They were reigning champions, whose target on their back only grew larger as they entered the same conversation as the greatest team in NBA history. Lost in the five years since the Warriors' milestone is an appreciation for just how difficult it was. Golden State didn't lose to Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0), nor did they drop games against the "Lob City" Los Angeles Clippers (4-0), the LeBron James- and Kyrie Irving-led Cavaliers (2-0) and Eastern Conference finalist Toronto Raptors (2-0). The Warriors only lost once to the San Antonio Spurs, winners of 67 games that season and owners of a better net rating (plus-11.8).
Golden State had a 24-game winning streak, an 11-game streak, three seven-game streaks, a six-gamer and a five-gamer. Those Warriors didn't lose consecutive games in a row during the regular season. Golden State started 24-1 with Kerr sidelined due to his back, and went 39-4 with then-assistant coach Luke Walton filling in. They outscored teams by 10.8 points per game on the season, and their plus-11.6 net rating was the fourth-most in NBA history at the conclusion of the '15-16 season. Neither are strong enough take the shine off Golden State breaking one of the NBA's unbreakable records within two decades of it being set.ĭraymond shades KAT for out-of-nowhere legacy quote Durant's three-season tenure with the Warriors can't, either. The blown Finals lead can't be separated from the regular-season record, of course. Not long after, "73-9" became a cudgel to decry Durant's decision, something neither he nor his former team can shake to this day. Sixty-eight days after beating the Grizzlies, the Warriors lost Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, ensuring "3-1" wasn't far behind any mentions of "73-9."Įighty-three days after winning more regular-season games than any other team in NBA history, Kevin Durant announced his intention to sign with the Warriors. A Steve Kerr-coached squad bested one win from his playing days, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, as the greatest regular-season team in NBA history.įive years later, Kerr's Warriors aren't remembered as fondly as those Bulls, in large part because of what transpired over the next three months. The Warriors became the first - and, still, the only - team in NBA history to win 73 games in an 82-game regular season. Golden State clinched a 73-9 season that day with a 125-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. It hasn't been remembered that way, but it's time to start. Five years ago Tuesday, the Warriors achieved arguably the most impressive feat of their dynasty.
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