In the last eight years, the Golden State Warriors have created a dynasty. When you look back on NBA history, some of the most iconic dynasties in the Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls stand out. In the modern era, the Warriors have added themselves to that elite group. From Wilt Chamberlain to Stephen Curry, the Warriors have some of the best players in the history of the NBA.
- GOAT Of The Franchise – Stephen Curry
- Rookie Of The Franchise – Wilt Chamberlain
- Offensive Player Of The Franchise – Wilt Chamberlain
- Defensive Player Of The Franchise – Draymond Green
- Coach Of The Franchise – Steve Kerr
- Fan Favorite – Stephen Curry
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When looking at the franchise awards for the team, it is a difficult position to assess. The team has had some great players over the years, especially with the team winning four championships since 2015. With that said, the Warriors don’t just have the greatest pure scorer in the paint, but also the best shooter we have ever seen.
Here are the franchise awards for the Warriors.
GOAT Of The Franchise – Stephen Curry
Before Steph Curry was drafted by the Warriors, the team had three championships to its name. With Curry on the team, the Warriors have made the NBA Finals six times and won four championships. The team was one game away from winning in 2016, while the team was two injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson from likely winning the 2019 Finals as well. Either way, Curry, the 2022 Finals MVP, has been the core reason why the Warriors have risen.
While the supporting cast has been great, it’s Curry that won back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016. That also included becoming the first unanimous MVP in 2016. Curry has led the league in scoring two times, including the 2020-21 season when the team was playing without Thompson. While others like Barry and Chamberlain were great when they wore the team’s jersey, it’s Curry that turned this team into a dynasty.
Rookie Of The Franchise – Wilt Chamberlain
Six players have won Rookie of the Year with the Warriors. That includes Rick Barry, Mitch Richmond, Wood Sauldsberry, Chris Webber, Jamaal Wilkes, and Chamberlain. Out of all of these winners, the best rookie season goes to Chamberlain. Chamberlain averaged 37.6 points, 27.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field in 46.4 minutes per game.
Not only did Chamberlain win Rookie of the Year during the 1959-60 season, but he was also the league MVP. Chamberlain led the league in total points, points per game, total rebounds, rebounds per game, made field goals, minutes per game, win shares, and player efficiency rating. For all of his efforts, he was the best player in the league at this time.
Offensive Player Of The Franchise – Wilt Chamberlain
It was not until recently that Steph Curry broke Chamberlain’s all-time scoring record with the Warriors. This year, Curry became the first player to score over 20,000 career points with the team. With that said, one cannot deny the stat line that Chamberlain put up with the Warriors while playing six seasons for the team. That included averaging 41.5 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. With the Warriors, Chamberlain shot 50.6% from the field in 47.2 minutes per game.
Chamberlain scored 17,783 career points. Had he played his entire career with the Warriors, he would have created an unbreakable record. Curry may be the all-time leader in points and three-point field goals. He is likely the best shooter we have ever seen. Chamberlain put up a high volume of numbers in a shorter amount of time.
Defensive Player Of The Franchise – Draymond Green
Green has embraced the role of being a pest in the league. It’s one of his qualities that has helped him become one of the league’s best defensive players. On top of that, Green is the best defensive player in franchise history. Green is the only player in Warriors franchise history to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award, which is what he did in 2017.
Green has been named to the All-Defensive Team seven times in his career. That includes four All-First Team appearances and three Second Team appearances. In 2017, he led the league in steals, while being named All-NBA Third Team. What stands out about Green the most is that he sometimes has to guard the opposing team’s center. At 6-foot-6, it’s not an easy job, but it’s something he has done an excellent job of doing.
Coach Of The Franchise – Steve Kerr
In his first year coaching the team, Kerr became the winningest rookie head coach in NBA history when the team won 67 games in 2015-16. The following year, the Warriors set a record for wins with 73 wins. The team broke the win record from the team that Kerr played for with the Bulls in 1995-96.
Kerr has transformed into a winner as a coach and not just a player. He won five championships in the NBA as a player. He has won four titles as a coach, combining to win nine titles altogether. The Warriors have made the NBA Finals six times in the last eight seasons with Kerr as the coach. Out of the seven franchise titles, Kerr has been the coach for four of those championships.
Fan Favorite – Stephen Curry
In today’s NBA, shooting the long ball is right up there with a slam dunk. There is not a better player shooting the three-ball than Curry. He is the all-time leading three-point shooter in that category after all. Curry also has one of the best stories in the league. Every time Curry shoots the ball, the assumption is that the ball is going to swish right through.
He was a high school recruit that did not look like a top Division I player. He led his college Davidson to an Elite 8 appearance. He became a lottery pick, led the team to the playoffs, and then helped transform the Warriors into a dynasty. Without Curry, the Warriors would not have been a team making a run at the NBA Finals nearly every season for the last eight years. He is a top-10 player in this league and is now tied with a slew of players for the most championships among active players.
