In the summer of 1975, Rick Barry, Clifford Ray, Butch Beard, Jamaal Wilkes, Charles Johnson and the rest of the Golden State Warriors were the biggest stars in the Bay Area. That crew swept the 60-win Washington Bullets in the 1975 Finals, giving the Warriors their first title since 1956.
After that Finals moment, thought, a long 40-year stretch of letdowns, disappointment and heartbreak would begin for Golden State. However, in the 2014-15 season, the Warriors were back on top once again at season’s end. On June 16, 2015, the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in Game 6 of The Finals to win their first NBA championship since 1975.
With Stephen Curry, the team’s first MVP since Wilt Chamberlain, leading them, the Warriors outgunned everyone in the rugged Western Conference and entered the postseason as a No. 1 seed. They swept New Orleans, rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Memphis and then blew through Houston in five games to make the finals for the first time since ’75.
Curry and Andre Iguodala led the way for Golden State with 25 points each in the title-clinching victory. Iguodala earned NBA Finals MVP for his performance in the series, which included being the primary defender of Cavs star LeBron James.
“This is special,” Curry said after Game 6. “To be able to hold this trophy and all the hard work we’ve put into it this season, this is special. We’re definitely a great team and a team that should go down in history as one of the best teams from top to bottom.”
