Golden State Warriors complete historic season

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Photo credit: www.nba.com

The Golden State Warriors celebrating their NBA championship last season.

By Billy Steigelman, Assistant Editor

Oakland, California’s Golden State Warriors went an astounding 73-9 during this past regular season to break the National Basketball Association’s single season wins record. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls held the previous record at 72-10.

Reigning league MVP Steph Curry and the revolutionary three-point shooting offense are major parts of what led the team on its historic run.

On their way to 73 wins, the Warriors claimed several other records as well, including the best start in NBA history, winning their first 24 games, and going into the all-star game with the best record ever, sitting at 48-4.

Their key to success was the major use of the three-pointer. Curry alone made 402 this season, breaking his NBA record from the previous season. At the same time, Klay Thompson made 276, good enough to take third in the record books behind Curry’s two others.

This extreme use of the three made it possible for the Warriors to use a smaller and agile lineup than the tall and strong system favored by other teams. Their size and speed has enabled them to be faster than their opponents and to take advantage of openings.

While they may not be as athletic as the Bulls were, the Warriors have taken advantage of their strengths and taken over the league like no team ever before.

Despite this, many still wonder if they are the greatest team of all time. The Bulls team that went 72-10 easily won the NBA Finals that year, cementing their legacy as the best team of all time. To overtake the Bulls, the Warriors need to dominate their way through the Western Conference playoffs on the way to another championship.

This task will not be easy. The Warriors may have to go through a veteran San Antonio team that won 67 games, most likely to be followed by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a finals rematch.

However, even winning back-to-back championships may not be enough.

While this Warriors team may not have survived in the more physical 1990s NBA, they have demonstrated that skill is becoming just as important for success as genetics.

And no matter what happens in the playoffs, this team has proven to be one the greatest of all time and changed the game forever.