The Golden State Warriors 73 Wins by the Numbers

April 14, 2016
|In NBA
|By Paul Marin
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Early Thursday morning on the East Coast, history was made in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors completed the regular season with 73 wins. The Warriors defeated the 125-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the regular-season finale at Oracle Arena. The team’s 73rd win surpassed the mark set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls to establish a new NBA record for single-season wins. Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, who is in his second year at the helm, was a key reserve on the record-setting Bulls team. The Warriors’ achievement is impressive and really explains Sheldon’s love of the number 73. That’s a Big Bang Theory reference.

In the regular-season finale, Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 46 points on 10 made threes (10-of-19 3FG), making him the first player in NBA history to hit 400 threes in a single season. Curry finished the season with a 30.1 point scoring average.

warriors73wins

The Warriors vs the Jordan-Era Bulls

F&TS has watched basketball since players were wearing booty hugging shorts and Converse high tops. Having lived through the Jordan years, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors beating the Bulls. Yes, NBA rules have changed, teams’ defensive schemes have evolved, but you can’t fight nature. The more length and talent your team has, the more they win. Not only were the big three of Jordan, Pippen and Rodman considered a trio of the game’s best two-way players, but Ron Harper was also a 6-6′ point guard and Toni Kukoc was 6’7 as SF/PF. That Bulls team could switch every ball screen and still have a capable defender at 4 of the 5 positions on the floor. For Steph, Clay, and Draymond Green, that length would have been hard to shoot over.

It’s a great NBA debate, but it’s virtually impossible to compare teams from different eras. The Golden State Warriors and their 73 regular-season wins may never be eclipsed. Plus, Steph Curry is the truth. But none of the accolades will matter if the Warriors don’t finish off their season with an NBA championship.

Thanks to COED.com for the meme and ESPN.com for the infographic.

 

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