Golden State Warriors Advance To Sixth NBA Finals In Eight Years, Keep Dynasty Alive

Just when you think it’s over, the Golden State Warriors force everyone to recalibrate. After two seasons hampered by injuries, the Dubs have reached their sixth NBA Finals in the last eight years.

Not only is this level of sheer dominance incredibly difficult to sustain in the modern NBA, but the continuity is just as rare. The core three of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson have remained together for 586 total games, which is something you never see in this era of high roster turnover and player movement. In the current landscape, where teammates often grow sick of each other quicker and contracts are much shorter, it’s unbelievable for this Warriors’ core to still be intact.

This form of loyalty and brotherhood is unique. It’s also a major reason why this version of the Warriors has won over the hearts of many fans who used to denigrate them.

That’s before you add the historical achievements to the conversation. The combination of the two is what solidifies Golden State on the Mount Rushmore of NBA dynasties.

Together, they have formed a bond and legacy that only Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili matched as a trio. San Antonio’s Hall-of-Famers led the Spurs through the West six different times; five Finals trips from 1999 to 2007, then twice more in 2013 and 2014. Over the last 30 years in NBA history, the Duncan-Parker-Ginóbili trio has the most playoff series wins, storming through 27 opponents. Curry-Green-Thompson might still have a ways to go, but they are now second on that list with 21 series victories.

“Just a DNA that you can’t really teach,” Curry said Thursday after reaching the Finals. “I mean, the pieces fit, first and foremost. With our core, how we play, what we do, and what makes us unique. But you have to have that competitive spirit and fire. The way that we just find ways to win games, especially during the playoffs when it matters the most. It’s built on years and years of experience and the chemistry that we’ve built.”

If you want to go back even further, the Dubs can also be linked to Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and head coach Pat Riley as an historical trio.

Much like those Showtime Lakers from the 1980s, these Warriors are illustrating a decade of destruction that leaves all 29 other teams envious of the star power, commitment, and joy that trickles down from the leader.

Curry is the face of the NBA’s three-point era, much like Magic inspired millions of fans and young players in the 80s, and similar to Michael Jordan’s inevitability throughout the 90s (which we’ll get to soon).

The toughest challenge in any team sport is staying on top of the mountain. If you can sustain it for four years, you’re the best team of the decade. To double that, there needs to be something special under the hood. Everything needs to be top-of-the-line quality.

There are countless factors that go into team building and longevity as a group. In reality, it starts with ownership putting the right people in place. Owners that are willing to spend for greatness and cut substantial checks – not just on talent, but forward-thinking front office members – are the ones that thrive. Warriors owner Joe Lacob has been adamant from day one that he’s willing to do anything it takes to keep the Curry-Green-Thompson trio on this stage, regardless if that means paying the most luxury tax penalties of any team in history.

It’s not enough to just spend and retain your pieces, though. There is always a need for improvement. Even after making the Finals, you have to keep building. Your staff has to get a strike of luck in the draft, such as being spot-on about Jordan Poole’s potential as an offensive difference-maker. If he’s not providing the spark off the bench, this run probably doesn’t continue at this level. Then, the front office has nail every on-the-margin signing, luring valuable role players into the system with limited financial resources. As a team well over the salary cap, the veteran’s minimum contracts cannot be wasted.

Still, even if the team-building tactics work in your favor, everything comes back to the leaders. Curry and Green set the culture for every player that rotates in and out of the system. With their veteran expertise, expectations are in order from day one. In much smaller bodies, they are the Magic and Kareem of this era.

In a year Curry and Green knew their splash brother was returning from an agonizing rehab process, they also realized there’s no time to mess around. Things had to pick up where they left off.

“I’ve always said, nobody has proven they can beat us yet when we’re whole,” Green said. “That is still the case. I never doubt what we’re capable of. I think as we saw the year go on, you can kind of see this team is capable of putting a great run together.”

We are nearly a decade into Golden State cleaning house in the Western Conference. They have tied an NBA record for the most consecutive intraconference series wins. It’s now 18-0 in the West since the moment Steve Kerr took over in October 2014. That was almost 2,800 days ago.

The Warriors have outlasted James Harden’s Rockets. Four of those 18 playoff series victories were against Houston, the final two being some of the most satisfying wins of Curry’s career.

They got through San Antonio twice, although the Kawhi Leonard injury in 2017 removed all of the zest from that matchup.

They outlasted Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum’s Trail Blazers, sending them home three separate times and sweeping the West Finals in 2019.

Golden State put the final nail in the coffin of the KD-Westbrook partnership in 2016, then immediately persuaded Oklahoma City’s cornerstone to bring his talents to the Bay Area.

To top it off, the Warriors have now lasted twice as long as LeBron James’ tenures in Miami (2010-2014) and Cleveland (2014-2018). In year eight of the journey together, Golden State is showing why they are the anomaly. Teams aren’t supposed to own an entire conference for longer than four years. If they do, there will typically be playoff losses or disappointments to interrupt the success.

Strictly in the Western Conference, there have been no hiccups outside of devastating, year-long injuries. Counting each individual game in the West playoffs, the Warriors are now 72-21 (.774).

Think about that. Putting it into terms of an 82-game regular season, this group has maintained a 64-win pace ... in West playoff games.

So, it’s not that Golden State has just capitalized on being a top seed for most of this journey. Under Curry’s leadership, they have displayed the poise and championship DNA to walk into road arenas and get the job done. This latest West Finals victory also marked the 26th consecutive series the Warriors have won a road game — extending their own NBA record, which started before Kerr arrived on the scene.

It’s true: We will never know for certain if the Dubs could’ve kept this going in 2019-20 had Thompson not suffered a torn ACL and Curry not broken his hand. While I can say I’m 95% sure that particular roster had no shot at making a deep playoff run, it still serves as more of a ‘break’ in the dynasty than a failed season.

The following year, with Curry having one of the best years of his career, the Warriors likely would have been right back in the picture. But, Thompson tore his Achilles and it set them back another 12 months.

Internally, of course 2021 felt like a wasted season for Golden State. Curry is 34, while Thompson and Green are 32. An All-Star’s prime doesn’t last forever and, at some point, this dominance will end.

However, the minor setback allowed for the Warriors to build up their young talent from the draft, namely Jordan Poole. It opened the door for them to explore various trade options for D’Angelo Russell, who they didn’t see as part of the long-term vision anyway. It gave them a chance to mold Andrew Wiggins into the wing they’ve needed since Durant departed, instilling championship habits on the defensive end.

Was it worth the two-year absence from the playoffs?

“The feeling leaving the 2019 Finals, realizing we had been on an amazing journey and got hit with a lot of adversity and speed bumps ... we never lost faith that we could get back here,” Curry expressed after closing out Dallas. “It’s a fine line of reflecting and celebrating this moment, for sure. Because you can’t take it for granted. Nothing is ever guaranteed.”

Give the All-NBA trio a lie-detector test and they will probably always wonder if this could be the eighth straight Finals appearance if everyone stayed healthy.

But, as we know, that’s not the reality of the NBA. There will always be unexpected injuries. Whether or not you believe everything happens for a reason, there is some truth to the notion that Golden State needed the temporary time away from this stage.

The long road back has rejuvenated life into the organization, from top to bottom. It has given them an opportunity to improve the roster around their pillars.

Most importantly to the viewers, it has given everyone a chance to miss them.

Entering the 2022 NBA Finals, which begin on June 2, the Warriors will look to cap this eight-year run with their fourth championship. Like it or not, as it pertains to Finals appearances, Golden State is now in rarified air with the most popular dynasty in basketball history.

The last team to reach six Finals in an eight-year stretch was the Chicago Bulls from the 1990 to 1998 seasons, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The last five years of the Chicago run also included Steve Kerr, who came off the bench for Phil Jackson’s teams from 1993 to 1998.

During that span, the Bulls had a winning percentage of 74.7% in the regular season and 74.3% in the playoffs. Due to the Warriors’ myriad of injuries in 2019-20, their regular season record doesn’t quite stack up to Chicago’s. However, looking at their playoff success, a record of 89-32 is pretty legendary, even if it falls under the Bulls’ 101-35 rampage:

*Entering NBA Finals

Since both the Warriors and Bulls made six Finals appearances during their respective stretches, it’s interesting if you remove the two seasons in which neither team made it there.

Looking only at their Finals teams, Golden State’s record since 2014 is currently 464-149 (.757) compared to Chicago’s 478-130 (.786).

Jordan’s Bulls still edge the Warriors in terms of winning percentage, but the fact that it’s even close should elevate these Dubs in all-time discussions, simply for being this powerful in a deeper and more skilled era.

Right before Golden State embarked on their second playoff run in April 2016, owner Joe Lacob opened the door for future mockery. When he claimed the Dubs are “light years ahead” of the rest of the league, fans didn’t appreciate that degree of confidence.

But, ever since that moment, Lacob has proven to be correct. They signed the best one-on-one scorer in league history three months later. And now, the dynasty has been revived after many people wrote them off in 2019.

More than anyone, Green remembers how quickly the sports world tried to turn the page. Three years ago, after losing in the Finals, Green warned everyone that Golden State would eventually return to their throne as West powerhouses.

Did he realize it would take this long? Surely not. That’s why the dreadful wait has given him a new perspective.

“I think every journey is different and you appreciate each and every one of them,” Green said Thursday after punching another ticket to the Finals. “For me, this time around, I just have a deeper appreciation for it and understanding that it’s not promised. Things can change in the blink of an eye, so you have to take advantage of your opportunity when you are here.”

“As you grow,” Green explained, “you just realize how special it is.”