Are the Golden State Warriors now a feel-good underdog story?

Don’t look now, but the Golden State Warriors may have now become the feel-good underdogs to root for in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Before you scoff at the notion of the big, bad Golden State Warriors dynasty being considered the underdogs. Before you laugh at the idea that a franchise that has won three of the past four NBA Finals should be seen as the dark horses.

Let’s first talk about what an underdog really is.

An underdog is the weaker, less talented team in the battle. The team that by pure talent standards doesn’t deserve to win based on merit alone. But it’s also the team that has the heart and desire to overcome such longshot odds.

A typical underdog is also often tasked with overcoming adversity — lots and lots of adversity. Fortune may throw obstacle on top of obstacle in their path, but nothing will break their will to reach their ultimate goal.

The Warriors are the underdogs in this bout, whether people would like to believe it or not.

There will be plenty who continue to ignore this and would rather roll with the same old tiresome “All-Star lineup” Warriors storyline. Many will still cry “super team” when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson drain 10 threes in Game 6.

That’s understandable — it’s all a part of what makes sports so great. Success will always fuel haters. Haters who would like nothing more than to see the mighty crumble even if the mighty aren’t really so mighty anymore.

The Warriors have faced enough adversity to last half a decade in these 2019 NBA Playoffs. They’ve dealt with injuries up and down the board to the likes of Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, DeMarcus Cousins, and Andre Iguodala, but none live up to the stature of Kevin Durant‘s injury.

Later today, it will likely be confirmed that Durant officially tore his Achilles in the midst of his triumphant return from injury in Game 5. What should not be lost is that Durant certainly didn’t have to return on Monday night. The smart move was to sit out and earn his payday in the offseason — very likely with a new team.

Instead, Durant mortgaged his own health and future to help a team that he likely will no longer be a part of past this season claw back to try and win a championship. Again, plenty will just turn a blind eye to this for the sake of hating on Durant and the Warriors.

But those that do so are simply missing out on an incredible tale of sports heroism.

Perhaps the player that gets overlooked the most in this story is the aforementioned Looney. Looney was diagnosed with a non-displaced costal cartilage fracture near his collarbone and sat out for Game 3.

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After originally being told he would miss the remainder of the playoffs, Looney fought valiantly for his return and was told that he could play with no fear of further structural damage, as long as he could play through the pain.

And with every step he takes, every dribble up the court, it’s clear that Looney is in agonizing pain. The 2015 first-round pick reaggravated his injury this past Monday but has once again vowed to play in Game 6.

Looney is quite literally playing with a broken bone in between his collarbone and ribcage. He is likely in excruciating pain before, during, and after each game. But he still fights through.

He fights through the adversity — as any true underdog would.

Look, it’s difficult to refer to the infamous Warriors dynasty as “underdogs.” This is still a team that possesses the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green in their starting lineup. But it’s not as if their opponents are any less talented.

The Toronto Raptors have played near-flawless basketball for much of this series and their starting five is riddled with talent as well. Kyle Lowry is a five-time NBA All-Star, Pascal Siakam will likely be the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season, and Marc Gasol — while not as productive as his former self — is still a three-time NBA All-Star.

And then, of course, there’s Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard is arguably a top-three player in the NBA and a bonafide superstar in every conceivable way. He has been the unquestioned leader for the Raptors this postseason and is also arguably the best player still playing basketball this season.

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So if people are going to disqualify the Warriors as underdogs for having the likes of Curry, Thompson, and Green on their team, then why do the Raptors get a pass for having Leonard?

Perhaps you could argue that the Raptors are the more likable team — they’ve certainly had less overall postseason success throughout their history. But again, it isn’t fair to ignore the Warriors own struggles and adversity.

This isn’t the same Warriors team that has won three of the last four NBA Finals. Their depth is depleted, their players are banged up, and they’re without one of the greatest superstars in the NBA today.

By most standards, that would qualify them as the underdogs.

Golden State will return home to Oracle Arena for the last time this Thursday. They will try and win a game in which they likely will not be the favorites, and they will try and do so in front of their raucous home crowd in the final game in the history of their stadium.

This is a stadium that they have called home for nearly 50 years. A win would send them to Toronto for a must-see Game 7 while a loss would seal their fate and send the home crowd home utterly disappointed.

The story writes itself.

If you cut through all the biases, if you ignore past success, and if you forget about the term “dynasty,” the Warriors are the underdogs in this series. They’ve had to overcome countless adversity and have seen their players fight valiantly through injury — both their superstars and their role players.

Game 6 will await the Warriors this Thursday, and while most of the NBA world will be cheering for their demise — Golden State will remain the lovable underdogs to their fans.