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The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco, California. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Warriors play their home games at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Warriors have reached ten NBA Finals, winning six NBA championships in 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Golden State's six NBA championships are tied for third-most in NBA history with the Chicago Bulls, and behind only the Los Angeles Lakers (16), and Boston Celtics (17).
The team was established in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a founding member of the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947, and won again in 1956, led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and Neil Johnston. After a brief rebuilding period after the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain, in 1962, the franchise relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and was renamed the San Francisco Warriors. In 1971, the team changed its geographic moniker to the Golden State Warriors, after California's state nickname.
In 1975, star players Jamaal Wilkes and Rick Barry powered the Warriors to their third championship, when they swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets in four games, and is largely considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
The team struggled in the 1980s, then became playoff regulars at the turn of the decade with stars Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, nicknamed "Run TMC". The Warriors would then struggle in the mid-late 1990s and most of the 2000s, making only one playoff appearance in 2007. The team returned to championship glory in 2015, led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green; they won again in 2017 and 2018, with the help of former MVP Kevin Durant.
The team is nicknamed the Dubs as a shortening of "W's".
Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry have both been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Warriors, for a total of three MVP awards. The Warriors hold several NBA records: best regular season, most wins in a season (regular season and postseason combined), and best postseason run. Curry and Thompson, nicknamed "The Splash Brothers", are among the greatest backcourts of all time. The Warriors are the third most valuable NBA franchise with a value estimated of $4.3 billion by Forbes. In 2018, it was seventh-highest valued sports franchise in the United States, and tied for tenth in the world.
Home arenas
Philadelphia Warriors
- Philadelphia Arena (1946–1962)
- Philadelphia Convention Hall (1952–1962)
San Francisco Warriors
- Cow Palace (1962–1964, 1966–1971 and two games in the 1975 NBA Finals)
- San Francisco Civic Auditorium (1964–1967)
- USF War Memorial Gymnasium (1964–1966)
Golden State Warriors
- HP Pavilion (formerly San Jose Arena) (1996–1997)
- Oakland Arena (formerly Oracle Arena, The Arena in Oakland, and Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena) (1966–1967, 1971–1996, 1997–2019)
- Chase Center (2019–present)
Franchise history
Philadelphia Warriors (1946–1962)
The Warriors were founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, a charter member of the Basketball Association of America. They were owned by Peter Tyrrell, who also owned the Philadelphia Ramblers of the American Hockey League. Tyrrell hired Eddie Gottlieb, a longtime basketball promoter in the Philadelphia area, as coach and general manager. He named the team after an early professional team in the city.
Led by early scoring sensation Joe Fulks, they won the championship in the league's inaugural 1946-47 season by defeating the Chicago Stags, four games to one. (The BAA became the National Basketball Association in 1949.) Gottlieb bought the team in 1951.
The Warriors won their only other championship as a Philadelphia team in the 1955-56 season, defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons four games to one. The stars of this era in the team's history were Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston. In 1959, the team signed draft pick Wilt Chamberlain. Known as "Wilt the Stilt," Chamberlain quickly began shattering NBA scoring records and changed the style of play forever. On March 2, 1962, in a Warrior "home" game played in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Chamberlain scored 100 points against the Knickerbockers, a single-game record.
San Francisco Warriors (1962–1971)
San Francisco Warriors logo 1962–1969.
In 1962, Franklin Mieuli purchased the majority shares of the team and relocated the franchise to the San Francisco Bay Area, renaming them the San Francisco Warriors, playing most of their home games at the Cow Palace (located on the border between San Francisco and Daly City), though occasionally playing home games in nearby cities such as Oakland and San Jose. The Warriors won the 1963-64 Western Division crown, losing the NBA championship series to the Boston Celtics, four games to one.
San Francisco Warriors "The City" logo 1969–1971.
In 1965, the Warriors drafted Rick Barry in the first round. Barry was named NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season, then led the Warriors to the NBA Finals in the 1966–67 season, where the team lost (four games to two) to the team that replaced the Warriors in Philadelphia, the 76ers. Angered by management's failure to pay him certain incentive awards he felt he was due, Barry sat out the 1967-68 season, joining the Oakland Oaks of the rival American Basketball Association the following year. After four seasons in the ABA, Barry rejoined the Warriors in 1972.
With the opening of the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1966, the Warriors began scheduling increasing numbers of home games at that venue. The 1970–71 season would be the team's last as the San Francisco Warriors. They changed their name to the Golden State Warriors for the 1971–72 season, playing almost all home games in Oakland. Six "home" games were played in San Diego during that season but more significantly, none were played in San Francisco or Daly City.
Golden State Warriors (1971–present)
1974–1976: Championship contention
Golden State Warriors logo 1971–1975.
The Warriors made the playoffs from 1971 to 1977 except in 1974, and won their first NBA championship on the West Coast in 1974–75. In what many consider the biggest upset in NBA history, Golden State not only defeated the heavily favored Washington Bullets but humiliated them in a four-game sweep. That team was coached by former Warrior Al Attles, and led on the court by Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes. Barry was named Finals MVP.
At 59–23, the Warriors had the league's best record during the 1975–76 season. They were upset, however, by the 42–40 Phoenix Suns in seven games in the Western Conference Finals.
1976–1985: A period of struggles
Golden State Warriors logo 1975–1988.
The departure of these players for various reasons symbolized the franchise's futility during this period, as head coach Attles moved up to the front office as general manager in 1980 and the team made several coaching changes. New owners Jim Fitzgerald and Dan Finane finally managed to return the team to respectability by hiring former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach George Karl as head coach in 1986 after selecting St. John's small forward Chris Mullin in the 1985 NBA draft.
1985–1997: The Chris Mullin era
Golden State Warriors logo 1988–1997.
The "Sleepy Floyd game" catalyzed increased interest in the NBA in the Bay Area; so did new coach Don Nelson, who engineered a string of wins in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the high-scoring trio of point guard Tim Hardaway, guard Mitch Richmond and forward Chris Mullin. Collectively known as "Run TMC" after the rap group Run-D.M.C., the trio stayed together for just two seasons and won only one playoff series. Nelson sent Richmond to the Sacramento Kings for rookie power forward Billy Owens, a promising young front-court player meant to complement the coach's run-and-gun system. Nelson had been brought to the Warriors from the Milwaukee Bucks by Jim Fitzgerald, who co-owned the team from 1986 and 1995 with Dan Finnane. In 1993–94, with first-round draft pick and Rookie of the Year power forward Chris Webber playing with off-guard Latrell Sprewell, the Warriors made the playoffs, but were swept by the Phoenix Suns.
At the start of the next season, however, a rift formed between Webber and Sprewell on the one hand and Nelson on the other. All three soon left the team, and the organization went into a tailspin. The 1994–95 season was the first under new team owner Chris Cohan, who had bought out Fitzgerald and Finnane. The Warriors selected power forward prospect Joe Smith as their first overall draft pick in 1995 and hired Rick Adelman as the new head coach. They sent Tim Hardaway and Chris Gatling to the Miami Heat for Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles midway through the 1995–96 season, and ended up with a 36–46 record, three wins short of making the playoffs. While their home court, the Oakland Coliseum Arena, was being extensively renovated, the 1996–97 Warriors played their home games in the San Jose Arena and struggled to a 30–52 finish. Following the season, Mullin was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Erick Dampier and Duane Ferrell.
1997–2009: Wilderness years
Golden State Warriors logo 1997–2010.
St. Jean had become the new Warriors' general manager in July 1997; he and his predecessor Dave Twardzik received much of the blame for the Warriors' struggles early in Cohan's turbulent tenure as owner in addition to Cohan himself. St. Jean brought in players such as Terry Cummings, John Starks and Mookie Blaylock who were well past their primes. Twardzik drafted several flops, such as Todd Fuller (while Kobe Bryant was still available as well as Steve Nash and Jermaine O'Neal) and Steve Logan (who never played an NBA game). In the following draft, the team selected Adonal Foyle while Tracy McGrady was still available. St. Jean did, however, draft future two-time NBA slam dunk champion off-guard Jason Richardson (from Michigan State), a Warriors' star scorer through the 2006–07 season.
For a few years, with rising stars Richardson, small forward Antawn Jamison and point guard Gilbert Arenas leading the team, the Warriors seemed like a team on the rise; but the young Warriors did not have enough in the competitive Western Conference to make the playoffs. After the 2002–03 season, St. Jean's earlier mistakes of committing money to players like Danny Fortson, Adonal Foyle and Erick Dampier were painfully felt by Warriors' fans when the team was unable to re-sign Arenas despite his desire to stay in the Bay Area. A new rule was implemented in response to second-round draft picks who quickly become superstars. Chris Mullin succeeded St. Jean with the title of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2004. He hoped to build a winning team around Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy Jr and Troy Murphy, and drafted 7-foot center Andris Biedriņš from Latvia (11th overall). At the 2005 trading deadline, he bolstered to the team with the acquisition of point guard Baron Davis, bringing to the team its first superstar since Mullin himself. The Warriors enjoyed a great start to the 2005–06 season, entering the new year with a plus .500 winning percentage for the first time since 1994, but managed to win only 13 more games through the end of March due to injuries. Davis often found himself at odds with new head coach Mike Montgomery (used to dealing with college players in his long tenure at Stanford) and failed to remain healthy, playing in just 54 games. On April 5, 2006, the Warriors were officially eliminated from playoff contention in a 114–109 overtime loss to the Hornets, extending their playoff drought to 12 seasons.
2006–07: "We Believe"
Entering the 2006–07 season, the Warriors held the active record (12) for the most consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance (see Active NBA non-playoff appearance streaks). During the 2006 off-season, Golden State announced that it had bought out the remaining two years of coach Montgomery's contract and hired previous Golden State and former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson to take over for him. During training camp, small forward Matt Barnes established himself in the rotation. On January 17, 2007, the Warriors traded the disappointing Murphy and Dunleavy with promising young power forward Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod to the Indiana Pacers for forward Al Harrington, forward/guard Stephen Jackson, guard Šarūnas Jasikevičius and forward Josh Powell. This trade allowed the Warriors to "run and gun" their way to the playoffs with a more athletic and talented team. On March 4, 2007, the Warriors suffered a 106–107 loss in Washington, the Wizards handing them their 6th straight loss when former Warrior Arenas hit a technical free throw with less than one second remaining after Nelson had protested a controversial call with the Warriors ahead by a slim margin. The loss dropped them to 26–35.
March 4 marked the turning point for the Warriors. The Warriors closed out the regular season (42–40) at 16–5 in their last 21 games. "We Believe" became the Warriors' slogan for the last two months of the season and the playoffs.
Led by a healthy Baron Davis, an ever-improving Jason Richardson and young future star off-guard Monta Ellis as well as center Biedriņš, the Warriors immediately dashed the highly favored top-seed Dallas Mavericks' expectations of a short and easy series win with a Game 1 victory in Dallas thanks to Davis' frantic style of play. The Mavericks came back to win Game 2 easily to tie the series at a game apiece, but the Warriors won both Games 3 & 4 with a huge lift from the home crowd at Oracle Arena. A close Game 5 saw the Mavericks eke out a 118–112 victory with a last-minute surge led by superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki to send the series back to California at 3–2. In Game 6, the Warriors engineered a third-quarter 18–0 run to eliminate the Mavericks and become the NBA's first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series (and the first NBA No. 8 seed to beat the top seed since 1999 when the New York Knicks eliminated the Miami Heat). It was an upset in name only, given the fact that the Warriors had swept the Mavericks in the regular season series.
The Warriors went on to play the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2006–07 playoffs, where they dropped two close games at EnergySolutions Arena to open the series. The series then shifted to the Oracle Arena, where the Warriors won Game 3 in a convincing blowout. Davis scored 32 points and electrified the crowd with a monster dunk on Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko late in the fourth quarter, but they lost Game 4 at home, their first loss in Oakland in well over a month and the Jazz closed them out in Game 5 in Salt Lake City.
2007–2009: Return to struggling
In the 2007–08 season, the Warriors faced early difficulties in their attempt to return to the playoffs. Richardson was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for rookie Brandan Wright. To make things even worse, Jackson was suspended for seven games over a firearm incident. They opened the season with six straight losses, but Ellis' rise, Davis' solid injury-free season (21.6 points, 8 assists, 4.6 rebounds per game), and an overall improvement in team chemistry brought them back to playoff contention; but in the end the Warriors failed to make the playoffs despite a 48–34 record, which is the best record in NBA history for a non-playoff team since the NBA playoffs had expanded to eight teams per conference. The Western Conference was very strong that season; every playoff team won 50 games, leaving the Warriors two games out of the last playoff spot. The Warriors sold out nearly every home game during the season averaging 19,631 per game, the highest in team history.
In the 2008 off-season, Baron Davis opted to return to his home town and sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. With the 14th pick of that year's draft, the Warriors selected and signed Anthony Randolph out of LSU. To compensate for the loss of Davis, the Warriors signed free agents Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf and re-signed Ellis and Andris Biedriņš to long-term contracts.
The Warriors had a disappointing 2008–09 season, finishing 29–53. Ellis was injured in a moped accident, and suspended for 30 games for riding the vehicle against the terms of his contract, depriving the Warriors of their top player. They traded disenchanted forward Al Harrington to the New York Knicks for guard Jamal Crawford, and were undone by injuries and the minimal experience of their young players such as Anthony Morrow and Brandan Wright. Coach Nelson often had to make adjustments to the starting lineups since many of the original starters missed games due to injuries. Despite the team's losing record, the Warriors were hard to beat when they had a healthy lineup and a strong bench. With leadership and improvement in their young players, they were sometimes able to defeat powerhouse teams such as the Boston Celtics, 99–89.
2009–present: The Stephen Curry era
2009–2012: Continued struggles and good draft choices
Stephen Curry was drafted by the Golden State Warriors seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.
The Warriors chose future superstar point guard Stephen Curry of Davidson College with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. During the 2009 off-season, Warrior ownership declined to renew the contract of general manager Chris Mullin. Larry Riley, Nelson's longtime assistant coach, was promoted in his place; Riley drafted Curry and traded Jamal Crawford to the Atlanta Hawks for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.
The Warriors had another injury-prone year in 2009–10 as they were consistently unable to field their ideal starting lineup. In November, a malcontented Stephen Jackson and seldom-used Acie Law were traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Raja Bell (out for the season with an injury) and Vladimir Radmanovic. Four days later, they signed center Chris Hunter. Starting in January 2010, they issued multiple 10-day contracts, most notably to power forward Anthony Tolliver from the Idaho Stampede. Due to their multiple injuries, they were granted an exception allowing them to sign Reggie Williams from the Sioux Falls Skyforce to a 10-day contract on March 2. They eventually waived the injured Bell to sign Williams for the rest of the year and finished the season 26–56, failing to make the playoffs. Curry finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting to the Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Golden State Warriors logo 2010–2019.
The Warriors selected Ekpe Udoh, a power forward from Baylor, as the 6th pick of the 2010 NBA draft. They also introduced a modernized version of their "The City" logo depicting the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and switched to a simplified color scheme of royal blue and gold. They also introduced new uniforms reminiscent of the 1969–71 "The City" uniforms. The Warriors made an off-season trade that sent Turiaf, Randolph and Kelenna Azubuike to the New York Knicks in return for star high-scoring power forward David Lee via a sign-and-trade. Lee agreed to a six-year, $80 million deal, on a framework contingent on the decision of superstar forward LeBron James to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat that same day. Following Morrow's departure after he signed the New Jersey Nets' offer sheet, the Warriors signed Dorell Wright, formerly with the Miami Heat, to a three-year, $11 million deal.
On July 15, 2010, owner Chris Cohan sold the Warriors to Peter Guber of Mandalay Entertainment and his partner Joe Lacob for a then-record $450 million. On November 15, the Warriors announced the new 19-person ownership group composed of Joe Lacob, Peter Guber, Vivek Ranadivé, Erika Glazer, Fred Harman, Bob Piccinini, Larry Bowman, Danny German, Marty Glick, Chad Hurley, Craig R. Johnson, Bruce Karsh, Jeffrey A. Miller, Paul Schaeffer, David Scially, Nick Swinmurn, Harry Tsao, John Walecka and Dennis Wong.
The Warriors continued their 2010 off-season signing spree by adding Harvard guard Jeremy Lin to their roster with a one-year partially guaranteed contract containing a second-year team option; Lin became the first Taiwanese-American player in NBA history. Louis Amundson was then added for little under $5 million in mid-September. After coach Don Nelson resigned in September 2010, assistant coach Keith Smart was hired as the team's new head coach.
The Warriors won 36 games and failed to make the playoffs in 2010–11. The team broke a franchise record with 21 made three-pointers in a win against the Orlando Magic. In February 2011, the Warriors traded Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric for Troy Murphy and a 2011 second-round pick. On February 27, Murphy and the Warriors reached a buyout agreement and he was waived. In April 2011, Dorell Wright made a franchise record of 184 three-pointers in a season in a home win versus Los Angeles Lakers, surpassing Richardson's 183 in 2005–06. In a win against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wright then broke another NBA record, becoming the first player to have scored more points in his seventh season than in all his first six seasons combined. Wright ended the season with the most three-pointers made in the NBA that season with 194, as well as the most three-pointers attempted with 516; each mark set a new Warriors franchise record. Following the season, Curry received the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Coach Smart was dismissed on April 27, 2011 due to the change in ownership. Seventeen-year NBA veteran and former ABC and ESPN commentator Mark Jackson replaced Smart as head coach on June 6.
2012–2014: Moving towards success
Add a photo to this galleryDespite early-season injuries to Brandon Rush and Andrew Bogut, and despite starting two rookies (Barnes and Ezeli), the 2012–13 Warriors had one of their best starts in decades. The team earned 20 wins in less than 30 games played for the first time since 1992. The Warriors also achieved a milestone by completing their first ever 6–1 road trip in franchise history, including a 97–95 win over the defending champion Heat in Miami. On April 9, 2013, with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors clinched the playoffs for the second time in 19 years and the first time since the 2006–07 "We Believe" Warriors. This time, the local battle cry was "We Belong". The team finished the season with a record of 47–35, earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference, and defeated the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs by winning four out of six games. They lost in the second round to the San Antonio Spurs, four games to two. This was the first playoff experience for all of the starters of this group except for Andrew Bogut.[44] Other highlights of the season included Stephen Curry's 272 three-point baskets (an NBA single-season record for the player nicknamed "baby-faced assassin") and the naming of forward David Lee to the 2013 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve, ending the team's 16-year drought without an All Star selection. Curry and Klay Thompson, dubbed the "Splash Brothers" by team employee Brian Witt for their backcourt shooting prowess, combined for 483 three-pointers during the season, easily besting the prior record of 435 set by the Orlando Magic's Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott in 1995–96.
During the 2013 off-season, Golden State signed former Denver Nuggets swingman and future NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to a four-year, $48 million deal. To make room under the salary cap, the Warriors traded Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedriņš and Brandon Rush (along with multiple draft picks) to the Utah Jazz. With their lone selection in the 2013 NBA draft, the Warriors made 22-year-old Serbian combo-guard Nemanja Nedovic the 30th and final pick of the first round. Other off-season changes included the departure of free agents Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry and the signings of forward-center Marreese Speights,[49] center Jermaine O'Neal, point guard Toney Douglas, and Serbian center Ognjen Kuzmic.
The Warriors began the 2013–14 season showing flashes of brilliance and also plenty of lapses. In early December their record was 12–9, as compared to 17–4 the year before. One challenging factor was a tough starting schedule that saw them play 14 of their first 22 games on the road, including 10 games against teams holding playoff spots in the standings. A stream of injuries also held the team back, including injuries to Ezeli, Douglas, and O'Neal. Most prominently of all, Iguodala suffered a hamstring pull in late November that kept him out for over a month; during this period, the Warriors' performance suffered significantly on both the defensive and offensive ends of the court and the team posted a losing 5–7 record while revealing a lack of bench depth. With Iguodala back in the lineup, the Warriors went on a 10-game winning streak that included six consecutive wins on a single road trip, tying an NBA record. The winning streak was the longest for the franchise since the 1975 championship year, and fell just one win short of the team record of 11 consecutive wins.
To strengthen their underperforming bench, the Warriors made a three-team trade on January 15, sending Douglas to the Miami Heat and picking up guards Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks from the Boston Celtics.[54] A day before the trade deadline, the Warriors traded Kent Bazemore and Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for veteran point guard Steve Blake. Boosted by the additions of Blake and Crawford and the play of 35-year-old Jermaine O'Neal (who returned sooner than expected from wrist surgery), the Warriors were one of the winningest teams in the NBA after the All-Star break. On April 11, in a 112–95 stomping of the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, the Warriors clinched a playoff berth in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991 and 1992. However, just one day earlier in a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, Andrew Bogut suffered a cracked rib that would keep him out of the post-season; the injury dealt a big blow to the sixth-seed Warriors' playoff hopes.
Even as the team rolled towards the post-season, signs emerged of trouble in the Warriors' front office. On March 25, the team reassigned assistant coach Brian Scalabrine to the team's NBA Development League Affiliate in Santa Cruz because of what head coach Mark Jackson called a "difference in philosophies" and what unnamed league sources cited by Yahoo! Sports called "an increasingly dysfunctional atmosphere" on the Warriors' coaching staff.[57] Fewer than two weeks later, assistant coach Darren Erman was fired for secretly recording conversations between coaches, staff and players.
The Warriors ended the season with a record of 51–31. The team won more than 50 games for only the fourth time in franchise history, finished 20 games over .500 for the first time in 22 years, and tied the 1991–92 squad for the franchise's all-time mark of 24 wins on the road. Even without Bogut, the Warriors battled the third-seed Los Angeles Clippers to a seventh and deciding game in the first round of the playoffs before their 2013–14 season came to an end. It was season of many thrilling moments; the Warriors played in 17 regular-season games decided by two points or less, six games decided by winning shots in the final three seconds, and seven comeback wins in which the Warriors had been behind by 15 or more points. Curry also made his first appearance in the All-Star Game in 2014. Curry and Klay Thompson continued to set league records in three-point shooting. Curry, who finished the season with 261 threes, set an individual record for most three-pointers in a span of two seasons with 533, surpassing the previous mark of 478 set by former Seattle SuperSonics legend Ray Allen in 2004–05 and 2005–06. Together, Thompson and Curry combined for 484 threes on the year, besting by one the NBA record they had set the year before.
2014–2019: The Dynasty
The Warriors won their 4th title in franchise history during the 2014-2015 season. Stephen Curry won the NBA Most Valuable Player award this season. It also was Steve Kerr's first season as head coach. In the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games (4-2). Andre Iguodala was named Finals Most Valuable Player.
In 2016, the Warriors would set an NBA league record for most wins in the regular season, finishing with a record of 73–9, surpassing the Chicago Bulls' 72–10 record back in the 1995-96 season. In the 2016 NBA Finals, they faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year's finals. However, the Warriors would lose in seven games, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to lose an NBA Finals series after leading 3–1.
In 2017, the Warriors signed free agent Kevin Durant, making the Warriors prohibitive favorites to win the 2017 NBA championship, according to oddsmakers. The Warriors would sweep their way through the playoffs. In the 2017 NBA Finals, they were pitted against the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, meeting in their third consecutive NBA Finals matchup. The Warriors would get revenge, defeating the Cavaliers in 5 games to win their 5th title in franchise history. Kevin Durant was named Finals Most Valuable Player.
In 2018, the NBA Finals pitted the Warriors against the Cavaliers for the fourth consecutive season; this marked the first time in NBA history that the same two teams had met in the Finals for four consecutive years. The Warriors would go on to sweep the Cavaliers in 4 games, handing Cleveland its 2nd sweep in NBA Finals history, winning their 2nd straight title, and 6th title in franchise history, tying the Chicago Bulls for third-most NBA championships. It was the Warriors' 3rd championship in four seasons. Kevin Durant was awarded Finals Most Valuable Player for a second time. Following the Finals, many writers described the Warriors as a dynasty.
In 2019, the Warriors made their 5th consecutive NBA Finals, in hopes of accomplishing a three-peat, in which the Los Angeles Lakers was the last team to have accomplished the feat, back in 2000-2002. The Warriors met the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals, who were making their first NBA Finals appearance in the franchise history. However, significant injuries to Kevin Durant (ruptured achilles) and Klay Thompson (ACL tear) ended their bid for a three-peat, as the Warriors lost to the Raptors in 6 games.
The offseason saw the departures of many of the Warriors' key players. Kevin Durant left in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets, with the Warriors acquiring All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell as part of the deal. DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook both signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Andre Iguodala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Shaun Livingston was waived.
2019–present: Rebuilding
The Warriors played their first regular season game at Chase Center on October 24, 2019, in a 141–122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Despite lofty expectations, the Warriors got off to a 4–16 start, their worst since the 2000 season. Injuries were a major reason for the poor start. All-Star SG Klay Thompson missed the entire regular season with an ACL tear he suffered during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Stephen Curry was injured on October 30, 2019, which required surgery to repair his broken second metacarpal and was out for five months before making his return in March 2020. This, along with Thompson's injury rehab keeping him out the entire year, caused the Warriors to fall into a downward spiral to the worst record in the NBA.
With their 33rd loss against the Dallas Mavericks on January 14, 2020, they failed to reach 50 wins for the first time since 2013. From the end of December to the middle of January, the Warriors suffered a 10-game losing streak, the first time they have lost 10 games in a row since 2002. They also suffered their first losing season since 2012 following their 42nd loss to the Miami Heat. With their March 10, 2020 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2012 and missed the NBA Finals for the first time since 2015, ending their run of five consecutive Finals appearances.
However, they saw second round pick Eric Paschall, two-way player Damion Lee, and training camp pickup Marquese Chriss establish themselves as rotation players. At the trade deadline, the Warriors traded Russell, 2018 first round pick Jacob Evans, and recent acquisition Omari Spellman to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, a top 3 protected first round pick, and a second round pick, in an attempt to avoid paying luxury tax. Curry returned for one game on March 5 before the season was suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Warriors were not one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble on June 4, which ended their 2019-20 season.
Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Percentage
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Warriors (BAA) | |||||
| 1946-47 | 35 | 25 | .583 | Won First Round Won Conference Finals Won BAA Finals | Philadelphia 2, St. Louis 1 Philadelphia 2, New York 0 Philadelphia 4, Chicago 1 |
| 1947-48 | 27 | 21 | .563 | Won BAA Semifinals Lost BAA Finals | Philadelphia 4, St. Louis 3 Baltimore 4, Philadelphia 2 |
| 1948-49 | 28 | 32 | .355 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Washington 2, Philadelphia 0 |
| Philadelphia Warriors (NBA) | |||||
| 1949-50 | 26 | 42 | .382 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Syracuse 2, Philadelphia 0 |
| 1950-51 | 40 | 26 | .606 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Syracuse 2, Philadelphia 0 |
| 1951-52 | 33 | 33 | .500 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Syracuse 2, Philadelphia 1 |
| 1952-53 | 12 | 57 | .174 | ||
| 1953-54 | 29 | 43 | .403 | ||
| 1954-55 | 33 | 39 | .458 | ||
| 1955-56 | 45 | 27 | .625 | Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals | Philadelphia 3, Syracuse 2 Philadelphia 4, Fort Wayne 1 |
| 1956-57 | 37 | 35 | .514 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Syracuse 2, Philadelphia 0 |
| 1957-58 | 37 | 35 | .514 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals | Philadelphia 2, Syracuse 1 Boston 4, Philadelphia 1 |
| 1958-59 | 32 | 40 | .444 | ||
| 1959-60 | 49 | 26 | .653 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals | Philadelphia 2, Syracuse 1 Boston 4, Philadelphia 2 |
| 1960-61 | 46 | 33 | .582 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Syracuse 3, Philadelphia 0 |
| 1961-62 | 49 | 31 | .613 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals | Philadelphia 3, Syracuse 2 Boston 4, Philadelphia 3 |
| San Francisco Warriors | |||||
| 1962-63 | 31 | 49 | .388 | ||
| 1963-64 | 48 | 32 | .600 | Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals | San Francisco 4, St. Louis 3 Boston 4, San Francisco 1 |
| 1964-65 | 17 | 63 | .213 | ||
| 1965-66 | 35 | 45 | .438 | ||
| 1966-67 | 44 | 37 | .543 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals | San Francisco 3, Los Angeles 0 San Francisco 4, St. Louis 2 Philadelphia 4, San Francisco 2 |
| 1967-68 | 43 | 39 | .524 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals | San Francisco 4, St. Louis 2 Los Angeles 4, San Francisco 0 |
| 1968-69 | 41 | 41 | .500 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Los Angeles 4, San Francisco 2 |
| 1969-70 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
| 1970-71 | 41 | 41 | .500 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Milwaukee 4, San Francisco 1 |
| Golden State Warriors | |||||
| 1971-72 | 51 | 34 | .622 | Lost Conference Semifinals | Milwaukee 4, Golden State 1 |
| 1972-73 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals | Golden State 4, Milwaukee 2 Los Angeles 4, Golden State 1 |
| 1973-74 | 44 | 38 | .537 | ||
| 1974-75 | 48 | 34 | .585 | Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals | Golden State 4, Seattle 2 Golden State 4, Chicago 3 Golden State 4, Washington 0 |
| 1975-76 | 59 | 23 | .720 | Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals | Golden State 4, Detroit 2 Phoenix 4, Golden State 3 |
| 1976-77 | 46 | 36 | .561 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals | Golden State 2, Detroit 1 Los Angeles 4, Golden State 3 |
| 1977-78 | 43 | 39 | .524 | ||
| 1978-79 | 38 | 44 | .463 | ||
| 1979-80 | 24 | 58 | .293 | ||
| 1980-81 | 39 | 43 | .476 | ||
| 1981-82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | ||
| 1982-83 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
| 1983-84 | 37 | 45 | .451 | ||
| 1984-85 | 22 | 60 | .268 | ||
| 1985-86 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
| 1986-87 | 42 | 40 | .512 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals | Golden State 3, Utah 2 LA Lakers 4, Golden State 1 |
| 1987-88 | 20 | 62 | .244 | ||
| 1988-89 | 43 | 39 | .524 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals | Golden State 3, Utah 0 Phoenix 4, Golden State 1 |
| 1989-90 | 37 | 45 | .451 | ||
| 1990-91 | 44 | 38 | .537 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals | Golden State 3, San Antonio 1 LA Lakers 4, Golden State 1 |
| 1991-92 | 55 | 27 | .671 | Lost First Round | Seattle 3, Golden State 1 |
| 1992-93 | 34 | 48 | .415 | ||
| 1993-94 | 50 | 32 | .610 | Lost First Round | Phoenix 3, Golden State 0 |
| 1994-95 | 26 | 56 | .317 | ||
| 1995-96 | 36 | 46 | .439 | ||
| 1996-97 | 30 | 52 | .366 | ||
| 1997-98 | 19 | 63 | .232 | ||
| 1998-99 | 21 | 29 | .420 | ||
| 1999-00 | 19 | 63 | .232 | ||
| 2000-01 | 17 | 65 | .207 | ||
| 2001-02 | 21 | 61 | .256 | ||
| 2002-03 | 38 | 44 | .463 | ||
| 2003-04 | 37 | 45 | .451 | ||
| 2004-05 | 34 | 48 | .415 | ||
| 2005-06 | 34 | 48 | .415 | ||
| 2006-07 | 42 | 40 | .512 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals | Golden State 4, Dallas 2 Utah 4, Golden State 1 |
| 2007-08 | 48 | 34 | .585 | ||
| 2008-09 | 29 | 53 | .354 | ||
| 2009-10 | 26 | 56 | .317 | ||
| 2010-11 | 36 | 46 | .439 | ||
| 2011-12 | 23 | 43 | .348 | ||
| 2012-13 | 47 | 35 | .573 | Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals | Golden State 4, Denver 2 San Antonio 4, Golden State 2 |
| 2013-14 | 51 | 31 | .622 | Lost First Round | LA Clippers 4, Golden State 3 |
| 2014-15 | 67 | 15 | .817 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals | Golden State 4, New Orleans 0 Golden State 4, Memphis 2 Golden State 4, Houston 1 Golden State 4, Cleveland 2 |
| 2015–16 | 73 | 9 | .890 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals | Golden State 4, Houston 1 Golden State 4, Portland 1 Golden State 4, Oklahoma City 3 Cleveland 4, Golden State 3 |
| 2016-17 | 67 | 15 | .817 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals | Golden State 4, Portland 0 Golden State 4, Utah 0 Golden State 4, San Antonio 0 Golden State 4, Cleveland 1 |
| 2017-18 | 58 | 24 | .707 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals | Golden State 4, San Antonio 1 Golden State 4, New Orleans 1 Golden State 4, Houston 3 Golden State 4, Cleveland 0 |
| 2018-19 | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals | Golden State 4, LA Clippers 2 Golden State 4, Houston 2 Golden State 4, Portland 0 Toronto 4, Golden State 2 |
| 2019-20 | 15 | 50 | .231 | ||
| Totals | 2,787 | 2,998 | .485 | ||
| Playoffs | 190 | 159 | .544 | 6 Championships | |
Head coaches
| Coach | Years active |
|---|---|
| Edward Gottlieb | 1946-1955 |
| George Senesky | 1955-1958 |
| Al Cervi | 1958-1959 |
| Neil Johnston | 1959-1961 |
| Frank McGuire | 1961-1962 |
| Bob Feerick | 1962-1963 |
| Alex Hannum | 1963-1966 |
| Bill Sharman | 1966-1968 |
| George Lee | 1968-1970 |
| Al Attles | 1970-1980 |
| Johnny Bach | 1980 |
| Al Attles | 1980-1983 |
| Johnny Bach | 1983-1986 |
| George Karl | 1986-1988 |
| Ed Gregory | 1988 |
| Don Nelson | 1988-1995 |
| Bob Lanier | 1995 |
| Rick Adelman | 1995-1997 |
| P. J. Carlesimo | 1997-1999 |
| Garry St. Jean | 1999-2000 |
| Dave Cowens | 2000-2001 |
| Brian Winters | 2001-2002 |
| Eric Musselman | 2002-2004 |
| Mike Montgomery | 2004-2006 |
| Don Nelson | 2006-2010 |
| Keith Smart | 2010-2011 |
| Mark Jackson | 2011-2014 |
| Steve Kerr | 2014-Present |
Template:GoldenStateWarriorsCoach
Players of note
Basketball Hall of Famers
- 11 Paul Arizin
- 24 Rick Barry
- 13 Wilt Chamberlain
- 10 Joe Fulks
- 14 Tom Gola
- 6 Neil Johnston
- 16 Jerry Lucas
- 17 Chris Mullin
- 00 Robert Parish
- 17 Andy Phillip
- 42 Nate Thurmond
- Eddie Gottlieb (team founder-owner)
Arizin, Fulks, Gola, Johnston and Phillip played all or most of their tenure with the Warriors in Philadelphia. Chamberlain's tenure was about evenly divided between Philadelphia and San Francisco. Lucas and Parrish were elected mainly for their performances with other teams. Thurmond and Barry are the only Hall-of-Famers who spent significant time with the team since the 1971 move to Oakland and the name change to "Golden State."
Meschery, Attles, Barry, Thurmond and Mullin are also members of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
Current roster
- 12 - Ky Bowman
- 8 - Alec Burks
- 2 - Willie Cauley-Stein
- 32 - Marquese Chriss
- 30 - Stephen Curry
- 23 - Draymond Green
- 1 - Damion Lee
- 5 - Kevon Looney
- 7 - Eric Paschall
- 3 - Jordan Poole
- 22 - Glenn Robinson
- 6 - Alen Smailagić
- 11 - Klay Thompson
- 22 - Andrew Wiggins
Not to be forgotten
Retired numbers
- 13 Wilt Chamberlain, C, 1959–1965
- 14 Tom Meschery, F, 1961–1967
- 16 Al Attles, G, 1960–1971
- 17 Chris Mullin, G/F, 1985–1997; General Manager, 2000–2001
- 24 Rick Barry, F, 1965–1967, 1972–1978
- 42 Nate Thurmond, C, 1963–1974
Notes
- In July 2019, the team announced its intentions to retire No. 35 for Kevin Durant and No. 9 for Andre Iguodala when both of them retire.
High points
Franchise leaders
- Games - Chris Mullin (807)
- Minutes Played - Nate Thurmond (30,729)
- Field Goals Made - Wilt Chamberlain (7,216)
- Field Goals Attempted - Rick Barry (14,392)
- 3-Point Field Goals Made - Jason Richardson (700)
- 3-Point Field Goal Attempts - Jason Richardson (2001)
- Free Throws Made - Paul Arizin (5,010)
- Free Throw Attempts - Paul Arizin (6,189)
- Offensive Rebounds - Larry Smith (2,709)
- Defensive Rebounds - Larry Smith (3,731)
- Total Rebounds - Nate Thurmond (12,771)
- Assists - Guy Rodgers (4,855)
- Steals - Chris Mullin (1,360)
- Blocked Shots - Adonal Foyle (1,090)
- Turnovers - Chris Mullin (2,110)
- Personal Fouls - Paul Arizin (2,764)
- Points - Wilt Chamberlain (17,783)
Individual awards
- Wilt Chamberlain - 1960
- Rick Barry - 1975
- Woody Sauldsberry - 1958
- Wilt Chamberlain - 1960
- Rick Barry - 1966
- Jamaal Wilkes - 1975
- Mitch Richmond - 1989
- Chris Webber - 1994
NBA Most Improved Player of the Year
- Gilbert Arenas - 2003
- Monta Ellis - 2007
- Dick Vertlieb - 1975
- Alex Hannum - 1964
- Don Nelson - 1992
- Joe Fulks - 1947, 1948, 1949
- Howie Dallmar - 1948
- Paul Arizin - 1952, 1956, 1957
- Neil Johnston - 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956
- Wilt Chamberlain - 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964
- Rick Barry - 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1976
- Chris Mullin - 1992
- Latrell Sprewell - 1994
- Joe Fulks - 1951
- Andy Phillip - 1952, 1953
- Jack George - 1956
- Neil Johnston - 1957
- Tom Gola - 1958
- Paul Arizin - 1959
- Wilt Chamberlain - 1963
- Rick Barry - 1973
- Phil Smith - 1976
- Bernard King - 1982
- Chris Mullin - 1989, 1991
- Tim Hardaway - 1992
- Chris Mullin - 1990
- Tim Hardaway - 1993
Template:Column NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Nate Thurmond - 1969, 1971
- Rudy LaRusso - 1969
- Nate Thurmond - 1972, 1973, 1974
- Phil Smith - 1976
- Jamaal Wilkes - 1976, 1977
- E.C. Coleman - 1978
- Latrell Sprewell - 1994
- Nate Thurmond - 1964
- Fred Hetzel - 1966
- Rick Barry - 1966
- Keith Wilkes - 1975
- Gus Williams - 1976
- Larry Smith - 1981
- Joe Barry Carroll - 1981
- Mitch Richmond - 1989
- Tim Hardaway - 1990
- Billy Owens - 1992
- Chris Webber - 1994
- Joe Smith - 1996
- Marc Jackson - 2001
- Jason Richardson - 2002
- Latrell Sprewell - 1993
- Donyell Marshall - 1995
- Antawn Jamison - 1999
References
External links
- Official
- Golden State Warriors Official Website – Player profile, statistics, biography, and wallpapers.
- Blogs
- Golden State of Mind- Warriors Community + news, hype, rumors, humor, science, history, and fashion
- The W Column - Golden State Warriors analysis on FSN Bay Area
- Message Boards
- WarriorsWorld Forum – Bulletin board to discuss the Golden State Warriors.
- Warriors Roundtable - Message board / Fan Forum for Golden State Warriors.
| Preceded by Inaugural | BAA Champions Philadelphia Warriors 1947 | Succeeded by Baltimore Bullets 1948 |
| Preceded by Syracuse Nationals 1955 | NBA Champions Philadelphia Warriors 1956 | Succeeded by Boston Celtics 1957 |
| Preceded by Boston Celtics 1974 | NBA Champions Golden State Warriors 1975 | Succeeded by Boston Celtics 1976 |
| Preceded by San Antonio Spurs 2014 | NBA Champions Golden State Warriors 2015 | Succeeded by Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 |
| Preceded by Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 | NBA Champions Golden State Warriors 2017 & 2018 | Succeeded by Toronto Raptors 2019 |
| National Basketball Association | ||||
| Commissioners | ||||
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