The Golden State Warriors created history during the 2015-16 NBA season. They set the record for most wins in the regular season by attaining a 73-9 record. Previously it was held by the 1995-96 Bulls, who had a 72-10 record.
But the Warriors’ legendary season was tainted when they blew a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. In 2017, Michael Jordan told the Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob that their 73-9 record was worthless without an NBA title.
On the collective bargaining agreement, I was on the labor committee, and I was in New York having a bunch of dinners with Michael Jordan and other owners,” Lacob said, per James Herbert of CBS Sports. “There were six of us. Actually, Dan was one of them, Dan Gilbert. Anyway, Michael Jordan—people are drinking and having a good time and all that, but there was a moment where he said, you know, ’73 don’t mean s**t.’ He did it, Michael Jordan did that. And I looked at him, and I just decided not to make a big deal of it. I said, you know, you’re right, we didn’t win it, we had to get better.
“I have to be honest: It’s painful more to the players. I don’t really think of it that way. I think that was one of the greatest years you could ever have in any sport. So many things went right. If you remember, all of the games that went our way. I mean, just amazing. It was an unbelievable year. When I wear golf, I wear a hat that says 73 on it. It’s sort of my little remembrance of it. Because I know people all say, ‘Oh, well, you didn’t win the championship’—all the talking heads. You know what, we didn’t. But it was still an incredible year, and I will never forget it. And we should be very proud of it. And I think as time goes by, there will be more thinking about it. Because I don’t think it’s gonna be replicated very easily.”
The Warriors may hold the record for most wins in the regular season, but failing to win the NBA title that season will always remain one of their biggest failures, especially after taking a 3-1 lead in the series.
On the other hand, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls didn’t mess up their postseason run during the 1995-96 NBA season. The Bulls had a phenomenal playoff run and finished it by defeating the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan was the star of the series, as he averaged 27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.2 APG in the Finals. For his contributions, Jordan was awarded the NBA Finals MVP. It was the fourth NBA title of MJ’s career and his first following his brief retirement from 1993-95.
The Warriors Bounced Back From The Setback In 2016
After losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, the Warriors added Kevin Durant to the roster. Following Durant’s addition to the team, the Dubs continued their reign of terror.
They won back-to-back titles vs. the Cavaliers in 2017 and 2018. The Dubs could have completed a three-peat in 2019 if it wasn’t for gruesome injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.
Durant left the team after the 2019 NBA Finals, and many believed that the Warriors’ dominance in the league was finally over. They missed the postseason in 2020 and 2021.
But the Warriors finally climbed back to the top after winning the 2022 NBA Championship. In the current season, the Dubs are down 2-3 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Can the Warriors make a miraculous comeback and defend their title? They face elimination in Friday night’s matchup at the Crypto.com Arena.
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