On first glance, the above title requires a suspension of disbelief. Though the San Francisco Giants endured a longer journey in the wilderness than the Golden State Warriors, the Warriors were an even less likely prospect to arrive in the promised land. The Giants at least teased their fans occasionally with the possibility of a championship, particularly in 1962 and 2002. The Warriors, on the other hand, missed the playoffs in 30 of the last 39 years, never advanced beyond the second round, and were much more known for their failures than their successes. What Brian Sabean said of the 2010 Giants would equally apply to these Warriors: this championship buried a lot of bones.
For me, the lasting image of the series was this one from Game 5. Stephen Curry, who had struggled for much of the Finals against Cleveland’s aggressive defense, finally showed the viewing audience how he had earned his MVP award. As can be seen in the video below starting at the 5:20 mark, Cleveland’s Matthew Dellavedova did all he could to defend Curry short of tackling him. After hitting the shot, Curry made a point of smiling at the camera as he ran back across the court. This was an “I got this” moment if there ever was one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrKoTadDTBs
I think we’ll be seeing these Warriors in or near the Finals for the next few years. Given the current state of the NBA’s Eastern Conference, there’s an equally good prospect that we’ll see a rematch against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who should have a less-depleted lineup next time. The Warriors may have their trophy, but this rivalry is far from over.
