Golden State Warriors’ Quest for 16 Straight is a Special Step

The Golden State Warriors have won their 16th straight game, equaling the best start to a NBA season – another historic mark for what is fast becoming a historically great team.

In the 2009-10 season, the Golden State Warriors won their 16th game on February 21st, a 108-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Dubs “improved” to 16-39 led by a rookie Stephen Curry‘s 32 points. Six years later, Curry is the only one left from that roster and he has the Warriors where no other team has traveled before.

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The Warriors are, once again, on the cusp of making history. They are 48 minutes away from setting the record for best start in NBA history. It’s both a testament to the handwork the team has put in and just another step towards a larger goal. This is part of the process that has been in place for years now.

If the Warriors beat the lowly Los Angeles Lakers, they should celebrate and be proud of what they’ve accomplished so far this season. In the history of the National Basketball Association, no team would have gotten off to a better start than these Warriors. Not any of Michael Jordan‘s Bulls or Magic Johnson‘s Lakers or Bill Russell‘s Celtics. And that’s special.

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Coming off the best season in franchise history, winning the team’s first title in 40 years, the Warriors could have coasted. They didn’t need to come out and set the record for the best start in NBA history. The team is talented enough to cruise to a top four seed in an odd Western Conference. They didn’t really need to prove anything to anyone as the banner hanging from the Oracle Arena rafters speaks for itself. Beloved by the passionate fan base, the team was going to be remembered just on what they did last year alone.

But Golden State is on a mission to be the greatest team of all time.

For this team, 67 wins was just the beginning. While many organizations would be more than pleased with a championship, it has become abundantly clear that last year’s championship was not the ultimate goal for this team. They want more.

The Warriors understand what they’re doing right now. With a target on their back, they’ve deflected every single shot thrown at them and counterattacked with unprecedented precision. So if they leave Oracle Arena as the victor tomorrow night, they deserve to be proud. They should be excited for as long as the winning streak stays alive. This is a special time in, not just Warriors history, but in NBA history.

Nov 12, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Golden State Warriors beat he Minnesota Timberwolves 129-116. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

These Warriors will enjoy this moment, as they should. The fans should enjoy it too. Curry and co. have completely shifted the culture. From winning game no. 16 in February to winning 16 in a row to start their title defense, the expectations are different. And no one has bigger expectations for this team than the team itself.

These Warriors are thinking bigger picture. They have a real shot at surpassing the 72-10 mark set by Chicago and they have a real shot at repeating as champions. They want to be the best and do it their way. Spacing the floor and playing elite defense, this team is having fun fun making being the top dog look easy. With a generational player in their corner and a supporting cast to rival any in history, this team knows that what they have needs to be put on full display right now.

Whether you’re a Warriors fan or not, they are are must-see TV. They’re making NBA history every night and it’s exciting to watch. Fifteen wins in a row at any point in the season is fantastic. But starting a season with those wins after coming off a title is incredible. And setting the record with sixteen is just another step on the Warriors’ path to unprecedented greatness which they are more than ready for.

Just like every other accolade this team has earned, they will celebrate it– maybe even less than they should–because they deserve it. Setting a record like that and surpassing Hakeem Olajuwon‘s back-to-back champion Houston Rockets is impressive. But this team is goal-oriented and they know that while individual moments should be assessed and recognized, everything is part of a larger context.

And just like everything else they’ve accomplished thus far, they’ll see it as another step on the ladder, climbing further away from what the Golden State Warriors were and closer to what the Golden State Warriors can be.