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Baron Davis and the “We Believe” Warriors

By Carlos Murillo

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It took the Golden State Warriors 51 games to reach 42 victories this season en route to a third consecutive postseason appearance. The 2006-07 team needed a full 82 games to reach that mark and clinch the team’s first playoff berth in 13 years. While the 2014-15 edition of Warriors basketball is superior with higher aspirations, that team was truly special and an important part of Warriors history.

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We Believe

The team, the fans, and the whole Bay Area rallied around that squad and that mantra. An untraditional, borderline dysfunctional team full of “troublemakers” and “midgets” came together and produced some of the most beautiful basketball in the league. The magical season was surely a memorable one for fans and it’s become a special part of each player’s career as well.

Baron Davis recently sat down with Bill Simmons on Grantland to discuss his career, endeavors, and potential comeback to the NBA. Among the things they talked about was the We Believe squad. About his time in Golden State he said “that was the best time I had in my career.” Davis spoke well of the fans and his teammates (naming Monta Ellis has his favorite teammate ever) and gave insight into his shocking departure. Davis and the Warriors are inextricably linked together; a relationship where both sides forged a legacy bigger than anything they could have done themselves.

It’s no surprise that Golden State’s upper management wasn’t very good, to say the least. After the magical playoff season, Davis led the Warriors to a 48 win season that just fell short of the postseason the following year. In 2008-09, Davis had $17.8 million left on his Golden State contract when he decided to bolt for his hometown Los Angeles Clippers. Davis told Simmons that he was insulted by the lies, false promises, and low offer presented by the Warriors. Though he enjoyed his time in Golden State, Davis opted for the Clippers’ offer which he says was double what the Warriors offered.

Though fan-favorite Jason Richardson was gone after a trade in the offseason following the playoff run, it was Davis’s departure that started the deterioration. The Warriors caught lightning in a bottle for a season and a half until everything fell apart slowly and viciously. Though the team was never really a championship contender (though, if you ask me, they could have beaten San Antonio and Cleveland that year), it’s important to think about both how fun they were and how important they were to Warriors fans. Before the egos took over and the team fell to irrelevancy (once again), there was magic in the Bay Area.

Before the egos took over and the team fell to irrelevancy (once again), there was magic in the Bay Area.

The Warriors were David and the Dallas Mavericks were Goliath and Golden State’s slingshot was equipped with numerous fatal stones: athleticism, edge, momentum, and a rabid home crowd. Don Nelson‘s small-ball gave the NBA a potent offense to be feared. Averaging 106.5 points per game, second only to Steve Nash‘s Suns, the team was explosive. Explosive enough to make history by becoming the first 8 seed to defeat a 1 seed in a 7 game series in NBA History. And it wasn’t just any 1 seed; the Mavs won 67 games and had the MVP in Dirk Nowitzki. Even though this Mavs team was by far the top team in the West, Warriors fans felt like they had the advantage and Dallas was the underdog. They were right.

Though that squad was truly a team that played together beautifully, Baron Davis was the star. He was the battery that energized the Warriors. He was the artist that painted a gold canvas with every dribble and every circus shot. Though his career as a Warrior was not always perfect, those playoffs were close to it. He played some of the most electrifying basketball not seen in these parts since Run TMC. Davis made play after play raising the noise level in the arena to unprecedented heights.

The excitement organized chaos by Davis and co. gave birth to a living, ferocious entity: Roaracle. The nearly 20,00 gold bodies came together to create an awe-inspiring sight for players and spectators alike. The world watched in amazement over how a region rallied around it’s team. With very few things to cheer for in over a decade, the Bay Area was waiting for something to get happy about it. Oracle Arena was a bottle of soda that had been shaken up for years and Boom Dizzle’s beard finally opened it. Though We Believe was just a few magical months, it’s impact is timeless. It produced a generation of passionate fans. My love for this franchise was born out of the excitement of that fast tempo basketball and their improbable run.

Many fans, young and old, rallied around them. That team was exactly what the fans needed. I’m not sure if a slow team playing a half court game would have produced the same ferocity from the fans. Davis’s exciting play created Roaracle and Roaracle carried Davis.

Apr 26, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors shirts rest on arena seats before game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The style of play was something that, aside from Phoenix, was unheard of in the NBA. As Davis noted in his interview with Simmons, he and the Warriors were doing things that the league is doing now: going small, utilizing the three, and moving the ball around.

We Believe put Warriors’ fans on the map. We Believe set history. We Believe made the whole region believe that small ball could work. We Believe resurrected the careers of players like Matt Barnes, rejuvenated the careers of Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington, started the career of Ellis, rewarded the loyalty of Richardson, and created a star in Davis. We Believe brought stars to the stands. We Believe made it cool to be a Warrior.

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Baron Davis and We Believe helped pave the way for Stephen Curry and the Warriors this season. Even though the separation was tough, he will always be a Warrior and a damn good one. The current Warriors have pretty much perfected the small-ball approach that Davis’s team attempted by upping the defensive intensity while maintaining the same offensive flow. The sea of gold that shows up during postseason basketball started with Davis. Even though Golden State has moved on towards bigger and better things, it’s important to remember We Believe. It wasn’t “They Believe” or “I Believe” but We Believe. Those players are a part of us Warriors fans as we are a part of them.

Also, for the record, Baron Davis has the greatest beard in NBA history. Sorry, James.

Next: Contrasting Styles: Kerr vs Joerger

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