If we’re being fair, it took a lot more than one man to turn the Golden State Warriors into a dynasty. The Warriors are playing in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in the last eight years because of shrewd team-building, excellent coaching, and contributions big and small from a variety of players since their first title run in 2015. The Warriors wouldn’t be the Warriors without Klay Thompson’s sharpshooting, Draymond Green’s brilliant defense, Andre Iguodala’s versatility, or Steve Kerr’s annual ability to craft masterful systems on both ends of the floor.
The Warriors didn’t need Kevin Durant to win a championship or set a record for regular season success, but his arrival in 2017 changed their legacy forever. The Warriors were once the greatest example of building through the draft since the Jordan Bulls. Suddenly they also became the most ferocious example of big market free agent excess to date. So much has changed since the Warriors first emerged into a championship caliber team, but there’s one constant who has acted as the proverbial rising tide to lift all boats.
The Warriors as we know them always existed first and foremost because of the singular talents of Stephen Curry. The Warriors as they are today would have been dead long ago if it wasn’t for Curry’s star continuing unabated.