2015 NBA World Champions Golden State Warriors dominance seemingly continued in the NBA 2015-16 regular season, which prompted journalists and aficionados similarly to raise the question as to whether history could indeed be made for the Bay Area franchise.
The Golden State Warriors historically claimed their first NBA World Championship in 40 years when the Stephen Curry-inspired outfit triumphed over the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Playoff Finals 2015. Golden State Warriors’ prolific NBA All-Star backcourt tandem comprised of two-time NBAMost Valuable Player Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson – affectionately known universally as The Splash Brothers – bucketed a record 483 three-point shots in the NBA 2012-13 season (Stephen Curry set a record of 272 three-point shots made).
Stephen Curry inspirationally led the Golden State Warriors to the NBA‘s best record (67-15) in the 2014-15 season, whilst eclipsing a personal season record of three-point shots made (286) as the Golden State Warriors claimed their first NBA World Championship since the Rick Barry-led Warriors in 1975.
The Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls’ legendary 1995-96 regular season record of 72-10 remained in severe jeopardy throughout the NBA 2015-16 season and was subsequently broken when the Golden State Warriors compiled an impressive regular season win-loss record of 73-9.
At present, the Golden State Warriors lead in the NBA Western Conference (46-8) with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry averaging 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists throughout the NBA 2016-17 campaign; Curry is also shooting 47.6% from the field, 42% from beyond the arc and 91.6% from the free throw line. Stephen Curry‘s teammates Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala remain instrumental key factors in the Golden State Warriors outstanding showings in the present season.
The Warriors unequivocally compete in the most competitive conference (NBA Western Conference) similarly to the classic Phil Jackson-coached Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen which ran incessantly rampant in the NBA Eastern Conference and beyond throughout the 1995-96 season (72-10). The Chicago Bulls’ unprecedented 1995-96 season win-loss record of 72-10 was a divine record which stood firmly intact for twenty long years prior to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors rewriting history in 2016.
Jaded critics perennially cited how uneven the NBA was as it relates to franchises in 1995-96 or how the then dismal expansion teams in Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies were merely sacrificial lambs to the slaughter as the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls then went on to attain an unprecedented fourth NBA World Championship; Chicago Bulls won six NBA World Championships in the decade of the 90’s.
By any analytical metric, eras cannot be compared in Professional Sports given the nature of how sports science alone has seemingly transformed professional basketball within the parameters of greater herculean athletic, physical and mental prowess in contrast to yesteryear. However, Stephen Curry’s exploits on the court has led many reputable broadcasters to cite Curry as the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history as well as comparing Curry’s own dominance to Air Jordan himself.
Be that as it may, professional sports team stats and personal records do not alleviate the wholehearted truth, whether dissecting Wilt Chamberlain‘s iconic 100 point game against the New York Knicks in Hershey, PA in 1962 or Kobe Bryant‘s equally impressive 81 point game contest against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006. Historic achievement and success will be revered irrespective of the era which the record was initially set.
The Zen-like approach of Chicago Bulls legendary Head Coach Phil Jackson masterminded the iconic triangle offense in conjunction with Tex Winter, which brought out the very best in not just Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, rather Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr – who is presently the Golden State Warriors Head Coach – and the talent deficient players which selflessly integrated into Jackson’s system in Chicago; Winter was the pioneer of the triangle offense in professional basketball.
The same holds true in this current era with the Golden State Warriors buying into Steve Kerr‘s golden vision in creating a powerhouse basketball dynasty that will be fondly remembered twenty years from now similar to the Chicago Bulls 1995-96 team.
Irrespective of making history, the Stephen Curry-inspired Golden State Warriors lost to LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals (4-3) in a gruelling seven game series. The multimedia and fan hype surrounding the Golden State Warriors 2015-16 73-9 win-loss record has a life of its own and Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors ultimately set the bar remotely higher when the ante seemingly reached its apex with the Chicago Bulls triumph in the 1995-96 NBA campaign. Ultimately, the Golden State Warriors are seeking their second NBA Championship in the Stephen Curry era in the NBA 2016-17 season and unquestionably remain as the most feared team in the NBA.
Moreover, records are made to be broken and the California-based NBA outfit unquestionably set a new standard for the current and future generation of the NBA via Stephen Curry.
W| By Dean Perretta #BlackHistoryMonth
