A Disrespected Champion

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The term respect is something that most people strive for in life. Aretha Franklin had a hit song about respect while some folks fight for it on a daily basis. In sports, teams compete to be the champion of their respective league each year as they seek all of the praise and respect that typically comes with being crowned as a champ. For the Golden State Warriors, they claimed their first NBA Title last spring since 1975 which ended one of the longest championship droughts in the league. The Warriors went 67-15 last season which is tied for the sixth best single-season record in NBA history. The Warriors were then able to maneuver their way through the rugged Western Conference in the NBA Playoffs before getting by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals to claim the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy. The Warriors were able to retain their core players from last season, but over the summer, most people were mentioning the San Antonio Spurs and the Cavaliers before mentioning the Warriors as potential NBA Champions. And once you factor in that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is currently not with the team as he is recovering from back surgery, some people expected Golden State to take a step back.

But champions tend to respond best when people are doubting them as they’ll use it as extra motivation which is what the Warriors have done to begin this NBA season. Under the guidance on interim head coach Luke Walton, the Warriors have won their first nine games this season and they’ve done it in dominating fashion as this team has scored double-digit victories in eight of those contests. Golden State has won six games against playoff teams from last season as they are out for blood which is evident by their 119-69 beatdown of the Memphis Grizzlies last Monday.

When you talk about the Warriors, the first thing that comes to mind are “The Splash Brothers” which consists of point guard Steph Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson. Curry and Thompson each have the ability to put the Warriors on their respective backs for extended periods of time and that is what Golden State is currently getting from Curry. Curry came into this season as the reigning NBA MVP and he’s picked up right where he left off from as he is averaging 31.9 point per game. With Curry leading the way, the Warriors currently have four players who are averaging at least 10 points per game, but more importantly this is a team that enjoys playing with one another.

Even when the Warriors were led by former head coach Mark Jackson, this team played for the man that was next to them which has been further magnified under Kerr and it hasn’t skipped a beat under Walton. This finished product now for the Warriors is a young core of players that is led by Curry and Thompson that have quickly become veterans that are not afraid of the spotlight. And whereas some people were first mentioning the Spurs and Cavs as NBA Title contenders, those same people are now wondering if the Warriors will be able to surpass the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls who set an NBA single-season record by winning 72 games in a regular season. It’s still very early in the NBA season and the feat would be tough for the Warriors to accomplish due to the fact that they play in the Western Conference which is loaded with talented teams while the media coverage that they would face could be very intense. But one of the best ways the Warriors to follow last season’s stellar run, is to re-write the NBA record books and win 73 games. Golden State spent the off-season flying under the radar which is rather uncommon for a defending NBA Champion and what better motivation for the Warriors to have than that of being an overlooked champion.

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