The Golden State Warriors are once again NBA champions, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 on Thursday night for their fourth title in the past eight seasons.
Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the MVP of the final as the Warriors won the franchise’s seventh overall championship. And this guy has completed a journey like no other, after 5 consecutive finals, then dropped to the bottom of the NBA, and now a great comeback just two seasons after the achievement. worst in the league.
“We found a way to get the job done,” Curry said after the Warriors accepted the trophy and celebrated on the field.
With eyes filled with tears and hoarse with emotion, Curry managed to speak as he explained what helped the Warriors win their latest crown.
“It’s part of our championship pedigree, our experience,” he said. “We’ve been building this for 10-11 years. That means a lot when you get to this stage.”
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it was a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was reigning and had reached the final five times in a row.
“All are unique, all are special,” coach Steve Kerr said of the many titles. “This might be the most unlikely. …It took a team effort to get it done and we’ve got a great team.”
Injuries, including those that kept Thompson out for two and a half years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning midway through, the Warriors are finally back.
Back to the top, too. The champions, once again, denying the former Celtics will be their record 18th championship, something that means Boston has broken ties with the Los Angeles Lakers the most in league history.
CBSSports.com’s Brad Bodkin praised Cury, note Curry’s fourth ring puts him in the air even more rare.
“Curry’s four are one more than Larry Bird and Dwyane Wade, and one more than Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan,” he wrote. “…Curry is always on the lookout for this Combatant the storm that has torn apart the NBA for the past eight years. … Curry is, quite simply, one of the surest bets for championships that has ever existed. … And the thing is, he’s far from done. “
Thousands of Warriors fans attended a watch party at the Chase Center and more watched the game outside the arena on the big screen:
Minutes after the game, the Warriors announced that their first victory parade in San Francisco would be held on Monday, CBS San Francisco said. The team has held three previous parades in Oakland, which the Warriors call home from 1971 to 2019.
Return of the Warriors
This story for the Warriors ended much differently than what their most recent final against Toronto did in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles tendon in the Game. 5 and then Thompson tore his ACL during the game becoming the Raptors’ title winner in Game 6.
The consequences of that loss were exacerbated by Durant’s decision to leave that summer in freelancing to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson’s Achilles injury while recovering from a knee injury.
“It all paid off,” Thompson said. “Those were dog days, a lot of tears were shed. … You know that’s a possibility, but to see it in real time. … It’s crazy.”
It pushed a Golden State team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors have used a two-year hiatus from the NBA’s biggest periods to retool their roster – one more draft pick in the past is Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in the first final. , along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.
“This is definitely going to be different, knowing what the last three years have meant, what it was like,” Curry said. “Injuries, change of keeper, squad, young boys… Now, we have four championships. Me, Dray, Klay and Andre.
“Finally got that bad boy,” Curry added, referring to the MVP trophy. “It’s special. … Everyone is important in that process.”
Yes, all clicked.
For Kerr, it was his ninth championship after winning five as a tennis player. He is the sixth coach to win four titles, along with Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.
It’s the third season in a row where everything is affected by global COVID-19 pandemicAnd while things are closer to normal, the pictures and videos of the championship celebration will be a forever reminder that the virus is still a problem.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was unable to participate in the game as he remained in compliance with league health and safety protocols regarding the virus. The redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy – a golden souvenir for NBA champions – was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.
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