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Top 25 Golden State Warriors in franchise history

By Carlos Murillo

Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts before game seven of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts before game seven of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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6. Neil Johnston

Neil Johnston isn’t a name that automatically comes to mind when you think of greatest Warriors ever. But he was dynamic during his time with the team. Johnston played from 1951-59, playing alongside Arizin for all of his career.

Johnston wasn’t the scorer that Arizin was, but he was close. For his career, he averaged 19.4 points per game, but that’s simply because his career was bookended by two seasons with roughly 6 points per game. His last year was cut short due to injury.

At 6’8, he was a fantastic rebounder, averaging 11.3 boards per game. Johnston was an efficient scorer. He used his size and his hook shot to shoot over 44 percent for his career and well over 45 percent for certain seasons.

He led the league in both scoring and rebounding in the 1954-55 season. He was named an All-Star that year, an honor that earned five other times. He led the league in win shares for five straight seasons. He was a workhorse as well, leading the league in minutes twice when he played over 45 minutes per contest.

Johnston won a championship in 1956. He’s in the top-10 in a lot of categories in franchise history including minutes, points, rebounds, and free throws. He was arguably the best player in the league for several years.

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