Golden State Warriors: An ode to the beloved Shaun Livingston
By Adam Serpant
Strength in numbers
It is not a great coincidence that the Warriors launched their title haul the year Livingston signed. The 2014/15 season witnessed the birth of Strength in Numbers, and it was capped off by 67 wins and a championship – with the Finals MVP being a player off the bench in Iguodala.
The identity of the team was revolutionary.
Shaun Livingston helped define all of this.
Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan while often playing at the point, Shaun’s height, length and experience troubled the opposition on both ends.
He almost always had the size advantage over his opposite number, allowing himself to be very effective as an on-ball defender while being able to switch onto the wings when necessary.
His presence alongside Iguodala, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and later Kevin Durant, was instrumental in changing the way the NBA defends in the modern era, and the proof of their success is in the pudding.
The Warriors, building on a strong defensive identity under previous coach Mark Jackson, consistently ranked in the top 5.
As the old adage goes: defense wins championships. The Warriors epitomized that throughout these last five years, and Livingston was an underrated cog in the defensive machine.