The Golden State Warriors left a big mark on the league during the second part of the 2010s. The Californians took the league by storm, winning three NBA championships in five seasons, earning a lot of hate from rival fans.
It was mostly because they teamed up with Kevin Durant after going to two consecutive NBA Finals, but before that, the 3-point revolution initially earned the Warriors bad comments from the rest of the league.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson changed the way the game is played. One of their rivals explained how important it was for them to beat the Dubs if they wanted to prevent the league from mutating into a 3-point driven competition, which eventually happened.
Iman Shumpert recently discussed how important the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors duel meant a lot for the future of the league.
“It was two different styles. We kind of knew that whoever wins the most of this little war we got going, whoever wins the most chips, basketball is heading to that style.”
“We knew it meant more because we knew the kids are either going to continue to want to go to the post and want to shoot fadeaways, or they are going to think this s#*t is okay, this shooting that s#*t from half-court s#*t.”
Shumpert also touched on Curry attempting 3s from exaggerated distances. At first, he didn’t mind The Chef pulling off from big distances. Once he started making those shots, it became a problem for Shumpert. He said that Steph changed the game or at least the version of basketball he liked to play and watch.
“Once this little dude started making it, Tyronn Lue was looking at the drawing board like, ‘Y’all going to get out there? What we going to do? You shocked he making it now?’ It got to that point.”
“When I think about it now, I’m just like, they keep saying basketball changed, like they ruined it. But I’m like, you ruined the version that I like.”
Basketball has constantly evolved. The 3-point revolution changed many things for the NBA, including how big men play the game and how coaches design their offenses. Curry and Thompson are responsible for a situation that won’t change anytime soon. Even though the Cavaliers beat the Warriors in an iconic Finals in 2016, the Dubs won three times, changing basketball forever led by two incredible shooters.
