A common cry whenever somebody wins their respective Finals is about how much people doubted their potential. In a lot of cases, that seems like hyperbole. However, when Steph Curry alluded to this during Game 6 of The Golden State Warriors vs. The Boston Celtics, there was something more genuine. While they had an 18-2 beginning to their season, this win symbolized a moment years in the making for Dub Nation. Those tears weren’t in disbelief that they had won their fourth Finals title, but that they had officially capped one of the greatest comebacks in modern NBA history.
As mentioned throughout the post-game celebration, The Warriors were a team that had ranked dead last in the standings only two seasons ago. Talks of The Dynasty being over ran rampant and many (like myself) were quick to suggest that the 2018-2019 season marked the end of an era. Nothing gold could stay. Curry was no longer the new kid on the block nor was there any surety that the injured Klay Thompson would come back better than ever. All there was were a handful of rookies entering a trial and error program that featured consistent rotation. Compared to just about any team that had cratered, The Warriors were on track to be many years off from even a conference appearance.
Because the fall wasn’t just one piece. Anyone who saw the 2018-2019 season where they played against The Toronto Raptors will remember how devastating that experience was. Coming off of a depleting round against The Portland Trailblazers, the team ultimately lost when Thompson earned an injury that resulted in being out of commission for 900 days. Elsewhere was Kevin Durant tearing his ACL, leading to talk that he left because of locker room arguments with Draymond Green. Andre Iguodala would be traded (briefly and ineffectively) to The Memphis Grizzlies. The only silver lining from that off-season was acquiring Jordan Poole in the draft, which even that took a few seasons and trips to The G League to fully find his potential. Given that the 2019-2020’s season featured Curry bowing out early from a hand injury (his return timed poorly with the shutdown of The NBA following the pandemic), the comeback was years in the making and it was easy to undermine their potential. Even Durant being traded to The Brooklyn Nets seemed to be more profitable with the disastrous, short-lived potential of “The Big 3.” The Warriors had an incredible run and Curry was an undeniable master. Seeing his legacy fade to a B-Team seemed all so plausible.
The best symbol of where many saw The Warriors immediately after their Raptors loss was in their first pregame performance against The Los Angeles Lakers. Having acquired Anthony Davis, The Lake Show looked to be back on as Davis gave this earth-shattering dunk over several inexperienced rookies. It’s the type of moment that showed the uphill battle coach Steve Kerr and company had to face. The Lakers would go on to win the championship as Lebron James, cigar in hand, told reporters “I want my damn respect.” Was this moment officially over, where the more dominant teams like The Lakers and The Nets would tower over them?
Cut to 2021-2022 and the efforts can be better seen. It is true that the initial impact of The Warriors rebuilding their roster was unsuccessful. They barely made The Play-In Tournament in 2020-2021 where The Nets would barely miss The Finals in a phenomenal match-up with The Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers meanwhile were dawning on one of their most maligned seasons that lead many to wonder “Is this the end of The Lebron James Era?” The super teams were fading fast from various incompatibility. Meanwhile, The Warriors were about to start a season that nobody could properly see coming.
There was the famous 18-2 beginning to a season that saw them neck and neck with The Phoenix Suns. It was so close that the initial match-up between Golden State and Phoenix booted The Lakers from a prime ABC airing. Curry could draw a crowd with just his charm, but this was a genuine threat to the league. They were back, and the accolades were quickly piling on. Given that this was The 75th Anniversary of the NBA, Curry making the list of Top 75 Players sparked debate on how true that was. Elsewhere, Thompson complained about not making the list and believing that he was going to come back and prove his status. Given that his only real connection to the team at that point was side court reporting and Kaiser Permanente commercials, it was the big “IF” that laid over the team.
Among the highlights was the unexpected ascension of Andrew Wiggins, whose previous seasons didn’t suggest greatness as “Maple Jordan.” Still, he became one of the highest scoring NBA players from Canada and quickly earned a reputation playing opposite Kevon Looney and Otto Porter Jr. as a supporting line-up that could compete. Given that this was the key to The Warriors’ past Finals success, the roster having an embarrassment of riches worked to their favor. There was Poole finally shaping up to be the Curry Jr. that he seemed to always be, showing potential to lead the team when the elder statesmen were either injured, taking a night off, or a desperately needed break.
With all eyes on The Bucks and The Suns to repeat their success, The Warriors were able to rebuild quietly. Even with success on their sides, nobody considered them Finals contenders when Giannis Antetokuomnpo or Devon Booker was out there doing amazing work. Still, with cries of “Wait until Klay comes back,” they kicked off 2022 with an amazing run of accomplishments.
Marking his first assault on The Boston Garden, Curry would score his 2,974th three pointer in a game against The Celtics. With this, he beat the previous record held by Ray Allen. Again, it was a moment that boosted their TV appearances and garnered interest in the team. These small records were adding up, and suddenly The Warriors were more than has-beens. Their consistency over years suggested that success in the league wasn’t a young man’s game. Players could grow old and still be dominant forces. As of the end of the season, Curry has scored 3,117 three pointers and earned undisputed acclaim as the greatest shooter in NBA history. Given that he had started the season with a game where he earned a rare triple double while “playing like garbage,” it was amazing to witness his return.
What The Warriors would symbolize in their early 2022 run was the importance of team building. With The Lakers having a notorious conflict with their roster and Kyrie Irving unable to play home games with The Nets due to his anti-vaxxer status, it was amazing to know how lacking in controversy The Warriors were. If anything, they were only getting better as things went along. Among their late-season accomplishments was acquiring Iguodala after his second season with The Miami Heat, reuniting a team used to victory. The old school was teaching the younger athletes like Poole and Juan Toscano Anderson how to be leaders and seemingly doing it well. The interesting part of The Dynasty was that it wasn’t about one player. Even if Curry, Thompson, and Green symbolized a triple threat, there was something about this season where everyone worked together, where things could be adjusted if necessary. While most teams had great players, The Warriors had a sense of family. Curry, Thompson, and Green were undoubtedly going to retire one day, but Dub Nation wouldn’t have to implode as severely to find that core.
It's an interesting proposition given that The Warriors had won three championships over four seasons with a powerhouse team. Many would suggest that acquiring Durant made them unstoppable in unfair manners. Still, the fact that their Dynasty’s post-Raptors existence wasn’t as adamant about towering giants showed a change of approach that worked out. Where The Nets and The Lakers would stumble with the powerhouse approach, teams like The Dallas Mavericks were experiencing banner seasons by finding hidden gems and molding something downright impressive. While not every great team had an amazing conclusion (notably The Suns’ brutal loss in Game 7 against The Mavericks), there was the suggestion that this was an era of new blood being more crucial than ever. Even The Celtics had young and hungry players that made The Finals into the thrilling finale everyone needed. Even then, The Warriors had that little extra energy necessary to take the victory. To make things even more impressive, they did so while never having to play a threatening Game 7.
To backtrack a little bit, the return of Klay Thompson was yet another celebrated moment that reunited The Splash Brothers. Green, who was injured, even played the first minute believing that it was important to remember the legacy. While it’s arguable if Thompson’s return actually had an insurmountable impact on their success, it was a reminder of how dedicated they were to the team. Kerr claimed he would never trade his central team, believing that they were crucial to the Dub Nation brand. With a yacht hat on, Thompson’s interviews reflected his eagerness to return and that things were, if nothing else, going to get back to being very, very interesting. He wasn’t there for the 18-2 win at the start of the season, so it made even a clumsy Thompson seem promising. If nothing else, his active appearance on the team marks the fun irony of The Warriors making The Finals almost exclusively when he was playing.
As a whole, The NBA Play-Offs this year was greatly underwhelming. The Nets would drop off with a paltry 0-4 loss. The Bucks and The Suns both fell in the second round. Even when The Warriors played The Mavericks, there wasn’t much of a contest there. Many who believed in Luka Doncic hoped he would at least take them to a Game 6, but alas it was an example of a young team still finding their footing. The Warriors were doing something the other teams couldn’t. When one player tired, they would be taken out and let another fresh face run laps around the other team. As The Playoffs are wont to do, many teams were exhausted of their resources by the end, and it’s a miracle how The Warriors made it look simple. While it would create animosity with The Celtics’ fan base (notably against Green), it was mostly the excitement of an unexpected outcome.
If The Celtics won, they would gain their 18th championship in league history, becoming the biggest franchise in the entire league. If The Warriors did, they not only earned their 7th overall championship, but they would surpass The Chicago Bulls for third most wins by a franchise. It would also mark the astounding comeback nobody saw coming. After two seasons of rebuilding, the chances of them being this incredible force was unexpected. Either way, it’s the type of NBA story deserving of a 75th Anniversary season. Even if the games themselves rarely became down to the wire masterpieces that many clamors for, the commitment fans would have to a greater narrative would be satisfied either way.
With that win. The Warriors earned their fourth championship in eight years as well as their fifth Finals appearance in that time. With some fun mathematics, it was also 26 years since The Bulls had won an equally impressive feat and another saw Dub Nation’s own anniversary of winning. To top things all off, Curry won his first Finals MVP, solidifying his status as one of the current masters of the sport. Even if it was a team effort, this was as much about Curry proving himself all over again, that he was more than a player on a powerhouse team. Some could argue he’s had better seasons, but there’s no doubt that in a season full of legacy narratives, his winning was the perfect capper.
Sure Green has been unbearably cocky about the win to the point of saying “Fuck you” to everyone not wearing the blue and yellow, but there’s something to seeing the young and old teaming together, driving through San Francisco, CA all these years later and seeing their fans ecstatic at their success. This win feels like one of the most earned since Curry, Thompson, and Green’s early years. This was about re-establishing oneself, and proving that they weren’t done. If anything, Curry was aging gracefully into an icon. Next year could be any better. As Green would say, The Finals are now “The Warriors Invitational,” and it does feel like they’re going to carry that energy.
Who’s to say how next season will look. One can assume that they will break the curse of Finals winners by actually putting up a successful fight. Even then, great teams like The Bucks and The Suns failing to make The Finals is not a sign of their decline. If anything, it only shows how competitive the future is. Given that they’re all about rebuilding and finding a new core, there’s little chance to suggest that this was a fluke, that this was leading somewhere monumental. If nothing else, imagining what the next two years of Golden State look like is exciting. To imagine a decade of this caliber of play is something very few could ever dream of achieving. This was the season most rose up the ladder of NBA legends, where you can hate the team but you can’t deny their skill. They may be down every now and then, but they will get back up.
This is what The Finals are all about: narratives. Even had The Warriors missed the mark by one or two rounds, there’s been enough to suggest that they’re having the comeback of their careers. This is an exciting time to be a fan, even if you’re like me and doubted that they’d ever be here again. Whatever sorcery they have in the front office, keep it on the payroll. They have found a formula that defies the logic of a league set on immediate success. They may not always have a winning streak, but there’s a confidence that they have a great team that’ll always bounce back – especially now that the young players could potentially extend their success by several Post-Dynasty years. Just wait and find out.
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