They were the top dogs of the Western
Conference for five straight seasons, capturing three titles in that time
period. Injuries, particular to one half of their “Splash Brothers” backcourt
and the retirement and departures via trades and free agency brought an end to
their reign atop the NBA mountain and was followed by registering the worst
record in “The Association” two seasons back and just missing the Playoffs the
season before because they lost both their playoff clinching chances inaugural
Play-In Tournament. Behind a return health of the “Splash Brothers;” the play
of key figures of their rebuilt supporting cast and a collective defensive
effort to along with their dynamic offensive execution when they were kings of
the NBA, the boys from the “Bay Area Finals finished their three-year climb
back atop of the NBA mountain and can call themselves champions again.
With their second consecutive win at the
Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 103-90, the Western Conference champion Golden
State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals in six games, capturing their fourth
Larry O’Brien trophy since 2015 and their seventh overall in franchise history
(1947, 1948, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022). They are now 7-5 in the
championship round in their history.
Most Championships Won NBA History
Los Angeles Lakers: 17 Miami Heat: 3 New York Knicks: 2
Boston Celtics: 17 Detroit
Pistons: 3
Golden State Warriors: 7 Philadelphia
76ers: 3
Chicago Bulls: 6 Milwaukee
Bucks: 2
San Antonio Spurs: 5 Houston
Rockets 2
Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers,
Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks
(St. Louis): 1 each.
This was the fourth title for the “Core Five”
of this Warriors dynasty in perennial All-Stars and All-NBA selections in
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr.
With their victory at the Celtics last Thursday
night, Curry, Thompson, and Green tied San Antonio Spurs trio Hall of Famer Tim
Duncan and future Hall of Famers Tony Parker
and Manu Ginobili for the most NBA championships by an All-NBA trio with
four and separated themselves by two more victories in NBA Finals history by an
All-NBA trio 21 to 19. The Warriors trio set the record for most Finals wins by
an All-NBA trio with their 20th in the 104-94 win in Game 5 versus
the Celtics on June 13.
To put into context the kind of success
the Warriors have had led by their “Core Five,” they have gone 22-2 in the
postseason, with the only two defeats sustained in the 2016 Finals versus the
then LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2019 Finals versus the
Toronto Raptors in seven and six games respectably.
Winning their fourth title in the past
eight seasons, the Warriors became the first team since the Chicago Bulls
(1991-98) led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and head coach
Phil Jackson to win that many titles in that span of time.
With their win in Game 4 at the Celtics
(107-97) back on June 7, the Warriors dating back to the 2013 Playoffs, their
first postseason appearance since 2007 have won road game in 27 consecutive playoff
series, longest active streak in NBA Playoff history.
The Warriors, who won three of their last
five road games dating back to the West Finals against Dallas Mavericks,
finished this postseason 5-5 on the road (11-1 at home) became just the second
team all-time to clinch NBA title at the Celtics. The first was the Los Angeles
Lakers in 1985.
Leading the charge for the Warriors was
Curry, who masterful performance in the Game 6 clincher with 34 points, seven
assists, seven rebounds, two steals on 12/21 shooting, including 6/11 from
three-point range in the Game 6 title clincher earned him the Bill Russell NBA
Finals MVP Award for the 2022 Finals, the first of his career and adding the
one thing many of his critics said was missing from his career resume that
consist of eight All-Star appearances; eight All-NBA selections; two-time
scoring titles; a two-time Kia MVP; and most made three-pointers in a
single-season; in a single game in terms of made triples (1,2,3, 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12);
and made three-pointers in NBA history.
Most 30-Point Games In Finals Clinchers In
NBA History
Michael Jordan: 5
Stephen Curry (GS): 3
Shaquille O’Neal: 2
Bill Russell: 2
Most 30-Point Games NBA
Finals History
Jerry West: 31 Bob Pettit: 14
Michael Jordan: 23
Stephen Curry (GS): 13
LeBron James (LAL): 22 Kobe
Bryant: 13
Elgin Baylor: 19
Shaquille O’Neal: 16
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 16
While he did not need to capture a Finals
MVP to prove his greatness in his NBA career, he did revel in the moment as did
his teammates in watching their leader leave no doubt on who the best player
was in the 2022 Finals as his teammates chanted “MVP! MVP! MVP!”
“It means we won. It means we took advantage
of the opportunity to get back here,” Curry said to ABC’s Lisa Salters after
receiving The Finals MVP in the Larry O’Brien trophy and Finals trophy
presentation after the win.
Stephen Curry In Winning Finals MVP
-Became the second oldest player (34 years, 95 days)
to win Finals MVP for first time, with late Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlin being
the oldest.
-Became the sixth different player to win Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in
the same season, joining Hall of Famers Willis Reed, Michael Jordan, Shaquille
O’Neal, and the late Kobe Bryant, and Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time Kia MVP Giannis
Antetokounmpo.
-Became the fifth player to win Finals MVP, multiple Kia MVPs, and a scoring
title in their career, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, and
Chamberlin, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.
-Third at 6’2’’ or shorter to win Finals MVP, joining Tony Parker and Hall of
Famer Isiah Thomas.
-10th player to win multiple MVPs and Finals MVP
Two seasons back, Curry broke his lefthand
Oct. 30, 2019 versus the Phoenix Suns that shelved him for all but one more
game that season before the league halted play because of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) global pandemic in the middle of March 2020. Curry played just five
games total in 2019-20.
He came back in 2020-21 with a vengeance
winning his second career scoring title averaging 32.0 points per contest in
the leading the Warriors to a 39-33 record in the league’s 72-game shortened
season. But the Warriors failed to make the playoffs as they lost both games in
the inaugural Play-In Tournament at the Lakers and versus the Memphis Grizzlies
in overtime.
Following that loss versus the team that
they would take down in the 2022 West Semifinals, Curry said after that loss
postgame of May 21, 2021 that had them just miss the playoffs, “It’s a special
year all things considered, you know.”
“A new experience for me, Draymond, and
Loon [Kevon Looney]. Tried to make the most of it. Come back, bottle this up.
Everybody make the right strides. Take advantage of the summer. You don’t want
to see us next year.”
Curry and the Warriors would live up to
that billing starting 29-7 out the gates in 2021-22 and finished third in the
Western Conference at 53-29. They took down the Denver Nuggets in the First
Round 4-1. Just like in their first title run in 2015, the Warriors took down
the upstart Memphis Grizzlies 4-2. They then took down the upstart Mavericks in
the previously mentioned 2022 Western Conference Finals 4-1 to return to The
Finals after a two-year absence.
The Warriors fell behind in the Celtics in
The Finals 2-1 after dropping Game 3 (116-100) on June 8. But won the final
three games of the series to take down the Celtics 4-2.
“Man, I’m so proud of our,” Curry, who
averaged 31.2 points, six assists and five boards for the series said to
Salters while shedding tears after the Game 6 title clinching win. “I thank God
every day that I get to play this game at the highest level with some amazing
people. I mean, we do know that this is what it’s all about, playing for
championship and what we’ve been through the last three years.”
“At the beginning of the season, nobody
thought we’d be here, except everybody on this court right now. It’s amazing.
Very surreal though. Very surreal.”
Curry, who registered 30-plus points in
four out of the six games in the 2022 Finals displayed his greatness especially
in the final three games of the series.
In a must have Game 4 at the Celtics 11
days ago, Curry was incredible with his third double-double of the 2022
Postseason of 43 points and 10 rebounds on 14/26 from the field, including 7/14
from three-point range. He got things started with 12 points in the first
quarter and 19 points in the opening half on 7/15 from the field, but just 2/8
on this threes. He kept it going in the third quarter scoring 14 points,
hitting 4/5 on his triple tries after going 2/8 from behind the three-point arc
in the opening half. Curry put the finishing touches on his Game 4 performance
Celtics with 10 points on 5/6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter,
hitting a key three-pointer and two-pointer as part of a Warriors 10-0 run that
put them up 100-94 late in the final period.
Curry Also Game 4 2022 Finals
-Fourth straight game making at least five threes.
-43 points are second most in a Finals game in his career.
-Registered his 10th career Finals game with 30 points and five made
threes (no other player all-time has more than two such games in NBA Finals
history).
-His 33 points through three quarters was his 13th career 30-point
game in his Finals career, which at the time was tied for No. 8 all-time with
Bryant.
Oldest Players With 40 Points And 10
Rebounds In A Game In NBA Finals History
LeBron James (LAL) 2020 at age 35
Stephen Curry (GS) 2022 at age 34
Wilt Chamberlin 1970 at age 33
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1980 at age 33
In Game 5, a 104-94 win by the Warriors
that got them with one more win of their eventual seventh title in their
history, Curry shook off a subpar performance of 16 points on 7/22 shooting,
including 0/9 from three-point range by registering eight assists, many of
which set up his teammates for open looks on the perimeter as well as finishes
at the rim.
It marked the first time in 133 career
playoffs games where Curry did not make a three-pointer. It was also the first
game that Curry failed to make a three-pointer (regular season or postseason)
since going 0/4 on his triple tries Nov. 18, 2018, a 134-111 loss versus the
Bucks.
Curry’s Career Three-Pointer Streaks That
Concluded Game 5 2022 Finals
-233 straight games (regular season, playoffs, and
play-in) of making at least one three-pointer.
-132 straight playoff games making at least one three-pointer.
-38 straight postseason games making multiple triples.
Curry more than made up for his 0/9
performance from distance going 6/11 from three-point range on Thursday night
in the series clinching victory for the Warriors at the Celtics.
In capturing his first Finals MVP, Curry
became just the fourth player in Finals history to average 30/5/5
(points/rebounds/assists) multiple times, joining Jordan, fellow Hall of Famer
Jerry West, and James.
Players To Average 30 Points, Five
Rebounds, Five Assists Multiple Times NBA Finals History
Stephen Curry (GS) 2019 Finals: 30.5 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.2 rpg
(loss)
2020 Finals: 31.2 ppg, 5.0 apg, 6.0 rpg (win)
Michael Jordan 1991 Finals: 31.2 ppg, 11.4 apg, 6.6
rpg (win)
1993 Finals: 41.0 ppg, 6.3 apg,
8.5 rpg (win)
1997 Finals: 32.3
ppg, 6.0 apg, 7.0 rpg (win)
Jerry West 1966 Finals: 33.9 ppg, 5.1 apg,
6.4 rpg (loss)
1968 Finals: 31.3 ppg, 5.7 apg,
5.8 rpg (loss)
LeBron James (LAL) 2015 Finals: 35.8 ppg, 8.8 apg, 13.3 rpg
w/Cavaliers (loss)
2017
Finals: 33.6 ppg, 10.0 apg, 12.0 rpg w/Cavaliers (loss)
2018 Finals: 34.0 ppg, 10.0 apg, 8.5 rpg
w/Cavaliers (loss)
Curry became the first player in Finals history to average 30/5/5 while making
on average 5 three-pointers.
With his 31 made threes in the 2022
Finals, Curry added to his record of total triples made in Finals history now
at 152 (going 152/385 on his threes in his Finals career), on a percentage of
made threes at 39.5 percent.
Curry’s 31 made three-pointers in total,
which set a new Finals record for a six-game series, breaking his own mark of
25 total made threes set in the team’s 2015 championship run and fell one made
three shy of equaling his own record for made triples in any Finals series with
32 set in the 2016 seven-game setback against the Cavaliers. He also shot 43.7
percent on his threes in the 2022 Finals, a career-high
Most Made Three-Pointers In Six-Game
Finals Series All-Time
Stephen Curry of Warriors: 31 in 2022
Stephen Curry of Warriors: 25 in 2015
Klay Thompson of Warriors: 24 in 2019
Stephen Curry’s Three-Point Performances
In His NBA Finals Career
Year 3-Pt. Made/Attempts 3-Pt.%
2015 25/65 38.5%
2016 32/80 40.0%
2017 19/49 38.8%
2018 22/53 41.5%
2019 23/67 34.3%
2022 31/71 43.7%
“We were so far away from it,” Curry said
to Salters about how much it meant to get back to the championship round and
win it. “We were here five straight years and got three of them and you hit
rock bottom with injuries and the long road of work ahead and just trying to
fill in the right pieces and right guys.”
“You never take this for granted because
you never know when you’ll be back here. And to get back and get it done means
the world.”
Three years ago, when Thompson went down
with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in the third
quarter of the 2019 Finals versus the Raptors after scoring 30 points in 32
minutes, there were many questions of would he ever return to the form that
made him one of the best two-way wing players in the league. Those questions
became even more paramount when he suffered a torn right Achilles right before
the start of training camp in November 2020.
For two years, Thompson watched in pain
and agony as the Warriors went from dominating opponents to being dominated.
After weeks of excruciating
rehabilitation, Thompson returned to the hardwood Jan. 9 versus the Cavaliers
after a 941-day absence.
There were times in which Thompson looked
like his three-point making, guarding the best perimeter player on the opposing
team solidly and then there were times he looked like a player that had been on
the shelf for two full seasons.
Through the 2022 Playoffs, Thompson
started each series off slowly trying to figure out how he could be effective
on both ends of the floor.
Thompson would figure it and was at his
Hall of Fame best in the Warriors closeout games the previous two rounds of
this postseason scoring 30 points with eight boards and three blocks on 11/22
shooting, including 8/14 from three-point range in the 110-96 win in Game 6 of
the West Semis versus the Grizzlies on May 13.
Eleven days later, Thompson added to his
Game 6 legacy with 32 points on 12/25 shooting, and 8/16 from three in the West
Finals Game 6 clinching victory (120-110) versus the Mavericks.
After a rough beginning to The Finals,
scoring on average of 13 points on 10/33 shooting, including 4/15 on his
triples the first two games, Thompson had 25 points on 5/13 from three in the
Game 3 loss (116-100) at the Celtics on June 8. He was steady in both victories
in Games 4 and 5 scoring 18 and 21 points going 4/10 and 5/11 on his threes.
In his interview with Salters during the
trophy presentation, Thompson said watching the playoffs the past two seasons
was “killing” him and he was “thankful” to be back on the championship stage
with his teammates and how they got off to a strong start to this season at
29-7 laid the foundation for their championship run.
“It’s crazy. I’m on cloud 109 right now
Lisa. I don’t even know what to say,” Thompson, who averaged 17.0 points on 35
percent from three-point range in 2022 Finals said to Salters about winning his
fourth title.
Thompson also said that during the rough
times of his comeback where he could not do the simple things one takes for
granted like driving a car or riding bike that he leaned on words of
encouragement from his big brother Mychel, who he said talk him off the ledge a
few times, while also preaching to Thompson patience and that things would all
work out. He also said that he got some encouragement from his younger brother
Trayce as well as his teammates Curry, Green and Iguodala, who Thompson said
shed quite a few tears when he would watch games from the bench.
When asked by Salters what he will
remember the most about his comeback from two devastating injuries, Thompson
answered the “dog days” of rehabbing with the Warriors G League affiliate in
Santa Cruz where he and James Wiseman would play pickup games. How Thompson was
getting “busted up” he was clearly better than. But he took those humble
moments and used it as motivation to get to where he is now, an NBA champion
for the fourth time in his career, which he said he is looking forward to
celebrating with this summer with his Bahamian family in Nassau, Bahamas as
well as in Vancouver, WA.
“I’m just thankful to be here, man. This
is crazy. I can’t even believe it.” Thompson said. “I knew it was a
possibility. But to see it in real time, holey cannoli.”
“So, to be here again, I’m so proud of
every single person in this organization. This is crazy.”
While the Warriors offensive brilliance
has gotten most of the headlines during their championship dynasty since 2015,
it has been their ability to shut the opposing offense down defensively that
has helped them capture as mentioned four titles during this eight-year run to
date.
While the Warriors went 19/46 from
three-point range, with the 19 made threes setting a new record in a Finals
clinching victory and becoming the first team to have their entire starting
five make a three-pointer (Curry 6/11; Thompson 2/8; Andrew Wiggins 4/9; Otto Porter,
Jr. 2/3; and Green 2/5), they won Game 6 because of their play at the defensive
end, holding the Celtics to 90 points on 42.5 percent from the field, including
11/28 from three-point range. Outrebounding them 44-41. Registered seven block
shots and forcing 23 turnovers (included 13 steals), which led to 20 Warriors
points.
In the two losses the Warriors had in the
2022 Finals, they allowed 120 points in Game 1 (120-108) versus the Celtics on
June 2, their lone home loss of the 2022 Playoffs and 116 points in the Game 3
loss at the Celtics June 8. In their victories in Games 2, 4, 5, and 6, the
Warriors allowed just 88, 97, 94, and 90 points.
In the Warriors 21-0 run bridging the
first and second quarters of Game 6, which is the longest scoring run in The
Finals the last 50 years, the Warriors went 8/12 from the field (67 percent),
including 5/7 from three-point range. They held the Celtics to 0/7 shooting,
including 0/4 from three-point range with two turnovers.
After trailing 14-2 to start the game, the
Warriors went on a 35-8 run that put them ahead to stay, registering their
seventh double-digit comeback victory this postseason.
In the middle of the Warriors defensive
masterpiece in Game 6 on Thursday was Green, who after rough start to these
Finals had his fingerprints all over the Game 6 title win with his third
double-double of this postseason with 12 points and 12 rebounds, with eight
assists, two steals, and two block shots.
In the early part of this series, Green
was talked about for more of his antics than his play. So much so that many in
social media asked his mother what has happened to him.
Well, the Warriors emotional leader got
his groove back and was able to silence the Celtics faithful at TD Garden in
Game 6 after he heard them loudly and clearly in Games 3 and 4 .
“It means a lot,” Green said to Salters
about the Warriors winning their fourth title on the Celtics home floor. “This
fanbase gave me a hard time. Really hard time. And to come here and get a win
is awesome.”
“I appreciate this fanbase. They brought
incredible energy. Give kudos to them. But we did what we do. Welcome back to
the Warriors invitational baby. This is what we do. Welcome back.”
Two other key parts of the Warriors’
successful defensive gameplan this postseason was Kevon Looney and Gary Payton
II.
For the entire season, Looney was the
Warriors only legitimate big man they had with Wiseman out recovering from knee
surgery he had nearly close of the 2020-21 season.
Looney, who was part of the Warriors last
two title teams in 2017 and 2018 played his role to perfection of setting
screens, rebounding, and providing rim protection, playing all 82 games in the
regular season, just one of five player to accomplish that in “The
Association.”
The former UCLA Bruin became an unsung
hero at the end of the Warriors Semifinal series versus the Grizzlies where in
the Game 6 versus the Grizzlies grabbed 22 rebounds and dished out five
assists.
Looney continued his stellar player in the
West Finals against the Mavericks scoring in double-figures in three of the
five games of the series, producing a double-double in two of those games.
He registered a career-high 21 points with
12 rebounds on 10/14 shooting in the 126-117 win in Game 2 on May 20. In the
Game 6 versus the Mavericks, Looney had 10 points and 18 rebounds.
As great as the Warriors “Big Three” of
Curry, Thompson, and Green have been in this eight-year run out of 10 seasons
they have been together, the supporting cast around them during those first three
title victories in their previous five trips to The Finals was just as
essential with the likes of Shaun Livingston, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes,
and David West.
The supporting cast in this title run
consisted of the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter, Jr.,
Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, who was a part of the Warriors last two
championship squads, Damion Lee, and rookies Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody.
Two seasons ago, the Warriors in the eyes
of many people took a risk in acquiring Wiggins from the Minnesota Timberwolves
where after the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 had not lived up to expectations the
years after winning Kia Rookie of the Year seven years ago.
The son of former Houston Rocket back in
the 1980s Mitchell Wiggins had a lot to prove and the first-time All-Star this
past regular season proved he can be a key component on a title team on both
ends of the court.
The native of Toronto, Ontario Canada
especially proved that the last two rounds of this postseason.
In the Warriors 109-100 win in Game 3 of
the West Finals at the Mavericks on May 22, Wiggins had his third of five
double doubles this postseason with 27 points and 11 rebounds, which put the
Warriors up 3-0. Four days later in the Game 6 clinching victory versus the
Mavericks that got the Warriors back to The Finals, Wiggins had 18 points and
10 rebounds.
Wiggins had what many felt the best
two-game stretch of his entire career with back-to-back double-doubles of 17
points and 16 rebounds in the Game 4 win, followed by team-high of 26 points
and a game-high 13 rebounds in the Game 5 win on 12/23 shooting.
“This is a dream come true,” Wiggins, who
averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in the 2022 Finals on 45 percent from the
field said to Salters about winning his first title. “I wouldn’t be here
without my teammates and everyone around me. So, I’m just enjoying the moment.
I’m loving it.”
When asked by Salters why he was such a
perfect for the Warriors when he was acquired in Feb. 2020, Wiggins said that
he wanted to “win.”
He also said then that he was looking
forward to learning from Curry, Thompson, and Green about the kind of work it takes
to become a champion.
Wiggins said what he learned is that
becoming a champion is hard. That the things that the Warriors do in November,
December, and January is all in preparation to take care of business in June.
Famously back in a training camp practice
while still with the Timberwolves, Wiggins and former teammate Karl-Anthony
Towns were called out by now Heat perennial All-Star Jimmy Butler for how soft
they were in terms of the effort they were giving in practice.
On Thursday night, Wiggins was cheered by
his Warriors teammates and coaches for the high level of effort he gave in
helping them capture another title. He also being cheered by his daughter, who
back in February was the one who game him the news about that he was named an
All-Star starter when it was announced.
For Wiggins though, this outcome might not
had happened if he had not gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, which he was hesitant
to take at first back in September 2021 because of a bad reaction he had from
some medication he had taken before. Thankfully, he chose to take the vaccine,
which allowed him to start the season on time and not only be resigned to play
in just road games in other NBA cities or not at all under the accordance of
the law of San Francisco, CA at that time.
One player who is thankful Wiggins got his
COVID-19 shot was Thompson because he took the pressure off of him to have to
guard the top wing scorers in the league.
“I used to have to do his job,” Thompson
said in his postgame presser after Game 6 win about having to check the
opposing team’s best perimeter player. “And I’m looking at him like, ‘That’s
exhausting bro. You got to get buckets and guard the best player. That’s
crazy.’”
One other player who the defensive load
off of Thompson was Gary Payton II, whose journey to being a champion saw him
have to earn his way through playing in the G League with Rio Grande Valley
Vipers twice, Wisconsin Heard, South Bay Lakers twice, Capital City Go-Go NBA,
and Raptors 905 as well as stops in the NBA with the Bucks and Washington
Wizards.
Payton II played for the Warriors late
last season signing two 10-day contracts in Apr. 2021 before being signed for
the rest of last season. He was waived before being re-signed by the Warriors
after clearing waivers on Oct. 19, 2021.
In the Game 5 series clinching win versus
the Nuggets, the son of Hall of Famer and NBA champion with the Heat in 2006 had
15 points off the bench with two steals hitting three triples in four tries.
Payton II unfortunately was lost until the
start of the 2020 Finals because of a fractured left elbow after a flagrant 2
foul in Game 2 of the West Semis at the Grizzlies on a breakaway layup by
Dillon Brooks. He returned from a 10-game absence in Game 2 of the Finals
versus the Warriors scoring seven points off the bench. He was big off the
bench in the Game 5 victory with 15 points, five boards and three steals.
Payton II and his dad became the fifth
father-son duo to win an NBA title.
Father/Son Duos To Win NBA Title In Its
History
Klay Thompson/Mychal Thompson
Matt Guokas Sr./Jr.
Rick Barry/Brent Barry
Bill Walton/Luke Walton
Gary Payton/Gary Payton II
“Jordan Poole’s development. The guys
we’ve picked up in free agency like Otto and Belly [Nemanja Bjelica]. How about
Kevon Looney. The man had a 22-rebound game. Just all-around. All down the
board,” Thompson said of the top-to-bottom effort of the roster in this run to
a fourth title.
Another key member of the Warriors 2022
Playoff run was Poole, who just two seasons back was in the G League trying to
get his game up to speed to where this season he emerged as the Warriors third
“Splash Brother” alongside Curry and Thompson.
That was especially the case in the
playoffs scoring 25 points or more in five of his first eight playoff games,
including scoring 30-plus twice.
Poole tailed after that scoring 20-plus
just once the next 13 games, but he played a pivotal role in the team’s Game 6
hitting three of the five triples during the Warriors previously mentioned 21-0
run.
While he did not play a whole lot in this
Warriors playoff run, Iguodala behind the scenes played a pivotal role in the
development of Wiggins, Payton II, and Poole in how they performed for the
first time on NBA’s most visible stage, the Playoffs.
When the Warriors began this run of
winning titles back in 2015, it all got started with Iguodala, who was moved
into the starting lineup the final three games of the series and the Warriors
would win those final three games to take the series 4-2 and Iguodala win
Finals MVP. Another huge reason the Warriors struggled the previous two seasons
was they did not have Iguodala in the fold any longer as he was dealt in the
summer of 2019 to the Grizzlies in a salary cap move. He was brought back in
the summer of 2021 and having he provided another veteran voice alongside
Curry, Thompson, and Green that became a major asset.
“I think Draymond’s discipline. His
hunger, His focus, you know. His tenacity is a great balance to those two guys
[Curry and Thompson]. So, you know it’s a Ying and Yang,” Igoudala said in his
postgame presser about the balanced leadership of the Warriors “Big Three.”
He added about Curry saying that him
winning his first Finals MVP solidified his career as “the best point guard of
all-time.”
Green added in his postgame presser that
Curry needing a Finals MVP to solidify his career is “garbage.” As a
competitor, to add that to his resume is something you want.
“For him, well deserved. Has been a long
time in the making. But he left no doubt,” Green said. “He left no doubt. And
he carried. And we’re here as champions.”
Bringing in this great supporting cast via
trades and signing through free agency over the past three off-seasons and
in-season has been the front office of Warriors’ Governor Joe Lacob and Peter
Gruber, and Warriors President of Basketball Operations Bob Myers.
“It means the world,” Lacob, who purchased
the Warriors back in 2010 said during the presentation of the Larry O’Brien. “I
just want to give all the credit these players and these coaches.”
Lacob also called this fourth title
victory by the Warriors “the most meaningful one” because of the how difficult
the last two seasons were compiling a 54-83 record and missed the playoffs being without Curry for nearly
that entire season and mentioned and not having Thompson at all two seasons
back.
Co-owner Peter Gruber said to Salters that
what made this fourth title victory so special is that he and Lacob are two
guys from Boston are the architects of a team that “never give up. Never give
in. Go all the way on the parquet floor. Two Boston guys winning at ‘The
Garden.’”
Coach Kerr before he spoke about what
winning his four title as a head coach to go with the five title he won as a
player with the Bulls in their second three-peat in the middle of the 1990s
(1995-98) and two he won with the Spurs (1999 and 2003) turned things over to
the lead man who put the team together in Myers, who Kerr said “doesn’t get”
his just due.
In speaking with Salters during the trophy
presentation, Myers gave the credit to the better halves and the families of
the Warriors’ players, coaching staff, and front office and support staff for
allowing them to put in the long hours it takes for the team to be in position
to win it all as mentioned for the fourth time in the last eight seasons and
for the seventh time in franchise history.
The joy and love for what the Warriors
accomplished was especially shown by Curry’s family after the win by his
father, Dell, who played in NBA for 16 seasons with the Utah Jazz, Cavaliers,
Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Raptors. His mother Sonya, sister Sydell
Curry-Lee, who is married to his teammate Damion Lee, whose nephew was also on
hand in Dax.
Green got to celebrate his triumph with
his two daughters and son who was seen often on the sidelines during Warriors’
game during the season and this postseason run.
“It is not easy supporting us all year
long,” Myers said. “But it’s the players. It’s Steve. It’s the players. It’s
Joe for supporting us. I’m thankful Lisa to be with to just have been with
these three guys [Kerr, Lacob, and Gruber] basically my whole career. So, it’s
a blessing every day.”
When Coach Kerr took over for now ABC/ESPN
television color analyst Mark Jackson in the summer of 2014, he had no previous
head coaching experience. Had been in the front office with the Phoenix Suns
for a short period of time in the early 2010s and spent the previous several
seasons working as a television color analyst for Turner Sports.
From the moment he was hired though, he
Curry, Thompson, and Green created an instant connection that has translated
into a high level of success that has translated into a high level of winning
for nearly a decade with no signs of slowing down.
This journey unlike the previous five
times that the Warriors have reached The Finals was anything but easy though.
Coach Kerr had to pull a lot of rabbits out of his hat this postseason,
especially in this Finals series. Each move though worked and as a result, the
Warriors are champions again.
For Coach Kerr, he joined Jackson as just
the second individual to win a title in four different decades as a player and
head coach. He joined Jackson, Hall of Famers in the late great Celtics head
coach and front office leader Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Spurs’ Gregg Popovich,
and current Heat lead executive Pat Riley as the six head coaches in NBA
history to win four titles. Kerr also became just the seventh individual to win
nine NBA championships as a player and coach, joining Jackson and Riley, and
Celtics legends in Bill Russell, the late greats in Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones,
and Auerbach.
Warriors In The Postseason Under Head
Coach Steve Kerr Since 2015
-Are 21-0 when leading by at least 10 points after the
opening quarter.
-Gone 4-1 in Game 5s of postseason series tied 2-2.
-Gone 6-1 in postseason series when leading 3-2.
-22-2 in postseason series.
When asked by Salters why he has been able
to win nine titles in his NBA career as a player and head coach, Kerr answered
that he has just been “blessed” to play alongside superstar greats like Jordan
and Pippen with the Bulls. Robinson, Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili of the Spurs,
and coaching Curry, Thompson, and Green.
“If you hang around superstars, good
things happen,” Kerr added.
He especially praised Curry, who Coach
Kerr called “the reason” for the Warriors adding four more Larry O’Brien
trophies to their trophy case, especially this fourth title, which he called
“the most unlikely one.”
“The thing with Steph is, you know, without
him, none of this happens,” Kerr said of the importance of Curry to this run of
four titles in eight seasons. “And that’s not taking anything away from Joe and
Peter’s ownership because they’re amazing owners. Built an incredible
organization. Bob Myers, a hell of a GM. Our players. We’ve had so many great
players. But Steph ultimately is why this run has happened. I’m happy for
everybody, but I’m thrilled for Steph. To me, this is his crowning achievement
in what’s already been an incredible career.”
What this championship did more than
anything for the Warriors is validate their greatness as a team.
When all the injuries took place,
specifically with Thompson in 2019-20 and 2020-21, and Curry in 2019 and Kevin
Durant departed via sign-and-trade in the summer of 2019, there were a lot of
critics that though they would never get back to the point they would win
another title. That Curry needed a Finals MVP to validate his career.
As Curry said though during his trophy
presentation, the Warriors heard all that chatter and all that matters to them
is how they perform on the hardwood and it is not about talking about what you
are going to do. It’s about being the last team standing holding the title,
which they did no Thursday night after as mentioned two seasons of not even
making the playoffs.
“We always had the doubt. But you know how
long the road is to get back here because how hard it is to win on this level,”
Curry said. “Boston’s a great team. Every team we played in the West is a great
team. But we found a way to just get it done. Everybody on this stage had a
part in this from the front office, coaches, players.”
“At the beginning of the year, what we’re
they saying? We weren’t even on the radar. And now we’re here with two trophies
and it means a lot.”
Thompson in his postgame presser said how
“pissed” off he was when a player on the Grizzlies tweeted the Warriors
postseason mantra during their five straight trips to The Finals “Strength In
Numbers” when they took them down in the regular season.
“I can’t wait to retweet that. Freak-in
bumb,” Thompson said with a sly smile of that move. “I had to wash that. This
freak-in clown.”
“You’re going to mock us. We’ve been there
before bruh. We’ve been there. We know what it takes. So, to be here again.”
Green in his postgame presser said of the
foul language Celtics nation on hand at TD Garden for Games 3 and 4 really did
not have much to say in Game 6 because their team was getting defeated on their
home floor and Green played a big part in that.
“They couldn’t. So, you know, it’s easy to
chant F-you when somebody’s having a bad game. But can you do that when they’re
having a great game?” he asked. “I didn’t hear much of it tonight.”
Three years ago, the Golden State Warriors
were at the bottom of the NBA mountain compiling the league’s worst record of
15-50 in 2019-20 after five straight Finals appearances and three NBA titles
won. They saw their two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant basically walk out the
door via sign-and-trade. Klay Thompson was gone due to two devastating
injuries. Curry played all of five games in 2019-20 due to a broken hand
suffered in Oct. 2019. In 2020-21, they missed the playoffs because of their
inability to take care of the basketball and that cost them in their defeats at
the Los Angeles Lakers and versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors bounce back in 2021-22 was
seismic and thunderous one. Stephen Curry set the three-point record at the
“World's Most Famous Arena” Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Andrew
Wiggins emerged as a starter in earning his first All-Star selection. Jordan
Poole emerged as the newest “Splash Brother.” Klay Thompson returned after missing
two full seasons.
While they were older, battered and
bruised, the Warriors in the 2022 Playoffs took down the Denver Nuggets as well
as the upstart Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks in the first three rounds
and then by sheer force and determination overtook a Boston Celtics team that
was built to defeat them.
They did it behind the sharpshooting
brilliance of Stephen Curry, who nailed one dagger three-pointer after
another, especially in Games 4 and 6 at
the Celtics. The forceful and tough play of Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, and
Andrew Wiggins in the paint as well as on the glass.
The Warriors dynasty now consists of seven
seasons of 50-plus regular season wins or more, including the most wins in a
regular season in NBA history of 73 in 2015-16. Six trips to the Finals in
eight seasons, winning it all four times (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022).
In total, the Warriors have won since
2012-13 527 regular season games and 103 Playoff Games, which includes as
mentioned 21 Finals victories.
With the Curry, Thompson, and Green
returning along with cast they have intact in Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney,
Gary Payton II, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and the return of
James Wiseman, the Warriors can add more titles to their trophy case next season
and beyond.
“To put a number on things and say, ‘Ah
man we can get five or we can get six [championships].’ We’re going to get them
until the wheels fall off and that’s our goal,” Green said of the Warriors
trying to win as many titles as possible with the group they have.
“We rely on each other for what we’re
great at. It still has not been proven when we whole that anybody can stop it.”
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 6/15/2022 3 p.m. “NBA Today,” ESPN, presented by Hotels.com
With Malika Andrews, Richard Jefferson, Zach Lowe, Cassidy Hubbarth, Tim
Bontemps, and Kendra Andrews; 6/2/2022-6/16/2022 9 p.m. (8 p.m. 6/5/2022)
“Warriors versus Celtics” Game 6 2022 NBA Finals, presented by YouTube TV on
ABC With (Mark Jones Games 1-2) Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and
Lisa Salters, with Meta Quest Halftime With Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith,
Jalen Rose, and Michael Wilbon; 6/17/2022 1 a.m. ESPN’s
“Sportscenter” from Los Angeles, CA With Ashley Brewer and Stan Verrett with
reports from Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Rose, Doris Burke, and Brian Windhorst;
6/20/2022 3 p.m. “NBA Today” ESPN 2 With Malika Andrews, Richard Jefferson,
Kendrick Perkins, and Zach Lowe. www.statmuse.com;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3134903/gary-payton-ii;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3155535/kevon-looney;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4277956/jordan-poole;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3059319/andrew-wiggins;
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/6589/draymond-green;
https://www.allaboutbasketball.us/nba/nba-stars-who-won-championships-both-as-player-and-coach.html;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warriors_seasons;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals_Most_Valuable_Player_Award;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_All-Star_Game_Kobe_Bryant_Most_Valuable_Player_Award;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Iguodala;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klay_Thompson.
