5-year anniversary: 2015-16 Golden State Warriors bring up NBA-best 73-9 record
Five years ago, the Golden State Warriors shattered the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' regular season record of 72 wins and 10 losses. The Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls were the first team in NBA history to win 70 games in a single regular season, improving upon the 1971-72 LA Lakers 69-13 record.
But the Golden State Warriors went one better than the Bulls, whose record stood for twenty years.
And while the Golden State Warriors did not win the 2016 NBA title, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a hard-fought, seven-game series, there is no denying the Dubs’ place in the record books. They only lost single-digit games all season. They did not lose to any opponent more than once. The Dubs started the 2015-16 season, winning their first 24 games. It was an unbelievable run by an unbelievable team.
Golden State Warriors hot from the start
The Warriors did not have the services of head coach Steve Kerr to begin the 2015-16 season. Kerr had back surgery in the 2015 offseason, which kept him away from the team. Assistant coach Luke Walton took over in his place, taking the Golden State Warriors to a 39-4 record before Kerr re-joined the team on the sidelines.
The Golden State Warriors did not lose back-to-back games until their 2016 Western Conference Finals matchup (Games 3 and 4) against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They lost only one game between the start of the regular season in late October 2015 and the end of the calendar year.
They led the league in field-goal shooting percentage (48.7%) and three-point shooting percentage (41.6%). They led the league in assists averages (28.9) and points scored per game (114.9). Their offensive rating of 113.5 was top of the league too.
In all, the Golden State Warriors’ won a record 88 games (regular and postseason combined), the most ever wins by any team in a single NBA season. They won their 73rd game, which gave them one more victory than the 1995-96 Bulls. on the last day of the regular season.
The Golden State Warriors earned that 73rd victory with a 125-104 win on their home floor against the Memphis Grizzlies on 13 April 2016. Incidentally, Kobe Bryant dropped 60 points on the Utah Jazz in what was his last NBA game on the same day that GSW created history.
Stephen Curry powers Golden State Warriors engine
The main star of the Golden State Warriors’ dominant run in 2015-16 was Stephen Curry. Possibly motivated by the fact that he didn’t win the 2015 Finals MVP, Curry put on a show all through the 2015-16 regular season.
He led the league in scoring (30.1 ppg), steals (2.1 spg) and shot an incredible 50.4% from the field, 45.4% from the 3-point line and a league-best 90.8% from the free-throw line. He hit 402 triples, shattering the record for most threes by a player in a single regular season.
Curry would pick up the first ever unanimous regular season MVP (his second overall) for his heroics.
Steph's 2015-16 MVP season:
▪️ 30.1 points per game
▪️ 6.7 assists per game
▪️ 5.4 rebounds per game
▪️ 2.1 steals per game
▪️ NBA-record 402 three-pointers made
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The other two players on the Golden State Warriors roster who gave Curry solid support were Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Thompson averaged a then career-best 22.1 ppg while shooting 42.5% from downtown.
Thompson splashed 276 triples, the best regular season showing by an NBA player not named Stephen Curry at that point.
Draymond Green averaged 14.0 ppg for the Golden State Warriors but led the team in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and assists (7.4 apg). Green finished runner-up to Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Defensive First Team selection for the second straight year. Green’s net rating of +18.9 was the best in the NBA, meaning that for every 100 possessions in which Green was on the court, the Warriors outscored their opponents by 18.9 points.
The Golden State Warriors also got excellent support from the other players on their roster. Andrew Bogut was solid as a center while Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights all played vital roles coming off the bench.
What happened next to the Golden State Warriors?
Although the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors bettered the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record, they fell short of championship glory. They became the first NBA team to give up a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals only to lose 3-4.
Even before the 2016 Finals versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were tested to the hilt by the OKC Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder took a 3-1 advantage in that series, only to lose 3-4.
After losing to the Cavaliers in seven games, the Golden State Warriors ended up getting their hands on Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason. Durant joining GSW, alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, created one of the greatest offensive juggernauts in NBA history.
The Golden State Warriors ultimately proved to be winners as they won the next two NBA titles (2017 and 2018) rather convincingly.