GSW History

Golden State Warriors

On Nov. 7, 1946, the Philadelphia Warriors played their first game in franchise history, defeating the Pittsburgh Ironmen in a 81-75 victory, in front of a crowd of 4,185 fans in Philadelphia.

Led by Head Coach Eddie Gottlieb, Warriors forward Joe Fulks recorded a game-high 25 points while guard George Senesky posted 12 points in the team’s win. Fulks averaged a team-high 23.1 points over the course of the season, and was named to the All-BAA First Team (1947).

The Philadelphia Warriors (of the Basketball Association of America) ended the 1946-47 season with a 35-25 record, finishing second in the BAA's Eastern Division and compiling a postseason mark of 8-2. Though the Philadelphia Warriors were not the Eastern Division champions, the team advanced to the championship round by winning a four-team playoff among the Eastern and Western Division runners-up.

The Philadelphia Warriors ultimately won their first championship title that season, defeating the Chicago Stags 4-1 in the best-of-seven series.

The Warriors made their way West at the start of their 1962-63 campaign, playing their first nine Bay Area seasons in San Francisco.

Since tipping off their first game 75 years ago, the Warriors have remained one of only three franchises in the NBA that can claim to have been around for the entirety of the league’s history.

on-this-date-in-warriors-history-75th-anniversary-of-first-warriors-game

On This Date in Warriors History: 75th Anniversary of First Warriors Game

Run TMC has become known as one of the most iconic trios in Warriors history, with the up-tempo group composed of three players: Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond.

Mullin made his NBA debut on Nov. 5, 1985, after being drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. Mullin went on to play 13 of his 16 NBA seasons with the Warriors, becoming a franchise favorite and averaging over 20 points a game for his Warriors career.

The five-time NBA All-Star is one of two Warriors to average 25-plus points for five consecutive seasons — Wilt Chamberlain is the other — and he concluded his career boasting a .509 field goal percentage.

Mullin was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and his jersey has was retired by the Warriors organization in 2012.

Warriors radio broadcaster Tim Roye caught up with the Hall of Famer in 2020 in the Dubs Draft Room, presented by Chase.

Three years after the team selected Mullin, the team picked Mitch Richmond with the fifth overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft. With two young stars leading the way, the Warriors improved their win total over the previous season by 23 and returned to the playoffs.

Richmond made his Dubs debut on Nov. 5, 1988, averaging 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his rookie year, joining Michael Jordan, Sidney Wicks, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earl Monroe, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor as the only rookies to average at least 22/5/4.

Following his debut season, Richmond was honored as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, becoming one of six Warriors ever to win the award (Woody Sauldsberry, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Keith Wilkes, Chris Webber).

Richmond averaged 22.7 points in career scoring with the Warriors, with the guard inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Last November, Richmond  also spoke with Roye  in the Dubs Draft Room to discuss his NBA journey and more.

The excitement continued the following year, when Warriors added Tim Hardaway to the fold to form the celebrated Run TMC trio and the rest was history. The Warriors offense averaged over 116 points per game in each of Richmond’s three seasons with the club, boasting the league’s highest scoring offense in the first year of the Run TMC threesome (1989-90) and finishing second in 1990-91. The trio combined to average 61.9 points per game in 1989-90, and topped that by combining for 72.5 points the following season, with all three players scoring at least 22 points per game.

on-this-date-in-warriors-history-dubs-legends-make-their-nba-debuts

On This Date in Warriors History: Dubs Legends Make Their NBA Debuts

A Bay Area fan favorite during his Warriors tenure, Tim Hardaway was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 14th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. The 6-foot point guard went on to play six seasons for the club, becoming an integral player in Warriors franchise history.

The Warriors legend went scoreless in his NBA debut, a 30-point loss in Phoenix on Nov. 3, 1989, but his rookie season turned around after that, averaging 14.7 points, 8.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 steals to earn first-time All-Rookie honors in 1990. Known for his crossover dribble ("UTEP Two-step"), Hardaway joined forces with former Warrior greats Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond to form Run TMC, an iconic trio that played an up-tempo and high-scoring brand of basketball.

“We knew we were part of something special as we were playing in the great city of Oakland and San Francisco with the Golden State Warriors,” Hardaway shared as he reflected on Run TMC.

“We knew there was a lot of tradition there with Nate Thurmond, Al Attles and Rick Barry. We just wanted to continue with the tradition. We had a lot of fun out there trying to keep the tradition going.”

In six seasons with the Warriors, Hardaway averaged 19.8 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 422 games.

Hardaway was a five-time NBA All-Star, making three All-Star appearances while with the Warriors (1991-93) and an additional two appearances with the Miami Heat (1997-98). Over the course of his career, Hardaway played for a total of five NBA teams, playing his most career games with the Warriors.

Hardaway continues to be closely involved with the NBA, joining a Warriors’ Season Ticket Member Virtual Happy Hour, presented by Michelob Ultra and hosted by Kelenna Azubuike just last year.

In a 45-minute-long conversation, held on Facebook, Hardaway discussed his favorite memories of the Run TMC era and what it’s like raising a son who plays in the NBA as well.

Since making his NBA debut in 1991, Hardaway has continued to be a beloved member of the Warriors and NBA family, setting a standard for hustle and heart on and off the court.

on-this-date-in-warriors-history-tim-hardaway-makes-nba-debut-in-1989

On This Date in Warriors History: Tim Hardaway Makes NBA Debut in 1989

Four years ago, the Golden State Warriors broke ground for Chase Center, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood that the Warriors now call home. Since the venue’s doors officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony in September of 2019, Chase Center has served as a destination for countless basketball games, concerts, and events.

“This building will be absolutely incomparable,” Warriors Co-Executive Chairman Joe Lacob shared on the day of the groundbreaking.

Head Coach Steve Kerr and then-Warrior Kevin Durant made an appearance at the event which featured a handful of choreographed performances and even closed with a firework finale.

on-this-date-in-warriors-history-chase-center-groundbreaking-ceremony

On This Date in Warriors History: Chase Center Groundbreaking Ceremony

Standing at seven feet tall, the Philadelphia Warriors selected Wilt Chamberlain in 1959 NBA Draft.  In his first year in the league, Chamberlain earned Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 37.6 points and 27 rebounds (not a typo). The big man went on to play five-plus seasons with the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors, and is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game with his sizable stature, stuffed stat sheets and numerous NBA records.

Following Chamberlain's tenure with the Warriors (1959–1962), the all-time great continued his NBA journey with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the course of his career, Chamberlain totaled four MVP awards, seven straight scoring titles, 13 All-Star honors and two NBA Championships (1967, 1972). The Hall of Fame center also holds the NBA record for most points (100) and rebounds (55) in a game, in addition to season scoring average (50.4) in 1961-62.

In a halftime ceremony on Dec. 29, 1999, the Warriors retired the superstar center’s jersey at the Oakland Coliseum, with Chamberlain's sister attending the honorable ceremony.

Chamberlain is one of six players whose jerseys have been retired by the Golden State Warriors franchise, with Chamberlain becoming the only player in NBA history to have his jersey retired by three different franchises (Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers).

on-this-date-in-warriors-history-warriors-retire-no-13

On This Date in Warriors History: Warriors Retire No. 13

On Dec. 25, 2011, Warriors guard Klay Thompson took to the NBA court to make his pro debut. Selected 11th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson recorded seven points and three rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench in the Dubs’ season opener against the L.A. Clippers. Thompson’s first-year performance continued to uptick with the guard eventually being named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2012.

Over his nine seasons with the club, Thompson’s skillset and NBA resumé have only grown, with the sharpshooter becoming a five-time NBA All Star (2015-19) and three-time NBA Champion (2015, 2017, 2018). Thompson has also earned an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and took gold with Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

It’s been Thompson’s excellence beyond the arc that has helped him gain notoriety across the league, with the guard currently holding the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a game (14), playoff game (11) as well as the first six seasons of an NBA career (1,328). Furthermore, no one can forget Thompson’s 37-point third quarter, where he shot a perfect 13-for-13 from the field, including 9-for-9 from three-point range, to set the NBA single quarter records for the most points scored and most three-pointers made.

Thompson also joins fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history to have made at least 200 three-pointers in seven-straight seasons.

Though Thompson is not expected to play in the 2020-21 will not be joining the Warriors for the start of the 2020-21 campaign, the guard recently shared his appreciation for Dub Nation via social media. “I want DubNation to know I’m doing everything in my power to get back to who I was,” Thompson wrote. “I plan on playing for a long time and will continue to work every day to get back on the court and help my team bring more championships to the Bay.”

Since his NBA debut on Dec. 25, 2011, Thompson has made a considerable impact on the league by establishing himself as one of the most elite shooters in both franchise and league history.

on-this-date-in-warriors-history-klay-thompson-makes-nba-debut

On This Date in Warriors History: Klay Thompson Makes NBA Debut

gswdgrinfelds

This year will mark the 22nd time the Warriors have a lottery pick in the NBA Draft since 1985 (the first year of the NBA Draft Lottery). Past Warriors lottery picks have included Warrior greats like Stephen Curry (7th overall, 2009), Klay Thompson (11th, 2011) and Chris Mullin (7th, 1985).

But how many times has the Warriors franchise had the second overall pick thanks to the NBA Draft Lottery?

It was 55 years ago, back in 1965, when the Warriors last had the second selection in the draft, which was well before the first NBA Draft Lottery. In fact, the 1965 draft was the only time in the Warriors’ 71-year franchise history the team has held the second pick in an NBA Draft.

And how did that second overall pick turn out for the Warriors? Pretty well if you ask us.

With the second overall pick of the 1965 draft, the Warriors selected none other than Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry.

Barry had two separate stints with the Warriors between 1965-67 and 1972-78, playing in the ABA between those stints.

In his first season, Barry averaged 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds to claim the 1965-66 Rookie of the Year award. The following season, he led the league with 35.6 points per game. In his eight seasons with the Dubs, Barry averaged 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

His crowning achievement was leading the Warriors to their first title on the West Coast in the 1974-75 season. Between the NBA and ABA, Barry was a 12-time All-Star including the 1966-67 All-Star Game MVP, six-time All-NBA Team honoree and four-time All-ABA Team honoree, among other accomplishments.

Barry amassed 25,279 points scored between both leagues, making him the fourth-leading scorer in league history at the time of his retirement, trailing John Havlicek (26,395), Oscar Robertson (26,710), and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). He currently sits tied with Reggie Miller for 24th on the all-time scorers list. Additionally, he holds the honor of being the only player to ever lead the NCAA, NBA and ABA in scoring.

And he did it all with his signature underhanded free throws.

Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History in 1996 by a panel of media members, along with former and current players general managers.

Barry’s No. 24 hangs in the rafters of Chase Center, never to be worn by another Warrior again.

Not a bad career resume for the only second overall pick the Warriors have ever had. Now the question remains: what will come of the team’s 2020 first round draft pick?