Road to the Championship: Splash Brothers Named All-Star Starters
By Ryan Hurlow
With the FIBA 2014 World Cup victory still fresh on their minds, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors made it clear they had high expectations for the 2014–2015 season.
After getting knocked out early by the Los Angeles Clippers during the previous post-season and replacing Mark Jackson with rookie head coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors faced many questions during the beginning of the season. Would Steph and Klay be able to elevate the team to a higher level? Would the team chemistry remain the same under Kerr? Would Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes be able to make the jump to the next level?
This team responded to every question and every challenge thrown their way with a historical, unforgettable season. Regular season records, franchise records, and even playoff records were broken during this dream season, only to be topped off with the greatest prize in basketball, an NBA Championship.
The Warriors’ first and arguably most significant hallmark of the regular season was Curry and Thompson’s All-Star Weekend.
Curry even managed to earn the most votes in the league, showing his ever-growing presence and ability. This marked the first starting guard selection in NBA history since Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe in 1971. Warriors fans saw Curry and David Lee make it into the All-Star game during the previous two seasons, but this time, it was special.
It was a crowning moment for the Warriors. So many years of shoddy draft picks and broken promises left most Warriors’ faithful skeptical of success every season. We saw failed experiments like the Curry–Monta duo, and the big men that were supposed to turn the franchise around (e.g. Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph).
We knew the team was good going into the 2014-2015 season, but seeing Curry and Thompson make it into the All-Star Game as starting guards finally marked the franchise turnaround. It sent the message to the entire league: The Warriors have the best backcourt in the league and they’re here to stay.
The Splash Brothers were able to represent all of Dub Nation and cement their reputation as the best duo in the league. Prior to the All-Star Game, Curry and Thompson faced each other in the Three-Point Shootout as finalists, with Curry finally taking home the elusive title of Three-Point Shootout Champion.
While the pair didn’t have an extremely memorable All-Star Game, Curry had his moments with several highlight plays. While the All-Star Game is a pure exhibition game, as a Warrior fan, it was finally good to see not one, but two members of the squad put on a show.
This season won’t be the last time Curry or Thompson make the All-Star game. Their hunger and passion for basketball seems to only drive them to improve every year. Though they are fresh off a title run, we can expect to see the Splash Brothers and the Warriors grow as a team.
This team has truly embodied the winning culture instilled by Steve Kerr, his coaching staff, Bob Myers, Joe Lacob and the rest of the front office. Given the determined nature of this organization, we can expect to see another title run in the near future.