Mark J. Terrill/AP
- The Golden State Warriors have become one of the best teams in NBA history.
- The Warriors were able to build a dynasty with an unprecedented dose of savvy, luck, and timing, which included their best players being under team-friendly contracts at a time when the NBA salary cap spiked, giving them cap space.
- The Warriors have managed to keep the team together, but face a crucial summer that could see them head for a re-tool.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The Golden State Warriors are trying to achieve something very few NBA teams have ever done.
They’re playing in their fifth straight NBA Finals, going for the rare "three-peat," and trying to win their fourth championship in five years. Doing so would make them one of the greatest teams of all-time.
It may be a long time before we see a team like this again. The Warriors didn’t just draft well and make savvy trades and signings — they were able to build a dynasty thanks to some team-friendly contracts, a historic NBA event, and some lucky timing that worked on their side.
Learn how everything came together just right for the Warriors to build a once-in-a-lifetime team.
Timing and luck play a major part in every championship, but for the Warriors, quite a few breaks went their way to build this dynasty.
Jeff Chiu/AP
It all starts with Stephen Curry. Curry slipped in the 2009 draft over fears about his ability to play in the NBA, and the Warriors ended up getting him with the seventh pick. The Minnesota Timberwolves had picks No. 5 and No. 6 and took two point guards, passing over Curry TWICE.
Jason DeCrow/AP
Curry’s slow(ish) start to his career paved the way for the Warriors.
Matt Slocum/AP
Though Curry played well early on in his career, he didn’t resemble the MVP candidate he is today. Additionally, there were concerns about recurring ankle injuries that limited Curry to just 26 games in 2011-12. The Warriors and Curry agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract in 2012, locking their star player into a hugely team-friendly deal, though few knew it at the time.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- How the Raptors built an NBA Finals team with a bold gamble and without any lottery picks
- Stephen Curry may be playing the best basketball of his life and is wowing the NBA world all over again
- The Warriors are dominating without Kevin Durant and it raises a huge question about the biggest NBA offseason in years
Source: Business Insider – sdavis@businessinsider.com (Scott Davis)