The Warriors celebrate their 2018 NBA title, capping off back-to-back championships and their third in four years.
The Warriors are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history with seven titles to their credit spanning several different eras. Let’s recap each of those championship teams’ banner seasons.
1947 BAA Championship
Originally named the Philadelphia Warriors, the Warriors won the BAA Championship in the league’s first year of existence. Joe Fulks was the team’s primary weapon, averaging 23.2 points per game for a team that averaged 68.6 points per game. They went 35-25 in the Eastern Division and beat the St. Louis Bombers and New York Knicks to advance to the BAA Finals. The Warriors took down the Chicago Stags in five games to become the first BAA Champions. The BAA then merged with the NBL to form the NBA in 1949. BAA history and statistics are indeed recognized by the NBA.
1956 NBA Championship
The 1956 Warriors were far and away the best team in the Association that year. They went 45-27 while no other team reached the 40-win mark. Paul Arizin was the MVP runner-up as he averaged 24.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Neil Johnston was also a force who averaged a double-double (22.1 PPG, 12.5 RPG). The Warriors had to battle the Syracuse Nationals to win 3-2 in a best-of-five playoff before gliding past the Pistons, 4-1, to clinch the title.
1975 NBA Championship
The first of the franchise’s championships after moving to the Bay Area, the 1975 Warriors finished atop the Pacific Division with a 48-34 record to set the stage for their playoff run. The Eastern Conference had two 60-win teams on the other side of the bracket, including the Warriors’ eventual opponent in the finals, the Washington Bullets (60-22). Rick Barry was the star of the show all year and in the playoffs. He finished fourth in MVP voting and would go on to win Finals MVP.
2015 NBA Championship
After a long drought, the Warriors finally got back to the mountaintop in 2015. This was the beginning of one of the more dominant eras by any NBA team this century. Led by a young trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, as well as veteran Andre Iguodala, the Warriors turned in a 67-win season and went on a memorable postseason run to knock off LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Finals. That Warriors team is remembered for kickstarting the 3-point revolution that is alive and well in today’s NBA. Not only could this Warriors team shoot the lights out, but they could also defend. The Warriors finished the season with the best defensive rating (101.4) in the league and the best net rating (+10.2) in the NBA.
2017 NBA Championship
The Warriors shook off a heartbreaking loss in the 2016 NBA Finals the following season and had one of the most dominant postseason runs in league history. Adding Kevin Durant to their already excellent core helped take the Warriors to another level. They swept each of their opponents in the Western Conference playoffs before dispatching the Cavaliers 4-1 to win their second title in three years. Durant was named Finals MVP by averaging 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
2018 NBA Championship
The Warriors became repeat champions for the first time in franchise history this season, and also became the first team to repeat since the Lakers did so in 2009-2010. Though their regular season run and path to the finals wasn’t as dominant as the previous year’s, the Warriors still hit their stride at the right time and swept the Cavaliers in the Finals. Kevin Durant won Finals MVP honors for the second straight year with another stellar showing. He averaged 28.8 points on 52.6 percent shooting and 10.8 rebounds per game.
2022 NBA Championship
Three seasons had passed since the Warriors’ last title. The core that had taken the franchise to new heights was getting a bit older and Kevin Durant was now on the Nets. Had the window closed? No. Steph Curry and Company had another championship run in them despite an up-and-down regular season. The Warriors sailed through the Western Conference bracket, never losing more than two games in any of their three series to set up a Finals meeting with the Celtics. Golden State would go on to win in six games, and Curry was named MVP after putting up 31.2 points per game in the series.
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