How the Warriors’ Summer of Discovery Shaped Franchise Greatness originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
To the extent that the Warriors Not so long ago, we were a microscopic speck on the national sporting landscape with a loyal but seemingly cursed fan base, their rise to a global phenomenon and the NBA’s most valuable team is the most astonishing in recent American sports.
Just 10 summers ago, the Warriors’ rise went from slow and steady to fast and steep. All the way to the top, mostly because the franchise’s core members were furious.
Golden State CEO Joe Lacob was exasperated with his coach, Mark Jacksonand replaced him with Steve Kerr in May 2014.
The players, led by Stephen Curry And Andre Iguodalawere initially unenthusiastic about the coaching change, as Jackson had led Golden State to its best two-year stretch in 22 years. Additionally, they were unanimously outraged after losing in seven games to the The Los Angeles Clippers in a turbulent first-round NBA playoff series.
“We fought so hard this whole series, this whole season,” Curry said after the Warriors were eliminated. “It hurts.”
The intensity of that series — there was a postgame showdown after Game 7 at Staples Center — lit a fuse that stayed with the Warriors all summer, through training camp, throughout the season and into the 2015 playoffs.
Curry had already become a star. Klay Thompson had become a powerful two-way weapon. Draymond Green realized he was a real impact player. The veterans Andre Bogut and Iguodala were confident the Warriors were ready to become championship contenders.
Kerr was hired 11 days after the Warriors ouster. Two months later, general manager Bob Myers signed him to a free agent contract Shaun Livingstongiving the team a third productive guard behind Curry and Thompson. In mid-September, Myers heeded Kerr’s recommendation to sign a free agent Leandro Barbosa as the fourth guard.
Kerr, a first-time coach, helped ease his transition by coaching Golden State’s Summer League team in Las Vegas and setting up one-on-one meetings with veterans, even traveling to Australia to visit Bogut.
“It was huge,” Bogut told NBC Sports Bay Area in 2019. “I can tell you, not many coaches would do that.”
Kerr traveled to Seattle to observe Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s approach to NFL training camp. Kerr took from Carroll the use of music to lighten the mood, allowing players to take turns being the DJ for the day.
Dedicated to preparation and knowing the culture he wanted to build with the Warriors, Kerr was ready for his first training camp. His top assistants — Alvin Gentry on offense, Ron Adams on defense — were respected and experienced 60-something veterans.
Within days, the Warriors, sweating to the beat and seeing positive results in real time, were fully committed. Still chafing from their early playoff exit, they saw room for improvement and quickly embraced the new regime.
The confidence they had gained from back-to-back playoff appearances — and the fervent belief that both streaks should have been extended — was reinforced by a level of certainty they had never known in the NBA. Which, combined with their collective inner rage, gave birth to a dynasty.
“I inherited a very good team, smart and talented,” Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area in May. “They had developed a defensive foundation under Mark Jackson, so we tried to build on that. Alvin knows the offense, and we made some changes there.
“But I also know that I was lucky to be at the right time.”
Kerr’s original ideas — music, Coliseum workouts, bowling trips and more — have been bonding tools. They’ve also helped veterans absorb tedious tasks like “boring” fundamentals.
Fueled by playoff heartbreak and relying on the new toys the offense had generated, the Warriors won 21 of their first 23 games, including 16 in a row. The joy of victory was amplified by the joy of the process. They were going from good to great.
Kerr’s connection with his team eased what could have been a difficult moment. As a starting power forward David LeeA Lacob favorite and in 2013 Golden State’s first All-Star in 16 years, suffered a hamstring injury in the final preseason game, Green took on that role.
Ten years, six NBA Finals appearances and four championships laterDraymond remains the team’s starting power forward.
Golden State, which 15 years ago (before Curry) languished in the NBA’s backwoods, regularly shunned by free agents, is now a role model for the league and one of the five most valuable American sports franchises.
The Warriors’ next challenge is to maintain their lofty status. It will be a tough task, far more difficult than the journey to get there.
