This post isn’t for the diehards. Diehard Warrior fans know how special this season has been. Those same diehards who filled Oracle for 20 years of ineptitude are probably struggling to put to words what’s happening. No, this post is for your casual bay area sports fan.
Bay Area in general isn’t the most diehard sports community. That’s not to say the bay doesn’t rally behind its team when something is happening. Three Giants World Series runs showed that. Call it late to the party or peaked interest down the home stretch, that’s kind of how the Bay Area functions with sports. There’s nothing wrong with it either. The bay has some of the most diverse array of activities. To waste ones time on every minute of every local team would be depriving ones self of all the bay has to offer.
That said, the 2014-15 Warriors are becoming one of those spectacles you’ll want to partake in. Teams like this do not come along very often. The Warriors have a young core that has had success for a couple years and is set up to have success for the foreseeable future. But there’s success and then there’s outright historic dominance.
Don’t believe it? Here are some numbers for you:
- Golden State has the 2nd highest point differential since the NBA/ABA merger. First was Michael Jordan’s 72 win Chicago Bulls team. They aren’t simply winning; they are eviscerating opponents at a historic pace.
- The Warriors are 34-6, with potential to become the 3rd team ever to win 70 games in a season.
- The Warriors are doing it on both ends, 1st ranked defense, 3rd ranked offense.
Because numbers never tell the whole story, here are some more reasons:
- The Warriors are leading the NBA in points per game, playing an up-tempo, exciting brand of basketball.
- Oracle Arena has earned national praise for being one of the best atmospheres. As the team keeps winning, the arena has become absolutely electric.
- This team has some of the best chemistry I’ve ever seen. Every player is cheering each other on and celebrating each other’s accomplishments.
- Stephen Curry is the frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award, something no Warrior has done since 1959/60 (Wilt Chamberlain) and no player has done since the team moved to the bay area.
Maybe they’ll achieve these goals, maybe they won’t. They are a championship contender and the ride from now until the finish will be a fun one. And unlike baseball or football, where the Bay Area is divided between teams, the Warriors are THE bay’s basketball team. A team A’s, Giants, Raiders and 49ers fans can rally behind.
More than anything, the Bay Area is an event-oriented region. Right now, there is no bigger event than the Golden State Warriors. This team may be good for the next decade, but it’s hard to imagine it’ll ever reach a level of dominance like they are showing this season. For the casual Bay Area sports fan, this is the ideal time to start following and falling in love with the Golden State Warriors.