Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name, before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971.[a][b] The club plays its home games at the Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947,[c] and won again in 1956, led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and Neil Johnston. After the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain in January 1965, the team finished the 1964–65 season with the NBA's worst record (17–63). Their rebuilding period was brief due in large part to the Warriors' drafting of Rick Barry four months after the trade. In 1975, star players Barry and Jamaal Wilkes powered the Warriors to their third championship, widely considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
The team struggled in the 1980s, then became playoff regulars at the turn of the decade with stars Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, nicknamed "Run TMC". Led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the team returned to championship glory in 2015, with defensive swingman Andre Iguodala being named Finals MVP. In 2016, the Warriors set the record for best regular season record at 73–9 before losing the Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers (against whom they played a record four straight finals) and becoming the first team to lose a series after leading 3–1 in the Finals. After signing former MVP Kevin Durant, the team won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018 (Durant winning both Finals MVPs). They lost the 2019 Finals to the Toronto Raptors, a series which saw Durant and Thompson suffer serious Achilles and ACL injuries, respectively; Durant left that off-season. After missing the playoffs the following two seasons, the Warriors returned to the playoffs with a healthy Thompson and a new supporting cast that included All-Star Andrew Wiggins and key scorer Jordan Poole; they defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Finals, where Curry won his first Finals MVP. The Warriors' dynasty has seen the team win four titles in eight seasons, as well as reach five consecutive Finals from 2015 to 2019 (six Finals in eight years); Curry, Green, Thompson, and Iguodala were on all four 21st century championship teams, Shaun Livingston and Kevon Looney were on three each.
Nicknamed the "Dubs" as a shortening of "W's",[8][9][10] the Warriors hold several NBA records: best regular season, most wins in a season (regular season and postseason combined), and best postseason run. Curry and Thompson are generally considered among the greatest backcourts of all time.[11][12] The Warriors have the third most NBA championships and have the third most Finals appearances; only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have more. Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry have been named the NBA's MVPs while playing for the Warriors, for a total of three MVP awards.
Logos and uniforms
The Warriors have utilized several different logo and uniform designs throughout their history, with the most recent redesign occurring in 2010.[3] However, on June 12, 2019, the Warriors unveiled subtle adjustments to their primary logo, including a new custom font.[154] The club then unveiled six new uniform designs using the newly updated logo on September 17, 2019.[155]
For the 2020–21 season, the Warriors wore a "City" uniform that paid tribute to the "We Believe" era in Oakland, as well as their 47 seasons there in general. It features the same coloring scheme as well as the "Oakland" location identifier in the lettering of the previous logo.[156]
For the 2021–22 season, the Warriors wore a Warriors Origins jersey, which is a modernization of their 1961–62 road uniform. The 1961–62 season was their last season in Philadelphia, as well as the season in which Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game. The jersey also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the franchise.[157]
Media
Television
Bob Fitzgerald has done television play-by-play, and former Warriors swingman Kelenna Azubuike does color commentary for the Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area, where they telecast more than 70 Warrior games a year.[168] They also host Roundtable Live, a half-hour pre-game show leading up to the broadcast of select Golden State home games, and also do postgame analysis. Fitzgerald is in his 24th season as the Warriors' play-by-play man, as for Azubuike his 2nd as the color analyst.
Former Warrior guard Jim Barnett was the TV color analyst from 1985 to 2019, and is now the full-time color man on the radio.
Greg Papa and Garry St. Jean are also members of the telecast team, specializing in pregame, in-game, halftime and post-game analysis, while Kerith Burke serves as the sideline reporter.[169]
