The Golden State Warriors aren’t often thought of for their rich history, but in the 2019 NBA Hall of Fame class, that should change.
Two former Golden State Warriors have been nominated as finalists for the 2019 NBA Hall of Fame class. The most note-worthy is Chris Webber, the former Fab 5 member. The other was 80’s forward Marques Johnson.
Oddly enough, Webber started his career with the Warriors and ended it in the Bay. However, those were the only two seasons he played with the Golden State Warriors, being traded following his rookie season.
The Warriors most likely wish they had that deal back.
The 1993 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick had a dominant career, playing 15 years and being awarded five All-Star nominations. With a career 20.7 points per game average, Webber will go down as one of the best players never to win a championship.
Webber was actually traded to Golden State, originally being drafted by the Orlando Magic.
The Warriors traded Penny Hardaway and three first-round picks for Webber. While it doesn’t seem like much, those two of the three picks turned in legendary forward Vince Carter and the championship-winning Mike Miller.
The Dubs had Webber. Then, the summer after his rookie season, they decided to trade him for the second time in his career. This time it was for Tom Gugliotta and three first-round picks, where they got the draft picks for Vince Carter and Mike Miller back.
It must’ve been a weird few seasons for the Warriors. Ultimately, it would’ve been thrilling to see what Webber could’ve done if he spent his entire career in the Bay. However, as far as that goes, the world may never know what it would’ve done to his career.
As for Johnson, he played just ten games in Golden State after missing two straight seasons. Johnson’s neck injury kept him from basketball before the Warriors gave him another chance. Johnson averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds for his career.
Ultimately, the 2019 Hall of Fame class should have at least one former Warriors nominated.