2000-01 NBA season
Golden State Warriors finish 17-65
The late 90s to early 2000s is easily one of the ugliest stretches in Golden State Warriors history.
In a five-year stretch from 1997 to 2002, the Dubs failed to win more than 21 games in a single season. They finished last or second last nearly every year — bottoming out in the 2000-01 season.
At this point, the Dubs had selected numerous players in the lottery. Only two of them remained — Adonal Foyle (8th pick in 1997) and Antawn Jamison (4th pick in 1998).
Notably, Jamison was traded from Toronto to Golden State on draft night in exchange for Vince Carter, the eventual Rookie of the Year.
As for the Warriors, they found themselves with countless failed picks, a team full of aging players such as Chris Mullin, Vinny Del Negro, Adam Keefe and Mookie Blaylock.
Jamison, the lone bright spot, averaged 24.6 points per game. Larry Hughes, a second-year player at the time, chipped in with 16.5 points.
Overall, Golden State finished with 17 wins, the fewest they’ve ever won in a full 82-game regular season. With a win percentage of 20%, it was the second-worst in franchise history.
It was not a completely hopeless time for the Dubs but the sting of so many losses, combined with internal missteps in the draft, left the franchise feeling stuck in the mud.
Thankfully, they’d select Jason Richardson in the following draft — setting up one of the most iconic squads in history, the “We Believe” Warriors.