Life's Too Sports

For the Golden State Warriors, the 2010s were nothing short of remarkable. Having spent four decades mired in mediocrity, the Bay Area's team finally managed to assemble a dominant lineup en route to securing three championships, qualifying for the NBA Finals in five consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019. While the basketball world largely fixated on the Warriors' iconic 73-9 record during the 2015-2016 season (as well as their subsequent NBA Finals' collapse and recruitment of phenom Kevin Durant), the history books will illuminate an unforgettable period of time in which rising superstars joined forces to immortalize their respective legacies. Unfortunately for Golden State, impermanence remains the harsh reality of professional sports, and the Warriors' reign of terror came to a screeching halt in the summer of 2019. In Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, two-time defending NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon (ending not only his season, but hi...

As of July 13, 2017, the Golden State Warriors’ starting Point Guard, Stephen Curry, is widely-renowned as quite possibly the greatest shooter that the NBA has ever seen. However, perhaps even more impressive than Curry’s wide range of accomplishments is the plethora of hardships that he has had to overcome in order to become the star player that he is today. Wardell Stephen Curry Junior was born in Akron, Ohio – ironically, in the same hospital as fellow NBA star, LeBron James. Steph’s father, Dell Curry, was a great NBA talent in his own right, playing for the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, and (at the time) Cleveland Cavaliers. Simply put, growing up in the shadow of his father’s career could not have been easy for Steph. Upon his high school graduation from Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina, the college outlook was looking rather bleak for young Mr. Curry. At 6’2, 163-pounds, many recruiters were certain that Steph simply did not ...

With the team set to embark on a road-trip of three games in four days, and All-Star Power Forward Draymond Green taking a brief leave of absence due to the birth of his child, the Golden State Warriors (25-4) entered the Barclays Center on Thursday evening with every excuse to "play down" to their sub-par opponent, the Brooklyn Nets (7-20). And unfortunately, in the first half of action, Golden State did just that. Prior to the contest (on "Warriors Pregame Live"), analyst Garry St. Jean had proclaimed that the team must have "defensive focus" in the absence of Draymond Green, and Warriors' Insider Monte Poole urged the team to "get a lead and keep it going". Unfortunately, neither of these "Keys to the Game" came to fruition for Golden State in the early-going.  Midway through the first quarter, the Nets had already built a 20-12 advantage on a performance of 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Warriors' Shooti...

Following their 45-point demolition of the Portland Trailblazers on Saturday, the Golden State Warriors (24-4) entered Oracle Arena on Tuesday evening looking to record their fifth consecutive victory, and seventh consecutive against this particular opponent. Tonight's opponent: the red-hot Utah Jazz (18-10). Much like the Warriors, the Jazz entered the contest having won four straight ballgames, and eleven of their previous thirteen. The difference between the teams: Golden State entered the night with the highest-ranked offense in the NBA (117.9 points per game), whereas Utah took the court featuring the 24th most prominent offense in the league (100.2 points per game). Seemingly, if Golden State could manage to exceed their PPG average, a record of 25-4 would be theirs for the taking. However, the opening stages of this game would firmly demonstrate just how difficult of a task this could be. In the first quarter, Golden State struggled mightily to adapt to Utah's "...

After being massacred at Quicken Loans Arena in Game Three of the NBA Finals on Wednesday evening, the Golden State Warriors strolled into enemy territory once more on Friday, seeking a confidence-renewing victory. With a win tonight, the Western Conference Champion Warriors could propel themselves to a nearly insurmountable 3-1 series advantage, while pushing the Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of elimination. As the game progressed, however, it became clear that Cleveland's aforementioned victory had done wonders for their confidence, whilst Golden State was poised to rebound and shut the door on a rather animated Cavalier rally. Game Four would quickly become the most tightly-contested game of the 2016 NBA Finals thus far. With tempers aflame and the stakes ever-increasing, both the Warriors and Cavaliers would come out firing, in relentless pursuit of a momentum-shifting victory. At the conclusion of the first quarter, Golden State would hold ...

Following a decisive Game One victory which was backed by limited production from the duo fondly known as the "Splash Brothers", the Golden State Warriors entered Oracle Arena on Sunday night in hopes of earning a second victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, thus seizing a rather intimidating 2-0 series advantage. As the first-quarter progressed, however, this evening's contest seemed designated to be yet another "grind it out" affair. In the early stages of the game, Warriors' center Andrew Bogut recorded 4 monumental blocked shots, whilst at the opposite end of the spectrum, point guard Stephen Curry collected a pair of early fouls. Bogut's productivity would cease as the evening advanced, yet Curry's ongoing foul trouble continued to haunt Golden State. Steph was whistled for his third personal foul in the second-quarter, and picked up his fourth in the early stages of the second-half. Thankfully for Golden State, Cleveland's overall ...

After erasing a daunting 3-1 series deficit to overcome the Oklahoma City Thunder in thrilling "Game Seven" fashion, the Golden State Warriors stepped onto their home court at Oracle Arena on Thursday night backed by the highly-anticipated elation of over 19,000 supporters. Game One of the 2016 NBA Finals had finally arrived. As many had expected, this year's championship would be decided in a rematch of the 2015 edition of the Finals, featuring the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors (victors in 73 historic contests throughout the regular season), and the Cleveland Cavaliers (finally returned to full strength, and in pursuit of their first championship in franchise history). For the Warriors, it had been a quite eventful trip to the Finals, featuring a plethora of injuries to back-to-back NBA MVP Stephen Curry, and a shockingly furious rally to snatch the Western Conference Championship from the clutches of Russell Westbrook and company. In contrast, the C...

It's official: the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are back... and better than ever. Kicking off the 2015-2016 regular season with five consecutive victories against playoff-caliber opponents, Golden State seems prime to prove that last season's historic title run was no fluke. Led by reigning MVP Stephen Curry, the Warriors opened their new season with FOUR straight double-digit wins, including two smackdowns of Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans, and an inconceivable 50-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. And last evening's thrilling contest against the Los Angeles Clippers saw a resilient Warriors' squad emerge victoriously once more. Already plagued by the ongoing health concerns of center Andrew Bogut and head coach Steve Kerr, Golden State refuses to make any excuses. Rather, Luke Walton leads his team into battle each night with a successful game plan, and regardless of circumstance, the Warriors always seem to pull out "...

In completing their desired roster for the 2015-2016 regular season, the Golden State Warriors were forced to make one final personnel swap. On July 31, the Warriors traded SF Gerald Wallace, cash, and draft considerations to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for PF Jason Thompson. This was an outstanding move for Golden State, as they have essentially traded David Lee in an effort to land Jason Thompson (a younger, cheaper, and arguably more talented player). And while Thompson spent 7 seasons donning a purple jersey in Sacramento, his adjustment to "The Bay's Team" should be rather seamless. "A lot of instability with seven coaches in seven years, 180 teammates and things like that. That doesn't ever lead to winning," Thompson said. "To come to an organization that has [won] and is coming off a championship, that's great for myself." Although Thompson grew up in Philadelphia, being traded from a team that won 18 games last se...

Oftentimes, when a professional sports franchise finally captures a championship, their ensuing off-season features a great amount of free agent shuffling. However, this is certainly not the case for the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, as they plan on entering the 2015-2016 regular season with a roster that is nearly identical to the one that lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy this past June (aside from a short list of unavoidable exceptions). The few notable roster changes include names such as Kevon Looney, Justin Holiday, Gerald Wallace, and David Lee. As addressed in a previous blog, with the 30th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Warriors selected PF Kevon Looney, who will seemingly be a quite valuable asset to their franchise moving forward. In a deal featuring slightly less media coverage, SG Justin Holiday has signed a 2-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks. Although Golden State will miss Holiday greatly, it was clearly time for him to pursue an expa...

With the 2015 NBA Championship clinched, the Golden State Warriors were forced to quickly alter their focus onto the 2015 NBA Draft, where they held the 30th overall pick. And although there was serious speculation that the Warriors would attempt to move the pick in an effort to trade David Lee, no significant moves were made. Instead, with the 30th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected PF Kevon Looney, from the UCLA Bruins. While this pick was definitely scrutinized by many experts, the Warriors seem to believe that they have acquired a player of immense skill - a player that will go down in NBA history as an unbelievable "steal". The 6'9, 220 pound forward averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his freshman season at UCLA, finishing with 15 double-doubles before declaring for the 2015 NBA Draft. And while his injuries may keep him sidelined for an extensive portion of his rookie season in the NBA, he should prove himself as...

After 40 stressful years of failure and disappointment, the Golden State Warriors have renewed their status as NBA Champions. And while this should be a perfect opportunity for Golden State to celebrate, head coach Steve Kerr is taking this time to exhale and process what his team has finally accomplished. "I can't tell you how many things are going through my mind because we've spent so much of our time competing," Kerr said. "But the one thing I'd forgotten was the grind. It has been 12 years since I'd last been here with San Antonio, and it's a long, grueling two months." While Kerr takes a breather in an effort to allow his team to savor the victory, however, the unselfish leaders of the 2014-2015 NBA Champions continue throwing compliments at one specific individual, NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala. "I always said Andre's a pro's pro," said Warriors forward Draymond Green. "He's a professional guy and it sho...

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1975, THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS. It has been nearly seventeen hours since Stephen Curry heaved the ball into the air as the Warriors celebrated their first NBA Championship in 40 seasons. And with this title under their belts, it is beginning to set in for Golden State fans how truly special their championship-caliber roster was this season. A roster that swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the Quarterfinals, rallied from a seemingly insurmountable 2-1 series deficit to dispatch of the Memphis Grizzlies in six Semifinal games, and demolished the Houston Rockets in an almost embarrassing five-game Conference Finals series victory... However, all of the aforementioned victories were merely small steps leading up to Golden State's dethroning of King James in the NBA Finals to assume their position as the new-found NBA Champions. Additionally, all of these victories came without the Warriors being forced to utilize their inco...

Tonight's Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals promises to be a showdown for the ages. Sitting in front of the Golden State Warriors, a golden opportunity to finally win an NBA Title, which is something that has eluded them for many decades. Standing in the way of their glorious pursuit, the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that has never been so close to permanently etching their names into the NBA record books. And although their squad seems to be at a great disadvantage, LeBron James (A.K.A the most dominant NBA player of this generation) will certainly not go down without a fight. However, if the Warriors are to finish off the 2014-2015 NBA season on this evening, they will be fulfilling the long-time dreams of more than their current roster. Rather, a victory tonight will undoubtedly please a wide variety of legendary players who came before them. Among a long list of names of Warriors' greats are players such as Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway,...

After many months of hard-fought battles against a wide variety of respected NBA franchises, the Golden State Warriors find themselves in serious contention for an NBA Title for the first time since 1975. With 67 regular season and 12 postseason victories already in the record books, the Warriors still need 4 more to be able to call themselves NBA Champions. Standing in the way of their first NBA crown in 40 years? LeBron James and the Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The teams split their regular season series 1-1, each claiming a victory in front of their home crowd. It is important to mention that LeBron James was inactive during the Warriors' victory at Oracle Arena. However, the numbers would suggest that Golden State once again has the advantage in this match-up. Cleveland went 53-29 during the regular season, while Golden State finished with an astounding record of 67-15. Nevertheless, at this point in the competition, the regular season vict...

For the first time since 1975, the Golden State Warriors are going to the NBA Finals. After seven months of battling through excruciating games, practices, and all other unpredictable challenges that come with playing in the NBA, the Bay Area's pride and joy is merely four victories away from the pinnacle of basketball. The Houston Rockets, on the other hand, walk away feeling dejected. Following one of the most frustrating games of his career, MVP runner-up James Harden insisted, "Just trying to play in a crowd, trying to do a little bit too much, and I turned the basketball over and gave them easy opportunities in transition." Golden State, however, will not complain about the continued ineffectiveness of James Harden.  Rather, they will move forward in celebration of obtaining their first Western Conference Championship in 14,612 days.  "Winning feels like relief most of the time," said Golden State's head coach, Steve Kerr.  "But to g...

After rallying from an uncomfortable 2-1 series deficit to dispatch of the Memphis Grizzlies in 6 games, the Golden State Warriors fixed their eyes on Game 7 between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon. Much to the dismay of NBA fans across America, the Houston Rockets finished off their monumental comeback, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in an intense and emotional Game 7 battle. And while Houston's victory has not set up the "heated rivalry" that many basketball fans had anticipated, a series featuring two MVP-caliber players (Stephen Curry and James Harden) should prove quite intriguing. Momentum will not likely be much of a factor in this series, as both Houston and Golden State have won three consecutive contests. However, as the Warriors have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, Oracle Arena will undoubtedly be ready for the start of Game 1. Recent history also seems to be on Golden State's side, as the Warrio...

For the first time since 1976, the Golden State Warriors are going to the Western Conference Finals. Simply, there is no better way to describe such a distinct accomplishment, nor to explain the historic run that Golden State has been on since the beginning of the 2014-2015 regular season. Perhaps, however, a similar notion could be obtained by casually looping the replay of Stephen Curry's 62-foot buzzer-beating floater swishing through the bottom of the net last evening. Those are the type of plays that we have come to expect from the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Unfortunately, this series wasn't all "fun and games" for the Warriors, as they were forced to overcome a great deal of adversity in achieving their ultimate goal. Thankfully, the series began on a positive note, which was certainly instrumental in Golden State's success. The hype preceding Game One was quickly dimmed when Memphis announced that Mike Conley would not suit up for the Gr...