Winning is Something the Golden State Warriors Could Get Used To

Tonight the Golden State Warriors will play in a Western Conference Finals game.

It feels crazy just writing that. This isn’t a Cinderella run or a fluke–no, this is for real. The Golden State Warriors are playing in their first Western Conference Finals since 1976. But more importantly, the Golden State Warriors are playing in, what they hope to be, their first Western Conference Finals of many.

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Warriors fans know how special this season has been. The basketball gods are rectifying years and years of losing, false promises, and disappointments with this magical season. This moment has been six years in the making and alas, it has arrived. Getting past the second round for Golden State is a sign of growth and that they’re ready. This run to the Final Four is what they expected when they drafted Stephen Curry after his improbable run. Every move over the last six years seemed so small individually, but collectively there was a master plan in place and the Warriors are finally carrying it out.

This is the greatest team in franchise history. Record setting became a regular occurrence while they brushed off the best that the opposition could give them. The accolades for this team are never ending. They took everything you knew about the Golden State Warriors and flipped it upside down. You can argue, of course, the three championship teams of the past seeing as how this current incarnation hasn’t done it. Yet.

May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11, left) is congratulated by forward Draymond Green (23, right) after making a three-point basket while being fouled during the fourth quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 98-78. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

A Western Conference Finals appearance is significant for any team. But for this team, for this franchise, it’s so much more. It’s a reward for all of the chaos that used to take over Oracle Arena. It’s a sign of changing times. It’s a testament to all of the hard work management, coaches, and players have put in. They’ve redefined what it means to be a Warrior. They’ve created the narrative.

Failure doesn’t haunt this squad. They’ve broken the cycle. When people look at this Warriors team, they don’t see the Todd Fullers or the Patrick O’Bryants or the Mike Montgomerys of the world. They don’t think about the Chris Webber trades, the Robert Parish and Kevin McHale missed opportunities, and the Derek Fisher signings. No. The story is about greatness. When people talk about Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green they use names like Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, and Chris Mullin. And it makes sense.

Like I said, they’ve broken the cycle. They’re not the perennial losers we all got used to. This is their third straight playoff appearance and this could be the one. It looks like it’s the one. To some, it has to be the one. But they’re here. They’re relevant in the NBA’s big picture with a true superstar and real championship aspirations.

Sure, this is has been said and written countless times, but for Warriors fans it doesn’t get old. And neither will winning. And this team is poised to do a lot of that in the coming years. That’s what makes this Western Conference Finals appearance so significant. This isn’t a fluke. This team is good. They’re young enough and good enough to do this for several years in a row. And yes, people said the same about the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they’re made bad decisions and had a lot of awful luck. There were never as good as this Warriors team. This isn’t Run TMC or We Believe; this is real and it’s sustainable and it’s great.

The Warriors look like they should get past the Rockets. The Warriors also look like they could beat the Atlanta Hawks or the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is one of those weird postseason runs where there’s a combination of a must-win-now sense of urgency and a calm realization that this team has more years left in it. Defeating an all-world talent in the first round and finally overcoming what had been an insurmountable round for Golden State by downing a daunting front court has finally opened the Warriors’ window. And this window, held up by the core that’ll eventually cross over to the other side of the bridge, is going to stay open for a long time.

This fan base has been starving for a taste of glory for years and they’ve finally got themselves a team hungry enough to get it.