All-time point guard Stephen Curry and the Warriors finally did it. The phenomenal journey of the Golden State Warriors to the 2022 NBA Championship was not easy. The road offered huge challenges that made them unleash their full potential and overcome the task at hand. The Warriors are in familiar territory, above all, they are on top of the NBA echelon.
The Phenomenal Journey of the Golden State Warriors to the 2022 NBA Championship
The Dubs earned their 4th NBA Championship title in 8 years, capping the series in spectacular fashion. As a result, Golden State has now seven NBA championships in franchise history, with the Larry O’Brien Trophy in Northern California in 2015, 2017, and 2018 before this latest run.
After fighting a tough defensive Boston 6-game series, the San Francisco-based ball club earned their due, consequently finishing with a score of 103-90, Thursday night. Curry is the 2022 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awardee, that is to say, that the feather is the one missing in his cap for so long.
Seven years ago, the Golden State core of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green with coach Steve Kerr broke the 40-year title drought. On the same line, it was also on a Thursday and on June 16, 2015. Andrew Iguodala was with the core in the last 3 years of the phenomenal journey of the Golden State Warriors to the 2022 NBA Championship.
The Struggles of the Splash Brothers
Curry and Thompson are the Splash Brothers of Golden State. But before the arrival of the splash brothers, the Warriors had only one title under their belt, courtesy of the team of 1975. The MVP awardee missed the 2019-2020 race after breaking his hand in a fall. Thompson missed the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons on a knee and Achilles injury that threatened his career.
The latest feather on the cap is also the first since they moved to Chase Center in San Francisco, just 16 miles away. The Dubs eclipsed the Chicago Bulls in the number of Championship Titles. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have 17 titles each. Golden State has four Rings and is now in third place in the number of Championship titles.
The Phenomenal Journey of the Golden State Warriors
In a post-championship victory interview, Curry emphasized that the Warriors took the 2022 NBA Championship together as a team. He brushed off the single-handed-carry afterthought of reporters pushing the issue. Here are the key players who pitched in the win.
Center Kevin Looney
Looney was one of the top rebounders in the playoffs. He hauled 4.8 rebounds per 36 minutes off the offensive glass. For instance, Golden State continued to create second-chance opportunities and consequently edged Boston over the boards.
Point Guard Jordan Poole
When the defense is swarming over the splash brothers, that is where Jordan Poole comes in. With his speed and agility all over the court mixed with creative shot-making, Poole brings in the bacon. As a matter of fact, he has an average of 10.3 drives per game in the postseason and 59% from the floor off of them.
Small Forward Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins became a formidable fixture in the Golden State starting five. He primarily defended against Jayson Tatum throughout the series. In this scenario, Tatum’s rhythm was disrupted, forcing him to shoot awkward attempts that were not at all productive.
Small Forward Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson was out for two years, but look at how his present stats are. He is back with his career averages of 19.8 points per game at 40% from deep on 9 attempts per game. He’s draining baskets as though no injuries took place. His defense slacked at times compared to when he was in full health but Thompson could hold on to his own one-on-one defense.
Power Forward Draymond Green
Draymond Green played a crucial role in the series. In Games 4 and 5, he scattered trash all over the court, contributing only 2 points each in both games. However, he managed to rectify himself in Game 6, pitching in where needed most. Green controlled the pace and took care of the ball, evidently, avoiding turnovers.
This was the Phenomenal Journey of the Golden State Warriors to the 2022 NBA Championship and it was all worth the hardships and sacrifices they invested. Congratulations Dub Nation.
Main Photo:Embed from Getty Images
