*Editor’s note: This article was written in August 2020 and updated in February 2023. No updates were made to the order of the list with the exception of number 30.
Over the last decade, the Golden State Warriors have won four NBA championships. Although they had a couple of rebuilding seasons, they quickly bounced back and have sometimes looked better than ever.
Their organization, in general, has won seven championships. When they won their first of the three this century in 2015, the Warriors broke a championship-less streak of 40 years.
With the core Big 3 still in place, the fanbase has grown fond of who they have seen lead this team for the last decade. Better yet, many of the older fans have been loving players for several decades.
That said, let’s break down the top 30 players of the Warriors franchise. We should note that numbers alone don’t define our decision — impact and success also have a bearing.
30. Stephen Jackson
*Note: this entry was added in February 2023.
A prominent member of the “we believe” Warriors in the 2006-07 season, Stephen Jackson had an underrated stint in his 179 games with the team. Jackson averaged 20 points per game in the 2007 NBA Playoffs that included a surprising first-round upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks.
Jackson’s time with Golden State was easily the best of his career, as he had his best scoring years while also shooting at his best clip from downtown in Oakland.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
29. Shaun Livingston
Although he didn’t spend the bulk of his career with the Warriors, Shaun Livingston came into the organization and immediately provided a spark. His veteran leadership helped propel the Warriors to multiple titles.
After suffering what would be a career-ending injury for most, Livingston rebounded. He played with several teams till he finished his career with Golden State. Livingston was with the Warriors from 2014-19, helping achieve half of the organization’s titles in that span.
The Warriors would’ve likely won the last two without Livingston, but he was an instrumental piece in the 2015 championship.
With Golden State, Livingston had relatively unimpressive averages of 5.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game. However, he did shoot 52% and had an automatic mid-range jumper that certainly helped solidify his role.
28. Joe Fulks
Joe Fulks probably played before most of you were alive. He certainly competed before my day. However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a star for the then-Philadelphia Warriors back in the late 40s and early 50s.
He was on the roster when they merged from the BAA to the NBA.
In the BAA, Fulks led the league in scoring his rookie season — side note: Can you imagine that happening now? Moving on, Fulks averaged over 14 points his first season in the NBA then over 18 his second season. He led the league in free throw percentage as well.
Fulks was a two-time All-Star and helped captain the Warriors’ old-school roster. Given those numbers, Fulks came in at No. 28 on our list.
27. David Lee
A first-round pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, David Lee had a lengthy NBA career, playing 12 seasons in the NBA. Five of those seasons were spent with the Golden State Warriors, where he amassed over 5,000 points.
Lee had arguably the best season of his career with Golden State, averaging 20.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field.
While he wasn’t an instrumental part of the team, Lee did play almost 50 games for the 2014-15 Warriors, a team that reached the NBA Finals and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, the first of the two team’s four matchups.
Lee later went on to play with the Mavericks and Spurs. Lee was fantastic for Golden State, but his success never translated to team success — one reason he’s barely cracking our top 30.
26. Robert Parish
Robert Parish, a Hall of Famer, spent a whopping 21 seasons in the NBA. Parish started his rookie season off with the Golden State Warriors; however, his big shining moments resulted during his 14 seasons with the Boston Celtics.
In his time with the Celtics, Parish racked up nine All-Star game appearances and four NBA championships.
This may have to do with the fact that Parish was a double threat on the court, as he had multiple seasons with high-ranking defensive rebounds and defensive ratings. In addition to this, he also shot 55.6% from the field and averaged 16.5 points per game.
One of the fruits of being in the NBA for 21 seasons is amassing a large number of stats. In fact, Parish currently holds the record for most NBA games, having played 1,611 career games.
The Louisiana native made the most of his career and retired at the age of 43. Parish ruled the court with his ability to rebound, which resulted in his prosperous 20-year career.
25. Bernard King
Bernard King was a top-ten pick in the 1977 NBA Draft. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Nets, King found his way to the Bay Area after three years in the league, two of which were spent with the Nets.
King was only in Golden State for a mere two seasons; however, he was dominant in those few years. In those two years, King averaged 22.5 points per game on 58% shooting. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
He appeared in one All-Star game in those two seasons. King later went on to claim one scoring title and play in three more All-Star games, one of which he was elected to while 34, still averaging over 28 points per game.
King sustained many injuries which may have partially derailed his career. Either way, King was a legend, just not with a particular team, splitting time between five teams and not staying with one for longer than four seasons.
24. Jamaal Wilkes
The Warriors’ 11th pick in the 1974 NBA Draft, Wilkes played three seasons with the team. It’s tough to gauge Wilkes’ impact, but he comes in above the few before because of his success with Golden State.
Wilkes was a key contributor to the 1975 championship team. Playing in all 82 games in two of his three seasons, Wilkes was also an iron man. Let’s not downplay his skill though; Wilkes averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
The 6-foot-6 power forward was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 after going on to average three 20-plus points per game seasons with the Lakers, where he accrued two more All-Star appearances.
Wilkes ended his career with three All-Star appearances and three NBA Championships. Sadly, just one was with the Warriors. Combining his numbers and titles, Wilkes is easily a top-25 player in Golden State’s history.
23. Antawn Jamison
Originally a top-five pick of the Toronto Raptors in 1998, Jamison, a 6-foot-8 forward from UNC, came into the league with sky-high expectations.
Jamison was immediately flipped by Toronto to Golden State for Vince Carter and some cash. While his first season in Golden State didn’t produce the numbers many hoped to see, they eventually came.
Jamison averaged 24.9 points per game in his third year in the NBA. He somehow missed the All-Star game but continued his elite scoring, averaging 19.7 points and 22.2 points per game over the next two seasons. He then left for Dallas and then had a lengthy stay in Washington.
Jamison ended his career as a two-time All-Star with five seasons of 20-plus points per game.
Jamison made the postseason seven times, none of which were with Golden State. In one first-round series, he averaged 32 points per game, and his Wizards still lost. That said, Jamison’s career was successful, but the high-level team success just was never there.
22. Tom Gola
In his first season after being a top-five pick in the 1955 NBA Draft, the Warriors, with Tom Gola as the main contributor, won the 1956 NBA Championship.
Gola never averaged over 15 points per game in his career, but he was a force on the boards, averaging over ten rebounds per game during his time in the Bay Area.
Gola actually missed his second season in the league due to military service, something that seems very unlikely in the modern-day NBA. He came back and posted his first season with a double-double average.
After six full seasons in Golden State and part of a seventh, the team traded him to New York. He was there for three and a half years before retiring. Gola averaged 13.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists during his time with the Warriors.
With those strong averages and a ring to his name, Gola cracked our top 25 Warriors of all time.
21. Monta Ellis
Every true Warriors fan knows the name Monta Ellis. He captained the team both alongside Stephen Curry and the few years before Curry was drafted.
Ellis wasn’t a great star to carry a team into the postseason, but he was among the best-scoring shooting guards for a few seasons. It’s almost like a Devin Booker dynamic. The Warriors drafted Ellis in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. He spent six and a half seasons with the team.
After a disappointing rookie campaign, Ellis quickly made his presence felt, averaging 16.5 points per game in his second season. He got up to 25.5 per game in his fifth season in the league, playing a league-high 41.4 minutes.
He was a workhorse for Golden State before they traded him to Milwaukee, giving Curry the keys to the engine. For his time and his style, Monta Ellis was a star and a Warriors legend for a few seasons.
However, his numbers just didn’t translate to team success as the Warriors won over 50% of their games in three of the six seasons and failed to finish in the top two of their division in any of the six.
20. Purvis Short
There’s an argument to be made for Purvis Short to be far higher on this list.
He averaged 28 points per game one season for the Golden State Warriors. He was an absolutely dominant small forward who played in the Bay Area from 1978-87.
Short made the playoffs once with the Warriors, and on that team, he wasn’t even the leading scorer. While he was just 106 points shy of 12,000 career points in a Warriors jersey, Short’s lack of success hindered his ranking, but he was a terrific player.
Much like Monta Ellis, Short was never able to get his team to the promised land. A top-five pick, Short was everything fans hoped he would be. Short was truly a legend in the early 80s and helped elevate basketball’s popularity.
19. Jason Richardson
Another top-five pick, Richardson was drafted in the 2001 NBA Draft. He brought a swagger to this Warriors team that had been missing for a few seasons. He immediately came in and started 75 games, scoring 14.4 points per game.
Richardson, throughout his six seasons in Golden State, led them to one playoff trip and lost in the second round. However, his first-round matchup was one for the ages, defeating the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in six games. Richardson, Baron Davis, and Stephen Jackson led the team.
Richardson left after that season, signing with Charlotte, but he left his mark in the Bay Area. Averaging double figures in six seasons and 20-plus in two, Richardson took his game to new heights and became one of the most feared three-point shooters in the league.
The energy and passion that the team had when Richardson came to the Bay were unmatched for that time and helped spark the next wave of Warrior basketball.
18. Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll was the first overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft.
From Purdue University, let’s just say that Carroll lived up to the hype. Like many of these other players, Carroll played six and a half seasons in Golden State, scoring over 20 points per game in four of them.
Carroll was only an All-Star once but spent his entire prime with the Warriors, except for one season in which he played in Italy instead. The two seasons before and two after that stint, Caroll averaged over 20 points per game. He was even at 18.9 as a rookie.
The one year he was an All-Star, the Warriors managed to make the playoffs — a feat for the early 80s Warriors. The heartbeat of that team, Carroll had a solid career in Golden State with averages of 20.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.
17. Latrell Sprewell
A first-round draft pick by the Warriors in 1992, Sprewell joined them after one of the team’s best seasons of the decade. However, that didn’t stop him from immediately making an impact, averaging 15.4 points per game as a rookie.
In his six seasons with the Warriors, that was his lowest average, notching four 20-plus points per game seasons. A three-time All-Star while in the Bay Area, Sprewell didn’t see much team success, making the postseason just once during his stay in Golden State.
Sprewell, who played his collegiate ball at Alabama, did a little bit of everything, ending his Warriors career with 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
At 6-foot-5, Sprewell went on to play five seasons in New York, accruing one more All-Star appearance. He finished his career with two seasons in Minnesota, averaging over ten points per game in all 13 seasons.
16. Jeff Mullins
This Kentucky native spent twelve seasons in the NBA, ten of which were with the Warriors.
Jeff Mullins played with the San Fransisco Warriors for their last five seasons before they turned into the Golden State Warriors that we know and love today.
In addition to appearing in three All-Star games, Mullins was a member of the 1975 NBA Championship team. Mullins was a major contributor to this championship team as he played 17 playoff games and averaged 15.4 points per game during those playoff series.
Mullins had four straight seasons in which he averaged over 20 points per game.
His career both ascended and descended quickly as he went from 16.2 points to 8.2 to 4.8. It wasn’t a traditional slow ride in the sunset that we see in a good bit of players that score in such volume.
15. Sleepy Floyd
A 6-foot-3 point guard, Sleepy Floyd was undersized and energetic. An All-Star, Floyd was traded as a rookie, starting his career with the New Jersey Nets before being traded. Floyd was originally the 13th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft.
He was the Warriors’ starting point guard for three and a half seasons, averaging over 15 points per game in each. Floyd transitioned into one of the best pass-first point guards of his generation, earning his only All-Star appearance by averaging 19 points and 10 assists per game.
He also shot 49% that season, leading the team with Joe Barry Carroll through the first round of the playoffs. That season, the Warriors lost to the Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-led Lakers.
According to Bleacher Report’s deep dive into the team’s top 25 in franchise history, Floyd has an NBA record with a 29-point fourth quarter in the aforementioned playoff series. His numbers didn’t always shock, but he was that good.
14. Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala doesn’t have his best numbers in a Warriors uniform. It’s not even close as the bulk of his prime was spent in Denver and Philadelphia.
As a matter of fact, I’d go as far as to say he’s the only one in the top-15 players in franchise history to not spend a year of his prime with the team. Iguodala joined the Warriors for the 2013-2014 season.
He averaged 9.3 points per game, the lowest amount since his rookie season. Still, just two years removed from his lone All-Star appearance, Iguodala’s impact was immediately felt. Iguodala’s unique skillset helped usher in the elite death lineup.
At the end of his Warriors’ career, Iggy averaged 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 49% from the field.
However, Iguodala gets his fame from being a crucial member of the Warriors’ three title teams. He was partially responsible for the team’s most successful five-year stint in the franchise’s history.
13. Baron Davis
Originally a top-five pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Davis came into the league and played three seasons with the Hornets, amassing two All-Star appearances during those five and a half seasons.
He then joined Golden State for three and a half seasons. These were arguably the best of his career. Davis was a prolific scorer and an elite playmaker, bringing a swagger with him to the Bay Area.
He averaged 20.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 2.1 steals to go along with 1.8 threes per game.
Davis was everything a team could want in a point guard, but he just couldn’t manage to help the team succeed at a high level. The Warriors were significantly better with Davis on the court during his short stint.
His one playoff run in Golden State ended with the team losing in five games to the Carlos Boozer-led Jazz.
12. Mitch Richmond
Mitch Richmond carries perhaps one of the most impressive resumes in this article. The fourteen-year veteran is highly decorated with accolades such as six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, All-Rookie Team, 1995 All-Star Game MVP, and NBA Champion.
In addition to all of those, the Hammer was also inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2014.
Richmond may have only spent three seasons with the Warriors, but those three seasons set him up for a long, successful career in the NBA. The Florida native started his NBA conquest with the Warriors back in 1988 and stayed until 1991.
In those three seasons, Richmond averaged 22.7 points per game and shot 48.6% from the field. Not bad at all for a rookie. He also started every single game he played with the Warriors. He was one of the team’s most dynamic players in the late 80s.
11. Draymond Green
A former Defensive Player of the Year, as we live Draymond Green’s career in the present day, we don’t often appreciate the player that he has been and the immense impact that he’s had on the Warriors dynasty.
A second-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Green’s best season saw him average 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks. That season, Golden State went on to win an NBA-record 73 games.
Being an important part of the Warriors’ three titles and five Finals appearances, Green’s play has certainly taken a turn for the worst over the last two seasons.
However, he’s still a three-time All-Star and three-time NBA Champion. Without Green, this team should be as capable defensively and wouldn’t work as fluidly on offense. Green has been the engine to arguably the best team in modern-NBA history.
Green, by the end of his career, will crack into the top 10 players in franchise history.
10. Kevin Durant
Coming in at No. 10 is the one and only, Kevin Durant.
A four-time scoring champion and a former MVP prior to his trip to the Bay, Durant came in as one of the most lethal scoring threats that the NBA has ever seen.
While in Golden State, his individual numbers were trimmed a bit, but he did manage to help win two NBA Championships while also notching two NBA Finals MVPs. Durant, along with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, was an absolute monster.
He averaged over 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists with the Warriors. Durant, due to his short stint in the Bay, barely cracked the top ten. Had he secured a new contract, Durant could’ve easily ended his career in the top five.
9. Neil Johnston
A six-time All-Star, Neil Johnston played for the Philadelphia Warriors all eight seasons of his career. Coming out of Ohio State in 1951, the 6-foot-8 center nicknamed “Ol’ Hoss” brought one championship to Golden State.
Johnston was among the best players in the mid-50s, scoring the most points in the league three times. Then, Johnston led the league by averaging 22.3 points per game, playing a league-high 45.2 minutes per game as well.
In his fourth season in the league, Johnston put up 22.7 points and 15.1 rebounds per game — both the highest average among the eight teams in the league at the time. His career ended before he turned 30 as well.
At that time, the league still had a mere eight teams, but immense growth was quickly underway. Johnston is oftentimes forgotten about but was certainly a star in the early days of the league.
8. Tim Hardaway
A three-time All-Star while in Golden State, Tim Hardaway, whose son is also playing in the NBA, was a Warriors starter for a total of five and a half seasons, scoring over 20 points per game in four of the five complete years.
Originally the team’s 14th pick, Hardaway led the team to two playoff trips, getting out of the first round just once. It was a tough era to excel in as the Lakers, Blazers, Suns, and Spurs all contained some of the best players to ever pick up a basketball.
Undersized at just six feet, Hardaway averaged 20.5 points and 9.6 assists with the team. Tack on 1.4 threes and 2.0 steals on 46% from the field, and it’s easy to see why he’s high on this list.
Hardaway was set for a lengthy, dominant career before sitting out the 1993-94 season due to a knee injury at the age of 27. He went on to be an All-Star at 30 and 31 so Hardway still played well even after that, but his best days in the league were certainly early on with the Warriors.
7. Paul Arizin
Here is another one for the ages.
Paul Arizin came into the league in the 1950 NBA Draft and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1978. Born in 1928, Arizin missed two years during the prime of his career to serve in the Marine Corps.
While we must note that there were eight teams in the NBA, Arizin may have a record that is held by only a few in NBA history. That said, Arizin was an All-Star in each of his 10 seasons in the NBA.
Whether you really want to count them all or not is up to you, but Arizin was incredible for a few seasons in Golden State, averaging over 25 points in three of his ten seasons and at least 20 in nine of them.
He was also a terrific rebounder, snagging at least seven boards in all ten of his seasons in the league. Arizin was the main threat on the 1955-56 Warriors roster, one that managed a league-high 45 wins and also won the team’s second title.
6. Nate Thurmond
The third overall pick in the 1963 Draft, Nate Thurmond had a long and prosperous career in the Bay Area. A 6-foot-11 center, Thurmond barely missed our top five but has a resume that would undoubtedly rival the next few names.
Thurmond ended his 11-year stint in Golden State with averages of 17.4 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. He also notched 2.9 blocks per game; however, given his era, they only tracked blocks during his last season with the Warriors.
Those numbers solidified Thurmond as a top-five big man in his era and arguably one of the best to ever play. Thurmond was an eight-time All-Star and made the NBA Finals a few times, but he was never able to bring the Warriors their third title.
Thurmond was the Dubs’ best player in the mid-to-late 60s and early 70s. Averaging 20.5 points and 22 boards per game one season, Thurmond’s numbers will likely never be replicated.
5. Chris Mullin
In an era that’s oftentimes only defined by Michael Jordan’s Bulls and Karl Malone’s Jazz, the Golden State Warriors had a 6-foot-6 small forward that also took the league by storm. Chris Mullin is his name, and he was the Warriors’ first-round draft pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.
Mullin had six straight seasons in which he averaged over 20 points per game. Having played with the Warriors for 13 seasons, Mullin only spent three seasons outside of the Bay Area, finishing his career with the Indiana Pacers.
Mullin was an absolute workhorse for the team, also averaging over 35 minutes per game in six straight seasons. He was a solid three-point shooter, notching over 45% from deep in three seasons as well.
There wasn’t much on the court the five-time All-Star couldn’t do. With five playoff runs to his name, all sadly ending in defeat, Mullin saw success but played in an era that was tougher than most and contained arguably the best to ever pick up a basketball.
For his contributions, his success, and his overall dominance, Mullin just cracks the top-five Warriors in franchise history.
4. Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson is one of the many superstar faces of the current Golden State Warriors team. He set out to make his mark on the league when he joined the NBA in 2011 after being picked 11th overall. His chemistry with Stephen Curry was instantaneous.
In his nine seasons in the NBA, Thompson has accrued four championship rings, five All-Star game appearances, and four All-NBA honors among other awards. Thompson’s strong suits include both his ability to shoot from all over and his defensive abilities.
Thompson is a legend in the Bay Area, and while his numbers may not be the most impressive, his impact has certainly been felt greater than other big-name stars. Thompson is a surefire top-five Warrior of all time.
3. Rick Barry
Rick Barry was the second overall pick in the 1965 NBA Draft.
He played two seasons with the Warriors, sat out a season, played four in the ABA, and then returned to Golden State for the next six. In every one of those eight seasons in Golden State, Barry was an All-Star.
Barry was the main force behind the team’s 1975 championship. That season, he averaged over 30 points per game. He also notched over 30 points and six assists per game in the team’s championship run. Overall,
Barry averaged 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the Warriors. Barry, at his peak, averaged 35.6 points per game. The team’s unanimous leader during the early- and mid-70s, Barry was easily one of the league’s best players for a few seasons.
2. Wilt Chamberlain
There’s only one word that comes to mind when trying to describe Wilt Chamberlain, and that word is legendary.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, Chamberlain was almost a guaranteed Hall of Fame member from the moment he stepped onto the court. Some consider Chamberlain the best player of all time.
In his rookie season in 1959, Chamberlain stepped out and made an immediate name for himself. Scoring 37.6 points per game, Chamberlain was an absolute beast and helped elevate the sport into a national pastime.
Many won’t like him coming in at No. 2. That said, Chamberlain has many unique records.
Wikipedia says he has 72, 68 of which he is the sole owner. Wilt averaged the most total rebounds in the league in 11 seasons and averaged the most points per game in seven which included one where he notched over 50 per game.
He was a force in his day and easily the reason the Warriors were one of the more successful franchises early on.
1. Stephen Curry
Many may not like this decision, and that’s ok. Given his impact, his success, and his overall dominance — Stephen Curry is the best Warrior in franchise history. We should also note he’s the league’s only unanimous MVP.
Having accrued two MVPs, Curry is also a four-time champion and nine-time All-Star.
Curry, when drafted in the lottery and after several point guards back in 2009, took a few years to find his rhythm at the sport’s highest level. Once he did, it was game over. Helping the Warriors achieve 73 wins in 2015-26, Curry was the fearless captain of the best team in NBA history.
Along with being a terrific ambassador for the game, Curry has proven time and time again that he’s the real deal. Whether it be for his classic performances in the NBA Finals or his unmatched shooting abilities, Curry will be hard to top as the Warriors’ greatest player ever.