Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) poses with the Larry O’Brien Trophy as Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) celebrates with the NBA Finals MVP trophy after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
I was born in 1991.
I don’t remember seeing Terminator 2: Judgment Day in theaters, listening to Michael Jackson’s Dangerous or even watching Run TMC in all its high-octane glory.
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I’m a millennial. I’m a member of the newest generation of Warriors fans. And now, I’m spoiled.
My earliest Warriors memory wasn’t a Warriors memory at all. In 2000, Vince Carter provided the greatest drama I had ever seen on a basketball court. That court just so happened to be in Oakland, which a professional basketball team called home every season.
The dunk contest was a welcome distraction for me. It presented fans of Bay Area basketball how fun superstar talent, great competition and most importantly, winning, can be. It wasn’t a championship, but knowing that the eyes of the basketball world were on the Bay Area made me proud.
Of course, it helped that Carter provided the world with one of the greatest individual performances in All-Star history. The excitement of that night, predictably, drifted once actual games began to be played. The Warriors went 19-63 that season. I started to follow basketball closely at this point, and the suffering that became synonymous with Golden State began.
Ironically, the next greatest memory I have was the 2003 dunk contest, when Jason Richardson marveled everyone with his incredible band of aerial maneuvers. “This guy is on my team,” I remember shouting. For once, I could be proud of my team, my player and this was a memory we could enjoy together.
Like many born on or around my year, Jason Richardson was the first Warrior that was universally loved and admired. The former Michigan State Spartan combined dunks, devotion and dedication to basketball, and it was palpable. He was a Warrior in every sense of the word, and the successes that followed couldn’t have happened to a better person.
That’s what made the trade of Richardson to Charlotte for Brandan Wright the most difficult trade of my young Warriors fandom. How could you trade our guy? The Warriors were filling a need, but at what cost? It’s a business, and that’s certainly understood, but for a franchise with little to be proud of for decades, it was tough to swallow.
After Richardson, it was Monta Ellis who held the crown. The high school draftee from Mississippi was small and skinny, but determined to prove everyone wrong. Ellis fascinated with his energy, quickness and aptitude for 360 degree layups. We loved him, but as was the case with J-Rich, it was for reasons not pertaining to winning.
Even the beloved 2006-07 We Believe team, which to this day is one of the most fascinating and entertaining teams in league history, only advanced a single round. The importance of such a run trumped reality. Don Nelson and his band of misfits were an incredible mix of talent and personality, but they were nothing more than a brief chuckle to those with serious aspirations.
They were still the Golden State Warriors.
Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Being a Warriors fan was synonymous with embarrassment. The opportunities to become a contender continued to bypass the Bay Area, but pride nevertheless remained. This is a fanbase that supported an organization that never gave anything back. That era is in the past now, and the ultimate reward is now a reality.
The communal disgust that fans felt for so long was surpassed by the collective ecstasy of Curry tossing the ball up in the rafters of Quicken Loans Arena as the buzzer sounded. It didn’t matter how long you’ve been a fan, only that you were one.
This is one of many reasons why the 2015 championship still doesn’t feel real. Maybe it never will. Whether you’ve been suffering since the days of Joe Barry Carroll, Vinny Del Negro, Zarko Cabarkapa or Jeremy Tyler, you’re now proud to be a fan for something not previously possible: winning.
Stephen Curry holding the Larry O’Brien trophy doesn’t look right. Andre Iguodala hoisting the Finals MVP trophy can’t possibly be real. Steve Kerr in the midst of a champagne shower doesn’t make sense. They’re supposed to lose. They’re supposed to disappoint. They’re supposed to be the Golden State Warriors.
It finally, genuinely truly is a Warriors world.