The 2015/16 Warriors: The Greatest NBA team of all time
The 15/16 73-9 Golden State Warriors are the greatest NBA team of all time, not the 95/96 72-10 Bulls
The 15/16 73-9 Golden State Warriors are the greatest NBA team of all time, not the 95/96 72-10 Bulls. Yes, even without the championship
Unfortunately, there's an ugly truth to NBA history: Greatness doesn't always culminate in a championship. The 2015/16 Golden State Warriors are the best recent illustration of that fact.
A 73–9 record, the best regular season in league history, was not a coincidence; it was the zenith of a basketball revolution.
The new definition of 'domination'
Prior to that season, the gold standard was the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, who had a 72–10 record. Golden State not only won more games, but they also revolutionized the way the game was played.
The Warriors built a system around Stephen Curry’s unanimous MVP season, transforming the three-point game. Curry hit from deep at 45% and averaged over 30 points, straining defenses to their limits.
Combine Klay Thompson’s off-ball presence, Draymond Green’s frontcourt playmaking, and switch-heavy defense, and you had dominance on both ends the league had never seen.
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The strength of Era and Nightly Pressure
One thing that no one mentioned: The 2015/16 season was an extremely hard one in the West. The San Antonio Spurs won 67 games that same season, and they came in 2nd. The Warriors did not face low-quality opponents – they outplayed them night after night.
Each game was a different battle. They were matchups like playoff games, crowds were electric, and Golden State continued to win.
Such psychological pressure does play a role. Sustaining excellence when everyone is coming for you is no easy task, as the going gets tough at 73–9.
The Finals Loss – the context matters
Yes, they were defeated in the 2016 Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers after a 3–1 lead. That fall is frequently cited to debunk their splendor. The story isn't so simple, though.
Draymond Green's suspension in Game 5 shook them up. Andrew Bogut was hurt. Andre Iguodala took some time off for the injury bug, but he managed to play through it.
In the meantime, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James delivered two of the greatest back-to-back performances in Finals history.
You can't make 82 games of historic dominance disappear by losing a seven-game series under those circumstances.
Why They Stand Still Above the Rest
The Warriors of 2015/16 were not only a really good team, but they were also a turning point. They changed the entire NBA. In the spacing, pace, and 3-point emphasis of today? It was that group that developed that blueprint.
The 1995/96 Bulls were executed to perfection. The Warriors were innovative on the move.
Sometimes, changing the game is more important than finishing the game.
Legacy isn't always about the last game; it's about how you changed all of the games that followed it.
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