Dear Golden State Warriors,
I used to love the way you guys played. You started this "small ball" revolution and convinced the basketball world that your point guard, Steph Curry, was a legitimate star and maybe the greatest shooter of all time. You took a gritty 6'7" undersized forward in Draymond Green and helped develop him into one of the most intimidating defensive players in the entire league. Finally, you got Klay Thompson, one of the original "Three-and-D" players the NBA covets so much now.
Together, with the help of role players like Andrew Bogut, David Lee, and Andre Iguodala you became a team on the rise. Your perimeter offense known as "small ball" changed the NBA and you were everyone's favorite underdog in the 2013-2014 season, a team who played a new exciting way, reminiscent of the Phoenix Suns of old, that could outshoot and outscore most teams, but unlike the "7 second offense" Suns, you guys could play defense.
You had a scrappy team and in 2015 it was your big year. You bested "King" James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and brought the Bay Area their first NBA title in 40 years. The following year, you went even further and beat Michael Jordan, by going 73-9, breaking his Bulls record of 72-10 in a regular season. Steph Curry who was once described as "unathletic" and "too small to play in the NBA" became the first ever unanimous NBA Most Valuable Player. It was clear there was a dynasty in the Bay Area. Despite all of your success, you lost to LeBron James in the NBA Finals as the "King" finally brought a championship back to "The Land" for the first time in their 52 year history.
However, it was at this point people began to notice some things, this lovable underdog team was long dead and this dynasty began to act petulant and spoiled when things didn't go their way. With Draymond kicking people in the groin and even everyone's favorite point guard Steph Curry throwing his mouth guard at a fan after getting a call he didn't like, fans around the league began to view you guys as divas. Then, in the following offseason you guys made a move that has ruined basketball and made your team an incredible "Super-Team" by signing former MVP and perennial All-Star, Kevin Durant.
This led to another title in 2017 and another finals trip in 2018. You went from being a fun team to watch to being a team who has ruined the NBA, it's no longer even fun and suspenseful to watch the NBA Playoffs anymore because when June rolls around I know I'll see you. It's incredible how quickly you went from being a lovable underdog team to the most polarizing and hated team in the NBA, full of pampered and entitled players. In all honesty, I know this is what's best for you, success is much more important to an organization than league-wide likability, and as Klay Thompson has said "The rest of the league just needs to get better." Despite all of this, Golden State, I miss the old you.
Sincerely,
Kevin Montague
