the potential to become lethal as a perimeter defender however his cons as a player shined bright he couldn't dribble his finishing was suspect and he wasn't an elite athlete those criticisms all failed in comparison to the mightiest concern of all what were the warriors gonna do with all these guards monte ellis steph curry and clay thompson one was the new kid on the block and the other one from the remaining two had to go that was the mindset for some in the warrior fanbase and all these questions would be answered in the 2011-2012 season before that began though the now vacant head coaching spot needed a new name and mark jackson stepped up to the plate jackson didn't have much experience as a coach but he was a former point guard that had shown leadership capabilities as a player this upcoming season was set to be a huge one that could have massive effects on the development of the franchise and it was time to answer some questions the 2011-2012 season was shortened due to a lockout and the warriors fell below expectations the lack of depth became apparent as the season progressed and the stars struggled monte ellis's stats went from 24 points to 21 a game david lee was the second leading scorer at 20 a game and steph curry averaged 15. why out of the 66 games played that season curry had only played 26 his stats took a nosedive he went from 18 points a game to a measly 15 and attempted three less shots on average the once rosy future of number 30 had become dampened with rainy clouds so what was the cause of all this trouble ankle injuries were the key factor and steph had many of them by 2012 he had suffered 11 separate sprains of the ankle and they were beginning to add up if this pattern continued there was a real chance that the guard could never step foot on a basketball court again because of this tragedy the warriors began to wonder if they could ever rely on curry for the future the question of monte or steph began to rise up and there was a good amount of evidence that pointed in the direction of keeping ellis monte was just 25 years old a borderline all-star and had been relatively healthy throughout his career the warriors sided with monte and called up the milwaukee bucks offering stephen curry and a trade deal for andrew bogut shockingly the bucks declined they didn't want to take a chance on steph's injury history golden state responded by instead offering ellison the deal and the bucks agreed on march 13 2012 the golden state warriors traded monte ellis and eppe judo to the bucks for andrew bogut a trade that sent shockwaves through the basketball community waves that were overwhelmingly negative at that warriors fans were disgusted the team chose an injury-prone guard over an all-star level player and the owners heard the cries a month later on chris mullin's jersey retirement ceremony joe laca was booed and when you speak of warriors history there's no one as the greatest fans in the nba as everyone stated sometimes change is inevitable and it's going to work out just fine this was the turning point in the warriors franchise the front office had just taken a huge risk in choosing to build around curry and instead of being met with cheers they were met with anger andrew bogut was an injury-prone defensive center who wouldn't even suit up for the warriors until the following season and speaking of injury steph curry was shut down for the entirety of the 2012 season as well he needed ankle surgery a miserable year for the warriors and to many of the fans the direction the franchise was heading in was shaky at best little did they know the warriors were pointing in the best direction they had been in decades all thanks to a small seed that had been planted not too long ago in april 2012 bob myers was promoted to the general manager spot just a year prior he was hired as an assistant gm all it took was 12 months to earn the top job the 2012 draft was one of much importance for golden state and it began in the first round at the seventh pick harrison barnes was taken at that spot an athletic forward who would evolve into a key piece down the line for golden state festus azeali was chosen at number 30 who would also grow into a valuable backup center these picks may have taken the headlines but what was vastly more significant for the team was their second round pick at the 35th slot draymond green out of michigan was chosen green was an undersized defensive power forward who had been overlooked by many due to his limited sealing the warriors saw his potential and wasted no time in grabbing him the 2012 draft concluded with harrison barnes festus azilli and draymond green being added to the squad all three would go on to become noteworthy pieces the rest of the 2012 off-season saw them acquire carl landry and jared jack two solid role players around this time rumors of the warriors leaving oakland and building a new arena in san francisco began popping up the opinion surrounding this was split some believe the ownership was selling out others thought it could make the team more desirable for free agents no matter what the consensus thought was there was one common belief that resonated in the bay area the warriors needed to win the 2012-13 season had the highest expectations yet and for many players it was make it or break it for steph curry he just received a four-year 44 million dollar deal one of high risk for the team if his ankles continued to decline his career could be in jeopardy for klay thompson this wasn't a run-of-the-mill season either the franchise just traded monte ellis to give clay the starting shooting guard spot so he needed to show what he was capable of the backcourt was set and it was time to make a splash the golden state warrior certainly did just that exploding out the gate winning 22 of 32 klay thompson averaged 16 a game at the age of 22 on 40 from 3 with promising perimeter defense andrew bogut struggled health-wise but when he was on the floor the difference was astonishing his defensive presence as a shot blocker was unlike anything the warriors had experienced in years harrison barnes was an exciting scorer with a phenomenal leaping ability averaging nine a game on 36 percent from downtown jared jack was an important veteran option off the bench being the perfect second ball handler alongside curry and speaking of him steph curry had finally taken the leap to one of the best point guards in the league his 45 three-point shooting instantly shot him up one of the greatest shooters in nba history no longer were the injuries of his past haunting him curry had overcome these fears and ascended into a breakout campaign he averaged 23 points with seven assists and two steals a night by far the most iconic performance was his 54-point bomb on the new york knicks in madison square garden this game was a warning to the basketball world of what curry was capable of he hid 11 3s out of 13 attempts an unbelievable number shots thrown up as he was falling to the floor a dribble move into a three a pull-up triple this guy had a lethal repertoire with a quick trigger that could stun any defense in seconds curry hitting these triples as such an impossible clip was unheard of and these earned him a few records he made a record-breaking 272 threes overtaking ray allen for the most triples in a season no longer was this the young unknown prospect of the past steph curry was a legitimate all-star talent however the nba didn't agree curry was not elected as an all-star tony parker instead took his spot this left staff feeling dejected he needed to let his anger out on a bigger stage the playoffs the warriors won 47 games the most win since 2007 taking the six seat in a stacked western conference golden state was back in the playoffs and they weren't just some other team they were a young gunny motivated squad that was hungry to win a series first up came the denver nuggets the perfect story a veteran nuggets team versus the young and upcoming warriors game one was a suspenseful beginning steph curry hit a clutch 3 to tie it to 95 apiece however this smooth three barely phased the nuggets andre miller took the rookie draymond green and an iso and won the battle bad news followed this loss as david lee would be sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs with the hip injury lee was an all-star so losing him wouldn't be easy but what fans didn't know is that this would give the 22 year old draymond green a chance golden state swung back with three straight victories the warriors were now up three games to one and curry had dazzled throughout game five was a nuggets dub and game six appeared to be a smooth sailing win for the warriors they were up by 18 points with nine minutes left but the nuggets stormed back to make it a two point game luckily for the warriors they barely held on to escape nba infamy winning and advancing to round two a rocky ending to an exciting series but this one near collapse in game six did show one thing the warriors were young and their lack of experience could bite them if they weren't careful the biggest example of this came in game one versus the san antonio spurs in the western conference semi-finals golden state led by 16 in the fourth quarter but let their guards down as the spurs came back and forced overtime another blown lead and this time there was no good ending san antonio won on a buzzer beater 3 a heartbreaking loss that left warriors fans feeling salty they could have easily stolen this game in game 5 with the series tied at 2 the spurs crushed the warriors to take a 3-2 lead curry and thompson struggled combining for 13 points total on 6 of 22 shooting not the performance you'd like out of your top 2 players and the warriors ran out of gas as they lost game 6 at home to drop the series not a surprising outcome by any means and an ending like this left warriors fans feeling hopeful about the future steph curry averaged 23 points per game in the playoffs he showed that he could step up against the best teams golden state just needed a bit more experience under their belt the 2013 offseason was crucial for the development of the roster golden state wanted dwight howard and traded multiple players to clear up cap space to sign him dwight may have been the biggest fish but as the bidding war began the warriors turned their eyes to someone else andre iguodala of the denver nuggets was a former all-star player who could be one of the best players on the championship contender on july 5th 2013 iguodala signed a four-year deal with the warriors a fantastic signing that would not only bring a talented veteran but confidence golden state was now a marquee free agent destination a fact that they would use to their advantage down the line this upcoming season for the warriors would answer many questions on whether or not they were for real and it was time to dominate the 2013-14 warriors started out struggling beginning 13 and 12 but gained momentum as the season progressed the team went on a 10-game winning streak and marched into the all-star break nine games over 500 steph curry continued his progression as a point guard becoming a 24 points per game scorer with eight assists curry was now looked at as a star player many believing he was the best point guard in the league this time around there was no all-star snub steph made it in as a starter a monumental achievement that was a testament to the incredible improvement steph curry had made as a player klay thompson also took a major leap averaging 18 a game on 41 percent from downtown he was one of the top elite shooters him and curry would become one of the most formidable back courts in nba history earning the nickname the splash bros for their sharp shooting prowess draymond green the former second round pick back in 2012 was becoming a solid contributor off the bench david lee and andrew bogett manned the middle and andre iguodala was proving to be a two-way leader these warriors were stacked they won 20 out of the last 29 games to finish with 51 wins this once again landed them the six seed setting up a date with the la clippers lob city was a fierce opponent that was hungry to prove they were a legit contender in the west chris paul and steph curry would be facing off a battle that for many would decide who the best point guard was however before this fiery series was set to tip off bad news broke in the bay andrew bogut the defensive anchor was sidelined for the rest of the playoffs with a rib fracture a terrible loss the warriors now had to make up for their lack of a center on april 19 2014 this series began and golden state seemed unfazed they opened up with a four-point victory on the road to stun la harrison barnes and steph curry took over down the stretch and the dubs walked away with a win the clippers won game two in the blowout setting up a game three in golden state that the warriors almost won down by six with under a minute left steph curry turned into a flamethrower nailing impossible threes that almost brought his team back however on the final attempt of the game steph fell short with many wondering if chris paul got away with a foul both teams split the next two and golden state was down 3-2 with a do or die game 6 at home in this game andre iguodala showed up nailing the four-point play and crunch time that all but steal the victory game seven on the road was setting up to be a nail-biter and it wasn't gonna be easy the warriors started by splashing threes and led by as much as double digits at one point watching this game is like viewing the claws of a dynasty slowly veering up to strike each incredible shot by curry stunned the fans in staples right as the first half buzzer was expiring steph hit an unbelievable half court shot that didn't count but it served as an eerie reminder of what this guy could become the greatest shooter of all time the third quarter saw the clippers erase a double-digit deficit and the fourth quarter was down to the wire the warriors temporarily took the lead with just a few minutes left but the clippers took control and won the game an agonizing ending to a series that golden state could have won many warriors fans took solace in the idea that had andrew bogut played they would have advanced nonetheless the warriors got some more experience and headed into the 2014 offseason with motivation golden state opened the off-season by firing mark jackson in favor of steve kerr a decision that surprised spectators as jackson had only been given three seasons to show what he could do nonetheless kerr was a former champion as a player that could transform the offense into an even bigger superpower the biggest moves weren't who they signed though but rather who they didn't acquire kevin love and all-star caliber power forward was available on the market and the asking price was clay thompson golden state came very close to parting with clay in this deal but jerry west the head consultant of the team threatened to quit if this deal was complete bob myers the general manager and joe lakeup the owner were both on board with trading clay but jerry west and steve kerr saying no forced them to back down a kevin love klay thompson swap came very close to happening and had it been agreed to the warriors dynasty would have looked a lot different just like that the off-season was complete with some added bench pieces and a new head coach things were looking exciting for golden state no matter how excited spectators were nobody could have predicted the absolute onslaught golden state would launch on the league the 2014-15 warriors had the dream season winning a franchise record 67 games steph curry went from an all-star to the mvp winner averaging 24 a game with eight assists two steals on 44 shooting from downtown once again steph broke the record for most threes in a season making 286 of them curry was a show-stopping superstar a player that could be the sole reason any arena was sold out the title of greatest shooter ever was previously held by ray allen but the tide had shifted steph curry now held the crown this phenomenal season combined with the warrior spectacular record landed curry the mvp once upon a time steph was viewed as nothing more than an injury-prone young guy who would never get the chance to show what he could do now just three years later curry was an mvp standing on top of the basketball world this wasn't a solo fight though clay thompson fresh off of his max contract extension was just as important to the success of the warriors clay averaged a career high 22 points per game and when he was hot he was unstoppable a clear example of this came in a january 2015 game against the kings where clay scored 37 points in a quarter he shot 13 of 13 from the field hitting nine triples thompson now held the record for most points in a quarter and he was also selected to be an all-star the splash bros were an excellent duo but one of the more overlooked pieces was draymond green david lee the long time starter injured his hamstring before the season began there to take his place was green a defensive stud with the heart of a lion draymond was the glue of the team a great playmaker and defender who wasn't scared of anyone andre iguodala the main prize of the 2014 offseason didn't start a single game this season the reasoning lied in steve kerr who started harrison barnes instead igordala would serve as a key piece off the bench and he was more than happy to take this role the warriors had overwhelming depth a clear number one option in curry and a solid group of players around him 67 wins is no easy feat and the number one seated warriors headed into the 2015 playoffs with cautious optimism on one hand the team's talent gave fans confidence that they could make a deep run on the other hand they were still an overall young team so pessimistic critics fear the lack of experience would hurt them again the 2015 playoffs erupted with the warriors sweeping the pelicans with ease steph averaged 33 clay averaged 25 and golden state quickly took care of new orleans game 3 saw the warriors overcome a 5 point lead with 17 seconds left steph nailed two amazing threes to force overtime yeah he was an mvp yeah he was the three point king but most importantly steph curry was becoming the face of the nba round two saw the memphis grizzlies step up to the plate and at one point the grizzlies had the upper hand game three was a ten point victory in memphis that saw zach randolph and marcus saul combined for 43 the grizzlies had two dangerous big men that were feasting in the paint and panic was rising in dumb nation there was only one man that could stop the burning fire but would he step up steph curry certainly rose to the occasion scoring 33 in game 4 to crush the grizzlies then in game 5 clay thompson was the leading scorer with 21 and the warriors once again destroyed their opponent the momentum was flipped on their side once again all thanks to the work of the splash bros game six was yet another chef curry moment steph scored 32 and caught fire in the fourth quarter to seal the series the best moment was his half-court shot as the third quarter came to an end for any other player this would be luck but for curry the 18 119 in attendance knew this was pure skill the warriors had avoided what could have been an upset because their top players stepped up and it was time for the western conference finals the houston rockets were the only team that separated the warriors from an nba finals appearance and it wouldn't be a cakewalk though supporting james harden believed he deserved the 2015 mvp so it was up to steph to prove them wrong he did just that the warriors opened up with two straight close dubs at home golden state executed down the stretch to win game one and game two saw a beautiful double team by the splash bros to force a hardened turnover gutsy performances and a blowout victory by golden state on the road in game three all but sealed the series the warriors wrapped it up in five and they were headed to the nba finals with swagger in their step by this point fans in the bay were astonished at how far the warriors had made it this had truly been the dream season and it was only just beginning the 2015 finals featured the young duckling warriors versus the lebron james lead cavs the cleveland cavaliers had formed just one year prior with the sole purpose of winning a championship lebron james was motivated to win a ring for his city but he was already missing one of his sidekicks kevin love had been injured previously in round one the warriors and cavs opened up with a fierce battle in game one and golden state pulled away in overtime to win it a fantastic beginning that showed the warriors were legit and ready to compete the biggest news from this game wasn't necessarily the win but rather more injury news coming from the cavs side kyrie irving suffered a knee injury that would put him out for the rest of the series which gave golden state a clear advantage over their opponent however game 2 brought little reassurance curry airballed a possible game winner in overtime and his team lost game three was another l and the warriors had found themselves in a 2-1 whole the narrative at this moment had shifted from curry praise to matthew dellavedova praise delhi had been gaining headlines for how he was guarding steph some making the claim that dellavedova was the curry stopper these claims were quickly shut down though steph scored an efficient 22 in game four as his warriors crushed the cavs game five was now building up to be one of the most important games in warriors history and steph curry left everything on the court in a marvelous show he scored 37 points with seven threes dribbling into impossible shots that looked video game-esque the warriors were up 3-2 and were 48 minutes away from achieving the first championship in 40 years game 6 saw the warriors leap in front from the opening tip and as time expired a wave of relief flowed through the city of oakland the golden state warriors had won the championship the perfect end to an incredible season andre iguodala won the finals mvp which may have surprised some but iggy's defense on lebron throughout the series was impressive enough to earn him the trophy golden state had achieved what appeared to be impossible just a few years prior the franchise's history of failure and mediocrity had been washed away thanks to the splash bros and company and the best part about all of this is that their core wasn't even in their prime yet steph was 26 and clay and draymond were both 24. that combined with an impressive front office and a head coach and steve kerr who just proved himself the future for dub nation seemed promising the 2015 offseason was one of minor decisions for the team their one highlight being the drafting of kevon looney with the 30th pick looney would grow into a valuable asset for the group but it would take a few years for him to gel draymond green also inked a five-year max deal a worthy bag for the former second round pick surprisingly enough despite the rampage the warriors just inflicted on the league there were still doubters critics felt the warriors 2015 run was solely achieved due to injuries on the cavs side and had cleveland been healthy the warriors would have been slain negative analysis like this may have bothered the warriors fan base but to the players they couldn't care less they'd been through far worse before the 2015 16 warriors were one of the greatest teams ever and they didn't miss a beat from the opening tip of the first game steph curry was lights out and locked in only a few games into the year curry dropped 53 on new orleans head the type of threes he was making were shots that had never been seen before and he was leaving the crowd and all just a few weeks later in december curry scored 14 points and two minutes versus the hornets the fans in the arena were shocked the announcer left speechless steph curry to many was the best player in the world curry oh just incredible the warriors started the season 24-0 and continued their dominance past the all-star break coasting to a 53-5 record this wasn't just any ordinary team they had the chance to capture the best record in nba history curry may have been getting the attention but klay thompson and draymond green were both incredibly valuable to the success of the team clay was the peanut butter to steph shelly a lockdown perimeter defender and elite catch and shoot man thompson averaged 22 on 42 percent from downtown great numbers offensively defensively it was draymond green who was the anchor his 14 points per game weren't show-stopping but is 1.5 blocks and one and a half steals were significant green was also a sniper beyond the arc shooting 38 percent from three on the year the warriors piled on more and more wins reaching 60 dubs in march 70 in april and 73 on the final game of the season no ending was more fitting than curry scoring 46 with 10 triples which gave him a record-setting 402 threes on the season the most in nba history by a wide margin steph was unanimously the best shooter ever speaking of unanimous this 73 win season combined with his 30 points per game average landed him the unanimous mvp award the first unanimous mvp ever and this decision caught nobody off guard the warriors trio of curry thompson and green was dominant but what made them earn 73 wins so effortlessly a combination of factors were the reason one being out of their control the san antonio spurs a fellow rival in their conference won 67 games the warriors knew that if they took their foot off the gas and collected a few losses the spurs would be right there to snatch the number one seed when it came to roster construction golden state's depth and coaching was a major factor in their success harrison barnes was a three and d wing andrew bogut was a shot blocking big and andre gordala was a threat off the bench the ball movement displayed on a nightly basis was dazzling there was no selfishness on this team just one goal winning that goal had a chance to be realized in the 2016 playoffs and the 73 win number one seated warriors met a familiar foe the houston rockets this matchup was beginning as any other number one seed versus eight seed series would go the warriors were up two games to one but in game four the first crack began forming in the foundation curry tweaked his angle in game one which would sideline him for games two and three where the bigger problem occurred was in game four steph slipped and injured his knee towards the end of the half nobody knew what to think about it at first but when game five rolled around and curry was on the inactives list fear began rising the chef was out for the rest of round one a major blow to his team the warriors were on phase though winning this series in five and moving on to round two the blazers run next and for the first three games curry remained out klay thompson took this personally scoring 37 in game one and 27 in game two both in wins the blazers shot back and won game 3 setting up a crucial game 4 in portland as the suspense was building as the blazers laced up their sneakers and the motivated warriors were preparing to practice news regarding steph curry and his health came into the public eye he was back [Music] game four of the blazers warrior series was pure steph curry madness he scored 40 points to deliver his team the dub he started out slow but once overtime came around his shots turned into fire three after three he was unstoppable and he knew it yelling the words i'm back as the warrior's bench exploded this was an iconic moment of epic proportions and the warriors used this momentum to move on to the western conference finals in five the okc thunder were an appropriate foe for round three a superstar duel between two of the best in the world was set to take place however what followed was less of a duel and more of a one-sided combat the thunder swung first and won game one then in games three and four okc won by a combined 55 points total with russell westbrook and kevin durant outplaying stephen clay a nightmare had unfolded and the only way out was to win three straight games a feat which seemed impossible a loss like this as a 73 win team would certainly go down as one of the biggest collapses in nba history game five was a do or die and the splash rose stepped up combining for 58 points total to win by nine a much needed victory but many critics believed game six in oklahoma city would be when the warrior season would come to an end a hostile crowd awaited the warriors with mighty expectations ahead no one could predict what would happen next game six of the thunder warrior series may be the most impactful 48 minutes of play in nba history the warriors saved their season as clay thompson had a mind-boggling 40 points with 11 threes those numbers don't do enough justice to the pure dominance that was on display clay was unstoppable each three was a knife into okc's heart steph curry wasn't half bad either 31 points was no walk in the park and he closed it out with a smooth bank shot all of the energy was sucked out of the arena any thunder fan hoping for a finals appearance was smacked in the face with a harsh dose of reality the warriors were just too good and their confidence levels were at an all-time high heading into game seven which they won one of only a few three to one comebacks in nba history steph curry nailing threes as the game came to a close was a fitting finish the warriors were back in the finals looking scarier than they had in the past their opponent on the biggest stage would be the cleveland cavaliers for the second straight year and this time things were different the cavs were no longer the underman group of the past this time they had kyrie irving and kevin love at full strength so an all-out war was expected the 2016 finals began with the golden state w in game 1 thanks to the bench and another warrior victory in game 2 courtesy of draymond's 28 in game 3 with a chance to put the series on ice steph scored a measly 19. clay scored 10 and draymond put up 6 in a loss not the type of production you'd like from your best players but game 4 was an opportunity for the big three to redeem themselves steph curry silenced the doubters with a 38 point bomb in game four a much needed performance that guided golden state to a win yet in the midst of this victory the second crack formed in the foundation of the warriors title hopes towards the end of game four draymond green and lebron james got into a bit of a trash talking altercation green was given a flagrant foul for this and as a result he was suspended for game five of the finals throughout the playoff run thus far green hadn't been on his best behavior he was handed out a fair share of technical fouls and ned caught up to him the warriors now had to head back home without one of their most valuable pieces but the team had little doubt to spectators they were prepared for the situation ahead but what was shown on the court in game 5 brought skepticism the warriors lost by 15 on their home floor as lebron and kyrie both scored 41 apiece complete and utter domination that took the warriors at back this series was far from over not to mention in this game andrew bogut suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the series the warriors now lack their defensive anchor and this loss gave the cavs a huge advantage in the interior still up 3-2 the warriors had plenty of reassurance that game 6 in cleveland with draymond back could go their way but it didn't block by james the cavaliers destroyed the warriors in game six thanks to a 41 point performance by lebron and this finals was tied at three games apiece steph had a 30 piece but it came on 40 shooting and to fans it felt like something was off game seven came around in oracle arena an entire historical season came down to 48 minutes they do have a timeout decide not to use it curry way downtown curry left wide open right between the eyes 93-89 was the final score with the lasting images being a lebron block on andre iguodala and a kyrie 3 and curry's face a disastrous finish to a spectacular season the warriors became the first team in nba history to blow a 3-1 lead in the finals curry had vastly underperformed only averaging 22 points per game on 40 field goal shooting clay wasn't anything special either his field goal percentage dropped by several margins on the biggest stage harrison barnes also played horrific basketball averaging 9 points on 35 field goal shooting some blame curry's knee sprain for his poor finals play but history won't remember these claims instead they'll remember this as the ultimate chance at a title being squandered the 2016 offseason for the warriors was expected to be filled with minor decisions but what unfolded was one of the most shocking events in sports kevin durant the former mvp and multiple times scoring champ was growing frustrated in oklahoma city the warriors unbelievably so had a max contract slot left on their team the reason for this lied in multiple factors steph curry's contract which at this point still had him receiving 11 million dollars per year gave the warriors more cap space that combined with the nba salary cap jump gave golden state just enough for a max spot and kd happily signed a decision that seemed inconceivable a 73 win team just added another mvp all it cost was letting go of harrison barnes and andrew bogut's contracts any negative feelings regarding the 2016 finals for warriors fans were swept away in an instant thanks to this decision kd turned this squad from a consistent finals contender to a dynasty in the making as basketball fans around the globe watched in jealousy the warrior smirked with confidence as a result of this decision the warriors won the following two championships in 2017 and 2018. in 2017 they won 67 games and steamrolled through the playoffs with a 15-1 record in the finals they got revenge on lebron kyrie and the cavs gentlemen sweeping them then in the 2017-18 season they smoothly sailed into 57 wins but this time things were different they had a competitor in the west the houston rockets were eager to destroy this dynasty in the making those two teams met in the western conference finals and in a battle that went to seven games the warriors came out on top the rockets missed 27 straight three-pointers in game seven and the warriors overcame a 3-2 series deficit to move on to the finals in the finals they handled a familiar foe in the cavaliers with ease sweeping them and securing their third championship in four years the warriors 2018 off-season was highlighted by the signing of injured big man demarcus cousins boogie was at that point the best center in the league and was recovering from a torn achilles he wanted to win a ring and what better destination to choose than the bay area this decision left nba fans feeling appalled at how unstoppable the warriors appeared on paper but to golden state this acquisition was a testament how great of a free agent destination they'd built themselves to become the 2018-19 season for the warriors was highlighted by locker room issues with draymond green and kevin durant both getting into visible verbal altercations on the bench steve kerr the coach and bob myers the general manager both chose to sweep this bad blood under the rug which caused it to fester and hurt the locker room environment so just for my own personal sanity how much did our argument against the clippers drive you to ultimately lead the warriors it wasn't the argument it was the way that everybody steve kerr act like it didn't happen bob myers and tried to just discipline you and think that that would put the mask over everything the 2019 playoffs all the warriors reached the finals once again but their team was far more depleted and vulnerable than years past kevin durant had been dealing with a calf injury throughout the playoffs demarcus cousins had quad problems and andre iguodala had a hamstring injury still the warriors were back in the finals for the fifth year in a row and were hungry for a three-peat however what followed was a series loss to the toronto raptors in six and injuries played a factor in that too kavon looney fractured his collarbone in game two and missed game 3. klay thompson suffered a hamstring strain and he too missed game 3. lastly two of the most devastating of them all kevin durant suffered a torn achilles in game 5. the superstar for the warriors was gone and would now be out for the foreseeable future in game six in the warriors final matchup in oracle arena clay thompson tore his acl and the warriors lost a catastrophic end to one of the most formidable dynasties in sports kevin durant then departed in the 2019 offseason for brooklyn thus ending the big three of steph clay and kd the golden state warriors dynasty and how they built it is one of the most remarkable stories in sports they weren't handed the number one pick and built their core through the lottery steph curry before turning into the basketball wizard we all know today was hampered with ankle injuries for the beginning of his career at one point fans wondered if number 30 would ever reach stardom and feared he would go down the path of a bust that's what makes the uprise of steph curry that much more sweet he felt the concrete of rock bottom yet climbed his way up the pole to the upper echelon of basketball clay thompson and draymond green were no sure things either green worked his way off the bench as a second round pick and became a star clay thompson went from an unknown off the bench to the second splash bro and one of the greatest shooters ever the warriors received much flack for their firing of mark jackson and hiring of steve kerr in 2014 but that decision turned out to be one of the most significant kerr revolutionized the offense and was a major factor in the jumps of steph and clay their championship win in 2015 represented years of failure finally being burnt into ashes the warriors were back on top of the basketball world for the first time in 40 years then just one year later they faced their biggest failure yet blowing a three to one lead to the cavs they responded by using their cap space to their advantage signing kevin durant and the rest was history golden state won two more rings and didn't take their foot off the gas a single time they knew what it was like to be in the basement of the west to be one of the worst teams in the league and now that they were at the top they were gonna hold on for dear life the warriors losing in 2019 and failing to repeat certainly stings for the bay area fans but it's hard to look back at this run as a whole and feel disappointed 3 rings 73 wins 2 mvps for steph curry a 37 point quarter by clay thompson a defensive player of the year award in 2017 for draymond green the warriors trusted they could run their offense through shooting back when such a concept was nonsensical in 2014 they were viewed as a fun up-and-coming team with potential but nobody could have predicted the storm they'd inflict on the league five years later their reign of terror is remembered for its fiery offense booming star power and of course the winning [Music] [Applause] you

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Length: 53min 11sec (3191 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 28 2022