NBA Title for Golden State Warriors Has Been Long Overdue

I remember.

I remember when fans booed Joe Lacob after the trade of former franchise star Monta Ellis, getting back an injured center in Andrew Bogut. I remember (quite vividly) when Stephen Curry missed 40 games due to injury, playing in only 26 games in the shortened 2012 NBA season.

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I remember when Stephen Jackson, a key member of the “We Believe” playoff run, requested a trade despite receiving a three-year contract extension. I remember when the best thing about being a Warriors fan was having Jason Richardson win another Slam Dunk Contest.

I remember watching Antawn Jamison win a game after dropping 51-points against the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant — who also scored 51 points — thinking the entire time that this was as good as it was going to get. I remember when the biggest headline for the Warriors had been when Latrell Sprewell choked out former head coach P.J. Carlesimo.

I remember all the poor trades, all the wasted draft picks, all the squandered money, all the injuries — I remember it all. And I’m pretty sure that if you’re taking the time to read this, you remember all those times as well.

So if you’re like me, then you’re probably having a difficult time believing that the Golden State Warriors are now the reigning NBA Champions. In fact, if you’re like me, you’re probably having a difficult time processing just how amazing this season has been for the Warriors.

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This was truly THEIR year, and a historical one at that; revolutionary, even, considering how rare it is for a team to be one of the league leaders in offensive rating AND defensive rating, all the while leading the league in pace.

Obviously, a great deal of credit goes to Curry — the first Warriors MVP since Wilt Chamberlain in 1960 — but there’s no denying this magical season was a result of a team effort.

Helped out by an All-Star backcourt mate in Klay Thompson and an All-NBA defender in Draymond Green, the Warriors won 67-games this season, just one of three teams ever to win 83 total games in a year (others being 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan).

Also have to recognize the depth of this team, with the bench spearheaded by guys like Shaun Livingston and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala. Leandro Barbosa, Festus Ezeli, Marreese Speights — they all gave something to make the Warriors’ title aspirations become a reality after 40 years of waiting.

Can’t forget all those years with David Lee either, who was, at one point, the best free agent acquisition that Golden State had made in years. Both Iguodala and Lee were relegated to the bench this year by rookie head coach, Steve Kerr, who was supported by his spectacular coaching staff. What was seen as a controversial move during the time it was made became a move that ended up being worth it in the end.

And of course, there is no one more deserving of a ring than the Executive of the Year, Bob Myers, in addition to guys like Jerry West and the entire front office.

They put this team together, taking a chance on the potential of their core group as it grew together as a team and developed an undeniable chemistry. The draft picks, the free agent signings, the trades (or lack thereof) all ended up working out, and it’s still a wonder how exactly all of those many, unrelated decisions that were spread out over the last five years led to this team taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy.

But this isn’t so much a hard news report on how the Warriors won a NBA title. It isn’t some blog post on how great the Warriors have been all season. I wrote about that stuff throughout the year, and plenty of other sites probably have that on their front page.

This is kind of a letter, one sent out on behalf of the Warriors fanbase (a.k.a, “DubNation”) to the entire Warriors organization, saying thank you. Thank you, for making all those years worth it. Thank you for continuing to give us hope, giving us something to believe in. Thank you for giving the Bay Area something else for which to be proud.

Because I remember those years of being scrutinized for being a Warriors fan. We all remember. But now, this team may go down as one of the best to ever do it, and THAT is something that none of us will ever forget.

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