The Golden State Warriors emerged out of one of the most unpredictable seasons in NBA history as champions. After pre-season picks considering a Lakers-Nets NBA Finals inevitable, both those teams crashed out in brutal fashion. The Warriors quietly kept working and were dominant through the start of the season, before injuries slowed them down through the regular season games in 2022.
This title was not guaranteed for the Warriors like the 2017 and 2018 seasons were. Even 2015 saw them have a massive advantage as they took on the Cleveland Cavaliers without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. This season, they went against tough teams and emerged victorious each time.
Steve Kerr is taking his time to appreciate this title win after the last two seasons where it looked like the Warriors may genuinely be past their championship-winning peak. He reflected on the same during the Warriors parade.
"When we started camp, I thought we could be pretty good but I didn't know we could win the whole thing" – Kerr pic.twitter.com/TRFtIUp34s
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 20, 2022
“When we started camp, I thought we could be pretty good but I didn’t know we could win the whole thing. To be sitting here, enjoying the parade today, and feeling the love of the Bay Area, it is pretty incredible.”
The Warriors saw major hits to the franchise in 2019 when Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant injured themselves during the Finals. Durant would leave the Warriors that summer, while Klay would miss the next two seasons. Steph would miss a large portion of the 2019-20 season as well, rooting the Warriors to the bottom of the conference.
Despite getting Steph back, the Warriors failed to make the playoffs last season, losing back-to-back games in the play-in tournament against the Lakers and Grizzlies. All of that is in the past now that the Warriors climbed the ladder once again to become champions. Those experiences made this title win sweeter for the organization and their celebrations prove it.
