Let's go take care of business.
It is just us out there.
Yo, just us. One, two, three.
Hey!
We're always saying strength in numbers.
It really represents us as a team,
because that's what we rely on all year.
The identity of our team is just selflessness.
Every player is committed to winning.
Every player set aside personal goals.
As far as a squad,
we're the deepest team in the NBA.
And we would step up every night.
A group of guys who could come in and affect the game.
Every individual had a part of their game
that could be a force.
All of Dub Nation,
the way we tie together and fight.
Another eruption from the Oracle crowd!
It's been a long time coming,
and we'll have a bond for the rest of our lives
because of what happened this year.
By any measure,
the 2014-15 NBA season was a historic one
for the Golden State Warriors.
But one cannot truly appreciate their achievements
without placing it in the context of their past.
It was 1946,
and the Warriors called Philadelphia home.
In the City of Brotherly Love,
one of the three remaining original franchises
would capture the first ever league championship.
And in 1956 they'd win it all again.
Philadelphia goes on to win the NBA crown
four games to one.
In 1959 things would never be the same
after a local hero named Wilt Chamberlain
was signed by the Warriors' Hall of Fame owner Eddie Gottlieb,
affectionately known as The Mogul.
Chamberlain quickly became the game's
most unstoppable force.
Chamberlain electrifies the crowd
with his celebrated Dipper Dunk.
And on March 2, 1962 Wilt did the unthinkable.
The most amazing scoring performance of all time.
100 points for Wilt Chamberlain.
Following that record-breaking season
the Warriors relocated to Northern California.
Big-time basketball establishes a new base in San Francisco
with the arrival of the Warriors.
The Warriors' big drawing card, of course,
is seven footer Wilt Chamberlain.
In 1971 the team settled across the bay in Oakland
and were rebranded the Golden State warriors.
Four years later Rick Barry would lead the team
to the promised land,
playing for Coach Al Attles with Jamaal Keith Wilkes
and Clifford Ray,
the Warriors stunned the heavily favored Washington Bullets.
What a story this has been.
Underdogs all the way. The Warriors have done it!
The Golden State Warriors have just
won the NBA championship.
They have beaten the Washington Bullets
in an incredible four straight.
We pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the NBA,
and we did it the way it's meant to be done.
As a team.
Everybody pulling together,
and it's a very special bond that you have.
I still remember when we came back to Golden State
and they had so many people at the airport.
I remember the fans were just insane.
That team was revered,
with the Bay Area holding them dear in their hearts always.
Years would pass before any club
would capture the fans' imagination again.
The Bay did revel in the exploits of Run TMC,
starring Tim Hardaway and future Hall of Famers
Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin,
who employed Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson's
uptempo style of play.
Hardaway, fast break it down to Mullin,
Shot on the rim in reverse.
Good! Personal foul.
They're going wild.
Regardless of how season after season ended,
there remained one constant:
The rabid fans were fiercely loyal,
and never wavered in their support.
Golden State Warriors have pulled off the biggest playoff
upset in NBA history!
No fleeting moment, however glorious,
could quench the thirst for another championship.
But with the passage of time,
their prospects seemed to grow more bleak.
The Warriors have made the playoffs
just once in their last 18 years,
which is incredible.
The longest current NBA playoff drop.
The Bay Area is a really hotbed for basketball.
But then there were lean years.
When you go 17 and 65,
19 and 63, and 21 and 61,
so many dismal years.
And yet the fans have always been loyal.
Inevitably, that dismal outlook would extend beyond the court.
Kind of a cloud hanging over the franchise.
Ownership, the ownership thing is very much in limbo.
However, the fog lifted,
and the fortunes of the franchise took a dramatic turn
as new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber
took control of the team in time
for the 2010-11 season,
and forged ahead together in a new direction.
The Warriors hold on!
Amidst all of the uncertainty,
they were sure of just a couple of things.
The task ahead would not be quick or easy.
Joe, I'm going to tell you up front.
Joe's below .500, for criminy's sakes!
I'm a pretty long term thinking kind of guy,
and I realize that it doesn't happen overnight.
Joe Lacob is a wildly successful venture capitalist,
who's helped launch scores of startup companies,
while Peter Guber is a renowned
Academy Award-winning film producer,
an entrepreneur in the entertainment
and communications industries.
But despite their different backgrounds,
the two share core beliefs.
On opening night of our ownership,
I was introduced.
Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber.
Getting ready to take the mic. 19,000 people there.
I didn't really know what I was gonna say.
Didn't plan it in advance.
And I saw the banner up there and I just pointed.
If you look up there...
that is a very lonely flag.
We want another one.
I told everybody what I thought,
it was from the heart,
which is these are the greatest fans in the world
and you deserve more.
My new favorite color is blue and yellow,
and my favorite letter is W.
Lots of W's!
Go get 'em, Warriors!
We were just trying to do our job,
which is to win.
That's it. We wanted to win.
And we set some lofty goals.
I think people though we were being a little outlandish
when we said within five years
we would challenge for a championship.
We got a lot of bumps in the road.
We got a lot ahead of us.
And the idea is that's the challenge, that's the journey.
But we knew we had to look first and listen first
before we did anything.
So what we saw was the opportunity of the canvas,
not the opportunity of the paint on the canvas.
The new owners felt that a cornerstone
of the future was already in place.
When we bought the team there was one guy.
He was a rookie, he'd played one year.
Steph Curry.
The son of 16-year NBA veteran Del Curry
had already shown flashes of greatness.
Steph Curry has now made more threes
than any rookie in NBA history.
But he couldn't turn things around by himself.
A disappointing loss.
My rookie year we won 26 games,
and you wanted to figure out how you can get better
individually and as a team.
Ownership was determined to add excellence
to their organization from top to bottom.
They brought in people to help them
make basketball decisions.
You know, they immediately bringing in Jerry West.
Gives you credibility.
He's there to be that voice in the room
and say, "No, we need to do this."
or "We don't need to do that."
The challenge became how to construct a roster
around their budding star.
Our whole plan was build a culture.
- Sounds good. - Alright. Good.
- It was good. - I love ya.
- Sorry to bother you. - You're fine.
So what we did was begin to populate the organization
with the people who believed in the same tenets we did.
Let's go, young fella.
It was about taking risks. It was about reaching ahead.
Over the horizon, where we couldn't see,
and try to create the environment
for people to aspire to that success.
This is a team with a pretty bright future.
Our ownership's done an unbelievable job of
building with character and chemistry.
Getting guys in here that love to play the game
and are willing to sacrifice for one another.
With the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA draft,
the Golden State Warriors select Klay Thompson,
from Washington State University.
In 2011 the Warriors selected Klay Thompson,
another second-generation star in the making
with a sweet stroke.
Shot by Thompson!
We knew we had to get skill players
that were bigger, longer.
High IQ guys.
Cerebral players.
Midway through the 2012 season,
Center Andrew Bogut was acquired
to fortify the interior.
Good pass and throw down by Bogut.
That evolved into a philosophy of
"How do we play a variety of styles?"
"How do we get multi-positional players?"
And try to change the way the NBA was played a little bit.
Later that summer the Warriors struck lottery gold
again in Harrison Barnes,
and added Festus Ezeli with the 30th pick.
In the second round they found a gem in Draymond Green.
Bounce pass Draymond, goes up and slams it down!
A little elevation sensation for Draymond Green.
The remodeled Warriors would win 47 games
and achieve a goal they'd accomplished
for just the second time in 19 seasons.
And the Golden State Warriors have qualified for the postseason
in the Western Conference.
Just listen to the crowd.
You guys are the best fans in the NBA.
You deserve this as much as we do,
so we're ready to go.
The fire was stoked further
when the sixth-seed Warriors upset the Denver Nuggets.
Golden State will advance.
Golden State goes to the second round.
Despite losing to San Antonio in six games,
the future looked bright.
We can build on this for next year.
And whoever's in that Warrior locker room the next year,
we'll be ready to go.
Suddenly the opportunity to get
to that next level materialized.
When we met with him Andre immediately
said he wanted to be a Warrior.
He, we felt, would be something no team had.
Six starters.
The signing paid immediate dividends.
He did it again! He got it!
The Warriors have won on a game-winning shot
by Andre Iguodala!
When a 51-win season ended abruptly
in the opening round at the hands of the Clippers,
it felt like some of the momentum had been lost.
It hurts even more 'cause you tasted it before,
you tasted a little bit of success and you want more.
So definitely stings a little more than last year.
The organization came to the conclusion
that there was one more move to make.
The decision to change the coach was a risk.
We wanted to do better.
We wanted to aspire to something greater.
And so the idea was how do you find that person
that can lead that charge?
We pick Steve Kerr.
When we interviewed him he was incredibly prepared.
He's obviously very, very smart.
He had been around incredibly great coaches.
Has five rings. We all felt confident...
that he was the right guy.
To turn good into great even though
he had not coached before.
There was some uncertainty.
But we knew he understood the game of basketball
on a very high level.
As a player, a front office guy,
an analyst.
But you never know how the transition's gonna go.
The number one item on my list when I arrived
was just to get to know all the players.
Phone calls, visits, lunches, golf rounds, whatever.
I knew it was already a good team.
And I was hoping we could become a great team.
When the Golden State Warriors opened training camp
for the 2014-15 NBA season,
one of the first moves made by their new coach
was perhaps his boldest, requiring a leap of faith
from one of his most established veterans.
Andre and I talked several times during training camp
about the idea of him coming off the bench.
And when he agreed to do it,
it set the tone for our team and for the entire season.
Here's this All-Star, this Olympian
who is gonna sacrifice and come off the bench.
Well, at that point, you know, the rest of the team needs to...
to do the same thing.
For a guy like Iguodala, an All-Star,
to almost take a backseat...
Seeing guys like that decide to do that for the team,
It kind of started off a chain reaction for us as a team.
You know, that selflessness.
Come on now. Let's go.
The Warriors bolted out of the gate,
playing a beautiful brand of ball
built upon a commitment to one another
that was at the core of their mission.
Unselfish passion.
That's what Steve Kerr preaches.
They don't care who scores.
Keep the ball going. Keep the action moving.
They were racking up wins with their high-powered offense.
Iguodala to the rack. Fakes.
A beautiful wrap around to Speights for a layup.
And their tenacious defense.
They're the top-rated offensive team and
the top-rated defensive team.
Hey, come on! Let's get a stop!
Make a stand!
Draymond Green, good hands.
Push out to Steph. Foot race with McDaniels.
Klay Thompson!
We got off to a great start
and just kept winning and winning and winning.
Curry for the lead.
Good!
Ten straight wins.
When we went on that winning streak,
I think we started to figure some things out
about our team.
Now a new franchise record
as they have just won their 13th consecutive game.
It was like, man, we knew we kind of found something.
Like we have a formula here. We have something that works.
Hey, don't stop moving the ball, come on!
Don't stand around!
And the Golden State Warriors have won 16 straight games.
They start the season 21 and 2.
After the first 20 or 30 games, you know, you felt like, man...
We're doing this consistently on a nightly basis.
We know it's a long season, it's a process, but...
We felt like we had something special going.
Golden State was on a roll,
and nobody in the association was playing with more confidence
than their All-Star floor general, Stephen Curry.
Curry pushing. Curry down the lane.
Curry to the rim to lay it in!
Steph has a really unique combination of skill
and humility.
Curry behind the back dribble, comes baseline, underhand.
Teardrop! You gotta be kidding me!
He just keeps getting better and better.
It's a result of his talent and his work ethic,
and his commitment. He wants to be great.
Good, push, push, push good, stay up.
Curry behind the back.
Steph to the rim to lay it up and in!
There's a fearless feeling of
"We can beat anybody at any time."
And that comes from Steph.
And what a pass by Curry!
A couple times I asked him,
"Do you know what you've been doing in the league?"
What a spectacular move.
Beautiful ballgame, Lenny.
He just plays it at a whole, whole
different level and a different speed.
Do you understand what you've been doing?
55 seconds left. Curry on Feldman.
Takes a three. Got it!
He's got 51 and the Warriors have iced this one.
Good job, good job.
Beautiful, beautiful.
All those ridiculous stepbacks and
double crossovers behind the back he hits.
I see him practice that every single day.
Now Curry, lot of traffic over there,
Curry just dribbles through four guys,
steps up for three!
That could be the greatest move I've ever seen live.
That's motivating.
When your best player is one of your hardest workers.
It's special, it's that trickle-down effect.
But Curry was not a one-man show.
His backcourt-mate Klay Thompson
was enjoying a breathtaking breakout season of his own.
Thompson steps to the paint,
on the go, floater, got it!
Klay Thompson gives the Warriors the lead!
Klay had a dominant start to the season
where he was carrying us for games.
Klay Thompson on Kobe.
Draws the foul...
Gets to the line!
Klay Thompson 41.
He showed that he belongs in the elite
group of the NBA.
Thompson did not merely exist
in Curry's shadow.
In fact, on a January night
Klay took center stage and rewrote NBA history.
In the third quarter,
Klay Thompson started to do something incredibly special.
Klay driving again.
Good! Are you kidding me?
Just one of those nights, I was in a zone.
Curry waits. Shuffle past Thompson.
Three ball, right side. Got it!
He's got a 27-point quarter!
That was bananas, you know.
I'm just sitting there with my jaw wide open,
just absolutely going crazy for him.
Curry's got Thompson on his left.
He better get it to him. And gets it to Klay.
Klay in the corner shoots. It's good!
He was off-balance,
and had no business going in.
It's that kind of quarter for Klay Thompson.
The best part about that night is just
all my buckets were coming from my teammates, man.
They just kept feeding me the ball.
They wanted to see me shoot.
Klay again, his three. Good.
They were so happy for me.
It's Klay Thompson's show.
He's not human!
It's one of the most unbelievable shooting performances
this league has ever seen.
37 in a quarter. Wow.
52 in 32 minutes.
Dubbed the Splash Brothers,
Curry and Thompson had served notice
that they comprise basketball's best backcourt.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combine
to be the top-scoring duo in the league.
Their bond stretches beyond the lines of the court
Each is also the son of a former NBA player.
That's the advantage of growing up around the game.
Going to practice every day
and watching the best players in the world,
how they conduct themselves, how they work.
When you've got elevation on your three they always go in.
It's all in your legs.
Their time shared together last summer at the
FIBA Basketball World Cup
spoke volumes about their commitment to the game
and to one another.
Going to Spain and playing on that team,
and winning a gold medal in a different environment,
I learned a lot more about him.
Both on and off the court,
and we've gotten closer as he made some friends.
I think that set us up for a lot of success this year
in the backcourt.
Curry off the dribble,
and then pops it back out to Thompson.
There's Klay Thompson, nowhere to go.
He got it to Curry, fires, yes!
Oh, man!
You want to talk about the Splash Brothers.
Steph and Klay are a once-in-a-lifetime duo.
You look at the history of this league,
I don't know if you've seen a backcourt like that.
Here we are in New York, All-Star weekend.
It's gonna be fabulous.
When the biggest stars in the game
came to the Big Apple it was only fitting
that Thompson and Curry would help represent
the Western Conference on a team coached
by Steve Kerr.
He wants me to see this big old
All-Star logo right here.
Let 'em know who's here.
What I was thinking today is just how cool it is
for each one of you your own unique story
of how you got here.
Here we are in the Mecca.
The Garden. This is what it's about.
Thompson the other way, gets by LeBron James
and lays it up and in.
- What's going on, buddy? - Good to see you, buddy.
Get some more cardio in.
- Whoa. - Whoa, whoa.
I don't know, I thought I totally outcoached you.
We'll make sure we make a point of that
in the press conference.
- That was fun, that was fun. - Yeah, it's great.
As the season rolled on,
the Splash Brothers may have garnered most of the headlines
but this talented troupe got contributions on
a nightly basis up and down the lineup.
This roster is so deep and so versatile.
We make a steal, we come down.
We get a good pass and we lay it in.
Deflected away.
Iguodala will push.
Iguodala on the run to David Lee.
Everybody from the starter
to the guy at the end of the bench,
we all count on everybody every night.
Rebound is Draymond.
Between two Cavaliers.
And here's a lob to Harrison Barnes!
Draymond Green made a significant impact
by doing the dirty work that can go unnoticed
but can breed success.
Rimming, tipped, in!
Draymond Green has tied it!
Thrust into a starting role,
Harrison Barnes blossomed in his third NBA season.
He goes to Barnes, he moves inside.
Got it! Beats the buzzer.
Golden State wins!
Andrew Bogut was an imposing figure
at the heart of the defense.
And a terrific rejection inside by Bogut.
And their immense depth supplied regular contributions
from their bench players like David Lee.
Iguodala behind the back to Lee!
Marreese Speights. Mo's hit two.
Make it three!
They call him Mo' Buckets for a reason.
Shaun Livingston. Livingston!
What a finish!
Festus Ezeli.
Lee, extra feed. Ezeli.
It's good.
And Leandro Barbosa. Barbosa three!
I told you I was gonna
get him engaged in the game!
But the biggest contributor from the second unit
was Andre Iguodala,
who embraced his new role as sixth man
and flourished in that capacity.
The hardest part about it was getting to my comfort level
coming off the bench.
Very different.
But I was just trying to get it done for our team.
Andre down the lane
to lay it in with the left hand!
What a big shot.
We have so many guys that can be stars somewhere else
that put themselves in the backseat
for the team.
Skip pass, Iguodala with it.
There's that Curry. Oh!
- That's Curry. - Lee drops the ball.
We have a lot of selfless guys and
it's a sign of a championship team.
It's when you don't care who gets the accolades
and the minutes and the shots.
But you're filling up the win column
and we do that throughout the season.
- Warriors! - Warriors!
Warriors!
The wins kept piling up, especially at home.
Fanatically supported by the most boisterous
crowd in the NBA,
The W would rack up a 39 and 2 record
at Oracle Arena.
It is absolutely inexplicable
how devoted and passionate this fanbase is
in the Bay Area for the Warriors.
I don't see it replicated anywhere in the country.
Get behind the back. The lob!
And the court goes crazy.
Coming in here as a player
for many, many years
when the Warriors weren't any good,
And yet the building was sold out,
the crowd was loud.
so to have a chance to have a special season
in front of these kinds of fans,
prettty awesome.
The clock is down to eight.
Thompson, Curry the three for the lead,
good!
Even on the occasional nights
when it appeared they might come up short,
it seemed the Warriors would find the way.
Golden State down 26 points.
They roar back to win.
It kind of got to the point where you lose a game
and it just felt, like, so weird.
And as they wrapped up their schedule,
the numbers told the tale of a spectacular run.
Curry dribbles and waits for a screen
gets it, the three look it's on the way,
it's good!
And he's got 273 three pointers,
a new NBA single season record.
Clinching the league's best mark,
Golden State claimed the top seed
and the home court edge throughout the postseason.
Wow, is this team good!
Win number 60.
And the magical season just continues.
It's just another win, man. Oh, yeah.
Stop it.
Nah, man, we, uh...
It feels great to be a part of this.
This is a big-time accomplishment for our team.
You've gotta be proud of that. Obviously we want to...
turn those wins into playoff success as well..
But to be in that 60 club is...
pretty special.
When the dust settled on the regular season,
the Warriors had won 67 games,
tying them for the sixth highest total
in NBA history.
Not a lot of people are picking you guys to
actually get out of the West.
Even with all your successes.
Does that make you guys mad?
It's motivating and it should be.
I understand, you know, I do.
We've got to prove to everyone
that we're the best team.
Despite a storybook regular season,
the Warriors were subjected to skepticism.
Could a jump-shooting team that had never
made it out of the second round
really win it all?
It was funny, you know,
we won 67 games.
We had a great regular season.
All these accomplishments and...
People looked at our formal and said,
"There's no way you guys can win a championship like that.
Any team that hasn't made a deep playoff run before,
you're always going to have that kind of hanging over you.
You guys were a great regular season team.
What are you gonna be in the postseason?
Their first challenge was a tall order.
All-NBA first team's Anthony Davis
and the New Orleans Pelicans.
A lot of excitement, a lot of energy in the crowd.
Use it to our advantage.
Be poised, locked in right away.
- Here we go. - Here comes Curry.
Curry to the basket.
Shot's good and one.
When the series opened
Golden State looked much like the team
that had rampaged through their regular season.
Draymond Green with the steal.
Two on one with Iguodala.
Draymond, lob. Andre with a dunk!
41 and 2 at home.
and when you lead 2-0 you got a great chance
of winning the series.
The scene shifted to the Big Easy.
With the Warriors anxious to take a commanding lead
in this opening round matchup,
but the Pelicans had other plans.
Toney Douglas takes it to the head, Davis,
the catch, the play!
75-58.
Biggest lead of the night for the Pelicans.
Tyreke Evans goes strong and finishes at the rim.
They keep adding to it.
So now you're down 20,
and it's the start of the fourth quarter.
You're going, "Okay, well,
"looks like we're going back for a game five."
We've had 20-point comebacks throughout the season.
This is just a resilient group.
No matter what was placed in front of us,
we always knew we could overcome it.
Down by 20 points but undeterred,
it was time to stage a furious rally.
Excellent defensive stand.
Running the break. Curry for three!
Oh, a throwdown!
Oh, they're not dead yet.
Even when our backs were against the wall,
we have that will to fight, and that will to fight,
it can bring us back from whatever
situation that we find ourselves in.
Curry lets Holiday go by and Steph Curry hits a three!
Two point game.
In our broadcast we talked about
if they could ever cut it to single digits,
the Warriors have been here.
They know what these comebacks smell like.
Late in a one- possession game,
The Warriors found a way to get the ball
into Curry's hands one more time.
Curry in the corner shoots on the way, got it!
He hit it! 2.8 to go!
We're going to overtime!
Curry does it again!
It is amazing
what Steph Curry can do with a basketball.
Overcoming an almost- insurmountable deficit,
they'd sealed the deal in the extra session.
A tremendous comeback by the Golden State Warriors.
They stun the crowd here
with one of their greatest wins in franchise history.
It was as incredible a finish as I've ever seen.
It's one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
Especially when you consider it happened in a playoff game.
For us to not hold our heads down,
to come back and just fight,
That's what happens when you don't lose confidence
and you just stick with it.
Having taken the Pelicans' best shot,
but still standing tall,
the Warriors went right back to work
and took care of business in game four.
The Warriors with their first sweep
in a 7-game series since the 1975 finals.
A total group effort, I mean from top to bottom.
this is special.
I'm gonna enjoy it with my teammates and
get back to the Oakland.
Building a winning culture was extended
to every level of the organization.
Later that same weekend,
their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz
completed their own dream season.
With under three to play, Williams drops it off,
Sutton lays it in with the left!
The 2015 NBA D-League Championship
will reside here in Santa Cruz, California.
It feels great, Proud of the way they played.
Best team in the league all year, I mean,
that shows it. Look at the atmosphere.
It's always fun coming down here.
Thanks for coming. Thanks for coming.
- That's just foreshadowing. - Oh, no doubt
Back in the NBA's postseason,
the Warriors had dispatched the New Orleans Pelicans.
The up-and-coming squad had not yet been tested
by the rigors of the playoffs.
But in round two
they faced the battle- hardened Memphis Grizzlies,
who had legitimate title aspirations.
We understand that when we played Memphis,
that was going to be probably the hardest
series we played all playoffs.
First playoff matchup between these two teams,
and what makes it very interesting:
Contrast in styles.
They're known for being a physical team.
You know, grit and grime.
That's, you know, that's their motto.
And the Warriors are almost the exact opposite.
They want to run, shoot threes in transition.
And in game one,
the Warriors would dictate both style and tempo
while knocking down thirteen three-pointers
en route to a 15-point victory.
Golden State wins at home again,
they take game one. That's 21 straight at home.
When you're on a roll like this,
life is good.
But in game two Mike Conley performed heroically,
playing through facial fractures
as the Grizzlies turned the contest into a physical affair...
Right away Memphis goes inside.
and pounded out a rare win for the visitors
at Oracle Arena to even the series.
Memphis slowed the game down,
they made it physical,
they played the way they play.
And they're really good at it.
First home loss since late January.
An impressive performance by the Memphis Grizzlies,
and they have stolen the home court.
As the venue shifted to the grindhouse,
the Grizzlies continued to play their game,
muscling their way to a second straight win.
Memphis with back-to-back wins against the number one-
seeded in the West, the Golden State Warriors.
The Grizzlies have a two games to one lead,
and the team that was the best team
in the NBA all year
has gotten punched in the gut.
When the Warriors went down 2-1,
you know, I think they were in trouble.
I think this was the moment for the Warriors in this playoff run.
I could see the locker room, you know,
as a player, as a veteran,
that we have a little question in each one of us.
Down 2-1 in the series, and facing their first
three-game losing streak of the season,
it was clear that the Warriors needed to get back
to playing their style of basketball.
It's a game of adjustments, coming in and obviously
they won the last one, so we try to come in take care of business tonight.
We led the league in pace, we led the league in scoring.
We did it by being patient,
by moving the ball and hitting the open man,
and having poise.
Curry.
Kicks it.
Iguodala wide open, they let him shoot.
He buries a triple!
Game four, we grew up.
You know, just the way that we played,
the way we hustled, the way we came out.
That fire that we played with.
Golden State's got the pedal down right here.
This has been a good old- fashioned NBA blowout.
And the Golden State Warriors grab a road win.
We had such a successful year
that we weren't gonna let a 2-1 deficit derail that.
Buoyed by their bounce-back effort,
Golden State had not only seized the home court advantage,
but had also rediscovered their groove.
Green weaving, trying to get the shot up,
No call that way, Curry shoots it the other way,
and he got it!
What a turnaround!
Curry, the three!
Reinvigorated, they posted a pair
of double-digit victories
to close out Memphis in six.
Two seconds, one second,
and the Golden State Warriors start
to charge onto the floor.
For the first time in nearly four decades,
the Golden State Warriors were just four wins away
from a trip to the NBA finals.
And for the first time in 55 years,
the league's most prestigious individual award
had been bestowed upon one of their own.
You work hard every single day,
you try to elevate your game to
new levels every opportunity you have.
But you never really expect that to happen
you know to become an MVP.
To be standing here in front of you today,
it's an incredible journey.
And Pops, you're the example of what
a true professional is on and off the court.
I remember a lot of your career.
Um, and to be able to follow in your footsteps...
It means a lot to me.
This is special. Um...
I'm really proud of, you know,
of what you were able to do in your career and...
I don't take that for granted at all.
These 14 guys sitting on the stage right here...
You guys pushed me every single day.
And a reason why this trophy's sitting here
and hopefully another trophy will be sitting here
in a couple months
Curry had claimed the MVP trophy,
and in the opener of the ensuing
Western Conference Finals against Houston,
he demonstrated why he was so worthy of the honor.
Curry for three!
Bang!
And the Warriors take game one!
That series was interesting.
I've got a lot of respect for that team,
a lot of firepower on that team.
The Rockets' James Harden had been the runner-up
in the MVP race,
but he was not content to take a backseat to anyone,
putting his entire repertoire on display.
Harden is putting on a one-on-one clinic.
It posed some matchup problems for us...
but at the same time we were the number one
defensive team in the league this year.
And people forgot about that because
we were such a run-and-gun team.
It gave us a good opportunity to win a lot of games.
It was that stout defense spearheaded by Bogut
that enabled the Warriors to diffuse the Rockets' attack
and was the difference- maker in game two
as Golden State clung to a slim lead
in the closing moments.
Seven seconds to go.
Harden down the near side.
Dribbles in, throws out to Howard,
Back to Harden. One second.
Can't get the shot off!
The horn sounds! The game's over!
The Warriors win!
Unbelievable!
Great win. Protect home court.
Any time you go 2-0 at the start of the series
it's big, we gotta play better, though, so...
That's what we've got in store for Houston coming up.
After winning two nailbiters in front of the home crowd,
it was time to take the show on the road,
and Golden State got another stellar performance
from their leading man.
Curry, deep three off a screen.
Knocks it down! Steph Curry from downtown.
Steph did not simply rely on his deft touch.
He got his whole body into it.
Curry offensive rebound.
put back and he's fouled by Howard.
My goodness, just boxed out Dwight Howard
and Steph Curry is on another planet right now.
Stephen Curry with an extraordinary performance
as Golden State wins game three by 35.
Golden State needed just one win
to punch their ticket to the NBA finals.
Despite stumbling they headed back to Oakland
intent upon finishing what they had started.
This is our moment, fellas. Every possession
bring that focus, bring that energy.
Let's get this win. Just us, one, two, three.
Just us!
From the outset of game five,
It was apparent that Golden State had
come too far to be denied.
This dream season will roll on
for these Warriors.
Horn sounds. Final score:
Warriors 104, Rockets 90.
The Warriors are the NBA's Western Conference champions.
That's what we wanted from day one.
We're on our way!
Taking it all in. This is beautiful.
I'm so happy for all these fans.
They've been waiting a long time for this.
A phrase you thought you would not hear
in your lifetime:
The Golden State Warriors are going to the NBA finals!
We as a team haven't been here in 47 years, so...
We got four more wins, and then finish off the job.
This is... We should enjoy this.
Get recharged, refocused for the finals
Get ready to go.
Already waiting in the wings were LeBron James
and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Eleven months earlier,
the four-time NBA MVP had
announced he would be returning to Cleveland,
touching off a wild celebration in Ohio.
- Go Cavs! - Go Cavs!
The Cavs would then trade
for three-time All-Star Kevin Love.
He joined forces with James and the explosive Kyrie Irving.
We see LeBron has an advantage.
Ky, you can interdirect that side.
Better slow and right than fast and wrong.
Excellent, excellent.
After finding their footing under
first-year head coach David Blatt,
The Cavaliers were the most dominant team
in the Eastern Conference throughout
the second half of the season.
Cavaliers' 53rd win of the season.
Playoffs, we are ready.
Despite losing Kevin Love to a season-ending shoulder injury
in the first-round sweep of the Celtics...
James and the Cavaliers exacted a little revenge
on the Chicago Bulls,
a franchise that had tormented Cleveland
in the past.
James for the win! It's good!
LeBron James at the buzzer!
In the Eastern Conference finals they would
vanquish the top-seeded 60-win Atlanta Hawks
in four straight.
I just want to tell you, man,
what you did for this team and for this city,
coming back the way that you did,
you deserve this. You deserve it.
- Let's keep going. - Yes, sir.
For LeBron James it would be a history-making
fifth straight finals appearance.
Win, lose or draw, we will give our best shot,
and I will, as a leader, have our guys ready for war.
I remember before game one,
when I was in the gym every night,
even after practices.
I kind of had this blueprint laid out.
I would make my mark on the finals.
I was really gonna put my stamp on it.
It's funny because my son said,
"You gonna get hot for the finals?
And I laugh at him, I'm like,
"You know, son, I'm just making sure I'm prepared."
For being ready for the moment.
- Let's go, Warriors! - Let's go, Warriors!
The Warriors, they look to take another step closer
to an NBA title.
Something fans in the Bay Area haven't seen
in 40 years.
Right now it's crazy
being a Warrior fan because it's been so long.
It's been a generation.
I was here for the 1975 championship.
And it's just awesome that my daughter
- can come with me now. - Warriors!
It's been a lot of dark days here.
But now it's a new day,
and you'll see grown men crying if they win it here.
Here we go, Warriors! Here we go, one, two!
It's exciting and I just can't wait to hoop
in about an hour and a half.
A lot of nerves. It should be a lot of fun.
It was surreal just being there.
The amount of anxiety that you have
- Warriors! - Seeing all the fans...
You're on the world stage.
It's that everybody's watching.
We've earned this trip.
Every second of this should be enjoyable.
And the best way to enjoy it is to just...
Let that thing fly and
pretend like you know how to play.
The task ahead would be a daunting one.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were on a roll,
and they were led by the game's preeminent superstar.
You look across the court and there's a guy
that's been there five straight times.
He's won two of them.
The new experience didn't phase him at all.
We went through every task. We went through everything.
By any means necessary,
you pick your brother up if he down.
Congrats, man, I'm so happy for you.
It's crazy, isn't it?
- What a fabulous season. - Thank you, you too.
Good luck with everything.
You already know what time it is.
Dominate this game from the beginning.
The extensive experience that LeBron James
brought to the table served upon his crew
as the finals got underway.
Oh, he knocks it down!
That was in stark contrast
to the Western Conference champions,
who struggled to find their rhythm.
It's an eight- nothing Cavs run.
They lead by six. Draymond Green bad pass.
Threw it right to Kyrie Irving.
Kyrie Irving drives, goes up and scores
over Draymond.
It's exactly how I thought this game would start.
A lot of energy.
Frantic pace.
Everybody's a little jumpy, a little nervous.
That's supposed to happen.
This is the finals.
Iguodala with a dribble.
On LeBron, crossover dribble.
Gets by him to the rack
and he dunked it down with .5 to go in the quarter!
Andre! Way to go, Dre!
Golden State getting a little
life there at the end.
The first quarter of the finals in the books.
Everybody in the first quarter
just trying to do it on their own,
and it's not going to work against this team,
but if we move it and we cut and we set screens
we're gonna get openings.
Curry weaving, now driving.
Comes baseline left, shuffled off to Draymond.
Back to Curry. Corner three.
Got it!
And Cleveland will take a timeout.
That's it. Keep pushing the ball.
As their nervousness wore off,
the Warriors saw their MVP turn it on.
Let's go, Steph! Let's go, Steph!
Curry with a dribble, guarded by LeBron.
Crossover, beats LeBron to the paint,
Over Mozgov with a left hand!
One team has the MVP.
The other team has the best player in the world.
With dogged determination,
LeBron James seemed to be unstoppable
in his quest to capture the home court advantage.
As the Cavs go back up by four...
I wanted to see one go in.
You're gonna keep playing, I'm gonna keep playing.
Cleveland posed different challenges.
They ran a lot of isolation ball,
They had one of the best players in the world,
obviously, on their team, LeBron James,
and then we gotta pick our poison.
Do we go in double, do we go late,
do we go early, do we just fake it?
Nothing!
Come on, y'all!
Put it together for one quarter!
For one quarter!
Screen set by Mozgov, top of the key.
Three for LeBron, good!
And he ties the game at 96.
He's got 42.
In the waning moments of game one,
Golden State had the ball
and chance to seize control.
Alright, here we go.
Let's win a basketball game.
Well, we thought this had the potential
to be a dream matchup, so far, so good.
Back to Curry on the right sideline,
flies by Irving, gets to the rim.
Layup blocked by Kyrie Irving!
And the Cavs call time.
Following the squandered opportunity,
the Cavs could win it in regulation.
It was up to Andre Iguodala
to deny the King.
LeBron left side.
Dribbles, waits, fades and fires,
it's up, it's no good!
Rebound to corner. Shumpert shoots.
No good, off the rim!
It had a chance to go in.
And we'll go to overtime.
Five minutes to win the game, let's go.
As soon as we can get into our game plan,
offensively we'll be in great shape.
Curry, quick pass to Iguodala,
chest pass over to Barnes.
He's up and he'll fire.
Three ball!
Left corner shot by Harrison Barnes!
As the Warriors hit their stride in overtime,
the Cavaliers stumbled,
and in the process lost All-Star point guard
Kyrie Irving to a season- ending knee injury.
There's Irving.
He's gonna go back to the Cavalier locker room.
With Cleveland's arsenal depleted,
Golden State would ratchet up their defense
to extinguish and remaining hope
that Cleveland had.
Tristan Thompson has it stolen away by Klay Thompson.
James Jones,
it's stripped and stolen by Draymond Green.
Golden State in overtime comes up strong defensively,
limiting the Cavaliers to one of ten from the field.
At just two points they'll tie the lowest-scoring OT
in NBA finals history.
The Warriors dominated and they had enough
for a blitz in overtime to win that game.
But it was a precursor of how difficult the series would be.
The Warriors, who were down 14
in the first half, they win 108-100.
And take a 1-0 lead
in the best of seven NBA finals.
The emotions of playing in the NBA finals,
that weighs on you alone.
After game one then you kind of got that feeling
that this entire series is gonna be a fight.
Three more.
Three more and we got a ring, baby,
let's go!
- Woo! - Woo!
On Thursday night Cleveland lost more than just a game.
All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is out
for the series with a fractured kneecap.
Now the Cavaliers have to fill a major void.
Guys, we've been in this situation before.
And to all your credit,
that's what brought us to where we are right now.
I'm motivated to get our guys ready to go tomorrow.
Good work, good job. Way to be sharp.
You know, with Kyrie being out
people are writing us off, so, um...
Next man up.
And guys be ready for the challenge.
We're coming out to win tomorrow. Let's go. Let's go.
Come on, let's go.
- One, two, three, together. - Together.
Golden State survived game one,
and now the storyline has changed.
Kyrie Irving is out
and the Cavaliers have to change course.
Gotta get it done they without Kyrie
they're gonna come out playing hard,
we just gotta do what we do.
Hey, next man up mentality.
How you gonna make a difference?
How you gonna make the play to get us over the hump?
There was a sense of urgency hanging in the air
because the most dangerous opponent
can be a wounded one.
LeBron into the paint,
takes a fadeaway jumper and scores.
Tough shot by LeBron James,
who's now five of nine from the field for ten points.
Possession by possession.
Just get a stop, get a score.
Get a stop, rebound, move the ball,
come on down and play our game.
Answering the coach's call was their All-Star
shooting buff.
Klay Thompson!
He's seven of nine from the field.
He has seven of their eleven field goals.
Move it! Move it! Move it!
Off the top, the Warriors will push.
Thompson lobs to Andre.
Catches it, slams it down!
Iguodala with an elevation sensation
that time!
Come on Moz, energy now.
But the Cavaliers would not back down.
Mozgov, left handed!
Pretty play by Mozgov.
A terrific first half for Cleveland
without Kyrie Irving.
We gotta come out and be the aggressor
and attack at both ends and play with some fire,
play with a sense of urgency.
In a matchup not lacking for luster,
it was the unlikeliest of players who would
step up to put his stamp on game two.
Guarding Steph Curry is not an easy task,
and Dellavedova did that for them.
This game for Cleveland, it's been all about their defense.
Dellavedova running that defense.
Starting in place of Kyrie Irving.
He did an unbelievable job for them,
and I think it was one of the reasons
why the series was so competitive.
They've been so aggressive today,
and it's because of Dellavedova.
there's no doubt about it.
Playing with a desperation
befitting their dire situation,
the Cavaliers forged ahead.
Time out Golden State
as the Cavaliers take an eleven-point lead.
A triple-double for LeBron James.
We're up 1-0.
Let's play loose and free.
Let's go try to get this one.
We haven't played well, we can steal it.
Alright, let's go.
Caught by Curry, who takes a three.
Off the rim, no good.
Iguodala the rebound.
Inside, a dunk for Barnes.
A foul by J.R. Smith.
Golden State, fighting back.
Down the stretch.
High drama here in Oakland.
Fifteen seconds left.
The Warriors are down by two.
Curry off a screen.
Splits traffic down the lane
to the rim, layup, good, were tied!
For the first time in NBA history
the first two games of the NBA finals
are going to overtime.
Got it, right?
Before we do we've got a lot of heart.
Got a lot of fight in us.
Let's finish the deal like we did the other night.
Presented a second chance to steal a game on the road,
LeBron James and the Cavaliers
displayed determination.
unwilling to be denied again.
James finds Shumpert.
Shumpert gets a good look.
Goes to Shumpert for a three, got it!
It's good!
And the Cavaliers with 10.1 seconds remaining
in overtime lead the Warriors 94-93.
Now Golden State with a chance...
Step back jumper, it's an air ball! It's grabbed by LeBron!
This one is over!
And we are going back to Cleveland
tied at one.
And this crowd stunned.
Dell, I'm really proud of you.
We've got 'em right back where we want 'em
now, fellas. Even series.
We're going home.
Game two they really got after us a little bit.
They kind of showed...
what it really meant to be in the finals.
That kind of woke us up.
From here on out...
It can only get better, right?
We were in the same position against Memphis.
We figure it out and we go.
1-1, it's Cleveland's ball.
Let's keep rolling.
Games one and two
kind of set the stage for the series.
And the competitiveness of those games were brutal.
Don't know how we faced LeBron,
who's been there.
We knew it'd be tough task.
I know our fans are going to be unbelievable tonight.
Let's go!
This is how we do it in Cleveland, baby!
It was probably the loudest I've ever heard them.
I think our guys are very excited about
playing in front of them.
The most valuable player, Stephen Curry,
is coming off a nightmarish game two.
Will the Warriors bounce back from the loss
and raise their level of play?
Energy and passion,
intensity, a full 48 minutes, let's go!
Let's man up!
We play the same way we played on the west coast.
The same way.
The same lock-in mentality.
Don't let your guard down!
LeBron James takes it right baseline.
He throws it down!
A tomahawk jam!
The frenzy that was felt throughout the arena
at the start of game three
fueled the Cavaliers' stifling defense
and disrupted the Warriors' high-powered attack.
Ball deflected by Miller.
Miller dives and keeps it alive!
This Cleveland defense just tenacious.
So we were being soft.
The Cavs were out there fighting,
and it wasn't working.
James lowers his shoulder, gets inside
and switches to the left hand,
and the first half is in the books.
The Cavaliers 44, Warriors 37.
Right there, guys, we gotta keep our poise
and we gotta bring our brains to this half.
Bring our brains and our hearts and compete.
Compete. Compete. Compete.
Thompson drives on Mozgov,
gets to the rim and throws it down!
Oh, impressive dunk from Klay Thompson.
At that end we must continue to move.
Don't stop!
Now's not the time to get static.
This time it's on the right side.
Works on Barnes,
gives it back to Dellavedova
who unloads a three. He knocks it down!
Dellavedova has 15 points
and the Cavaliers have a 15-point lead!
We're too good to play like this.
We're too good to hang our heads.
We came back from 11 down
in three minutes the other night.
Alright? There's a lot of time.
And we gotta play. We gotta compete.
Barbosa dribbles around Dellavedova
a floater, no good. Lee jammed it down!
Two hand slam.
Well, if any team has the ability to come back
from a huge deficit it's Golden State.
Curry on the right side.
Reverse and scores going right to left!
Golden State right back in it after trailing by 20.
Although the Warriors had worked their way
back into the contest,
the Cavaliers continued to play above and beyond
their faithful's wildest expectations.
Back to LeBron, he throws it down!
This place is going nuts!
Back to Dellavedova. Ten to shoot.
Behind Curry now, down the lane, off-balance.
Shoots...
Hits, and he banks it in!
Dellavadova was falling down to his left.
The Cavaliers, they were having
the control of the series at that time,
and they were making hard times for us on the court.
Long series, right? Long series.
What's important is that we keep building,
and we grow every play, every possession.
Whether we win this game or not,
we've got another game in two days.
So let's get our poise.
Let's get our execution. Let's get our brains.
Down eight with just 90 seconds remaining,
the Warriors were not prepared to go quietly.
Deep three straight on, got another one.
Steph Curry had finally appeared to find his rhythm.
Here come the Warriors. It's Curry, left sideline.
Gets some open daylight, fires a three,
got another one for the far side!
It's a one-possession game.
But the late rally would fall short
and the Warriors would instead
find themselves in a hole.
Curry lobs it and stolen by James!
He's fouled by Thompson.
Another extraordinary performance from LeBron James.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a two games to one lead
in the NBA finals.
Every single person who steps on the floor,
we have to fight the whole game
like we fought in the last quarter and a half.
Look, it's 2-1.
We were in the same position in Memphis.
All we gotta do is win one game here.
We can't get our heads down, and, um,
this is the finals. There's a lot at stake so...
We gotta compete every second.
Are you considering perhaps a lineup change for game four?
I don't anticipate making changes in the lineup, no.
- Thanks, Coach. - Thanks.
In the lead up to game four,
the Warriors' dream season
that had been such a source of joy
since opening night was suddenly teetering
on the nightmarish possibility that
they could find themselves
pushed to the brink of elimination.
Game four, that's gonna be the game that sticks out
in my mind.
absolutely a must-win game for the Warriors.
You don't want to go down 3-1
to the best player in the world.
Being down two to one in the finals,
those are moments of adversity.
What's the biggest frustration at this point, Dray?
There's a lot of them but...
I think the main one is being down 2-1.
We lost those two games and...
You put some pressure on yourself to figure it out.
Whenever there's a relatively inexperienced
squad entering uncharted waters,
they turn to their savvy skipper
to recalibrate their course.
We were a little bit stuck in mud
through three games of the finals.
Cleveland was doing a great job of slowing us down.
So we talked a lot about ways we could get going.
But one idea that jumped out at me came
from Nick U'Ren, our young assistant coach.
He said, "Why not start Andre
"and go small?"
There would be adjustments coming off the bench
versus starting.
That kind of set the tone going forward
and I knew I'd be confident.
They came to me and said,
"Look, we're gonna start small.
"You might not play a lot."
I'm not gonna sit there and gripe
with a chance to win a championship ring.
Spacing. Activity.
That's what got us here.
It'll get us anywhere.
That's where we've been all year long.
That's what tonight is about.
Stay desperate as we've been.
Stay desperate.
Every game for us is a game seven.
We have zero room for error.
Steve Kerr changing things up.
They're going small.
Andre Iguodala will start for the first time
this season.
I liked the idea because
Andre was our best defender on LeBron,
so we were comfortable with that style,
the biggest question was could we rebound
and could we defend Cleveland's bigger players?
We've played a minute forty.
Inside. Mozgov is free.
And Mozgov throws it down.
At the outset of game four,
it appeared that Steve Kerr's worst fears
might be realized
as the team quickly fell behind.
Weather the storm.
They've got a lot of energy right now
with the crowd. over 48 minutes.
They're playing seven people.
They're gonna wear down.
Once coach put me in the starting lineup,
I decided to just go out there and step up
and do whatever it took for our team to win.
Outlet, Iguodala.
Breakaway slam with the right hand.
Andre was fantastic in the NBA finals.
Not only noticed what he did offensively
but defensively.
Guarding LeBron, you know, possession after possession.
He had to work for all of that.
Andre Iguodala with another
fine defensive play.
They couldn't keep up with us.
Klay feeds Draymond for three.
It's on the way. It's up and good.
Draymond.
They were going to have to adjust to us.
No team in this league, small lineup,
can compete with ours.
Role reversal tonight.
It was the Cavs that were taking the fight
to the Warriors,
but tonight Warriors really putting up
a good fight here in the first half.
Kerr's new game plan had
taken a toll on the home team
and was working like a charm.
The Cavaliers were staggered
and found themselves down a dozen.
Game four headed to intermission.
One thing that should never happen
and cannot happen in the second half
is for them to play harder than we are
We've got to lay it out there!
Until you're done!
To start the third quarter,
Cleveland came out with a newly found aggression.
Cav's in transition.
Dellavedova, middle of the floor.
Lob to LeBron for the dunk!
Crowd back into it with this run.
There's the double-team.
Mozgov wisely put up a cross.
Perfect execution there.
That's seven assists for James,
21 points for Mozgov.
To me right now, the momentum
seems to be going the Cavs' way.
Keep playing. Game's not over.
- Keep playing. - Go get 'em!
What a pivotal moment right now in this series.
The fourth game, it was the game
that we really stepped up.
We got our confidence back.
Flips it up. Shot's short.
Curry gets a running start.
Push it! Push it!
Push, push, push!
He's got one man ahead of him.
Goes past Jones.
Nice feed to Thompson.
And the lead back up to ten.
A quick timeout.
We don't need to do anything special.
Everybody rebound.
Good shots to great shots. Let's get great shots.
But Steve Kerr was not quite done tinkering yet.
Making the most of his deep roster once again,
Kerr turned to a former All-Star, David Lee.
Now this is a big move right here
where you're bringing in Lee.
Better passer and playmaker
for you at that center position.
There was a point in game one or two.
I told him on the bench that
"You're gonna play in this series,"
and he was like, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Like didn't believe it. I said,
"We need some inside scoring,
and you're one of our best inside scorers."
Bounce pass to Lee, and a right hand layup.
He had a huge game four for us.
He was ready.
You can say all these things about sacrifice,
But to actually see it happen and see it play out,
It's a testament to the players that sacrificed
and it's also a testament to Steve's ability to
push the right buttons.
On the game's biggest stage,
the first-year head coach had impacted the series
with his first-rate decision-making.
Rotation to Iguodala.
For triple.
It's down for Andre!
Kerr's club had regained their swagger
with a 21-point victory,
evening the finals at two games apiece
while once again reaping the benefits
from their shared sacrifices.
That speaks to what we have as a team.
Everybody was ready when called upon.
The identity of our team was just selflessness.
Every player was committed to winning
and when that happens,
as we've seen, magic can occur.
That's a real... That's a real thing.
That's coaching. Good job, you guys.
When I was asked today if Bogut was starting,
I lied.
I don't think they hand you the trophy for...
based on morality.
They give it to you if you win,
so sorry about that.
Now we go back to the bay.
Home court advantage. Best two out of three.
And we've got a tough task ahead of us,
but we're ready for the challenge.
After a hard-fought win
to recapture the home court advantage
that swung the momentum back in Golden State's favor,
the fans could almost taste the elusive title,
even if there was still more work to do.
We're out here talking about the Warriors,
'cause we all know you're going to win the finals,
so we want to talk about that.
The energy level gotta be there.
They have to play their game
and don't play nobody else's game.
What they have to do is just keep
putting Steph Curry through the isolation.
He gotta get hot.
It's game five between the Warriors
and the Cavaliers, the winner to
take control of the NBA finals.
Klay Thompson puts on the brakes,
Now's the time, lobs it straight to Draymond.
Thompson finds Green.
Perfectly executed.
Pick and roll
16-11, Golden State.
3:25 to go.
Beautiful drive from LeBron James.
LeBron James digs into the basket.
On the left side, gets up,
puts it up, puts it in!
LeBron James has been superb
with a near-triple- double in the first half.
J.R. Smith, frontcourt, turn and toss.
- A three is good again. - That's it J.R.
Hey, get in here.
We've lost our competitive fire.
Come on, let's go! Compete!
Ten to shoot.
Backdoor shuffle to Iguodala.
Back to David Lee, a beautiful pass!
And Lee with a two-hand rim-wrecker.
While the supporting cast was keeping close...
Yeah!
Hope remained strong that Golden State's leading man
would once again emerge.
Come on now.
It's been a wild first half.
Curry steps back.
Bang! 12 lead changes.
here in the first two quarters of game five.
We have come this far and come through a lot
because we never have given in.
Make sure we're matching their energy.
It's our half.
It's our kind of game and I love it.
Control of the series hung in the balance
as the second half began.
Livingston up top.
- Deals to Barnes. - Right side Barnes.
Into the lane. Over Mozgov!
Throws it down and a foul.
Harrison Barnes took off from
the side of the lane and threw it down
over the seven-footer.
Poise and execution.
And just run at every three-point shooter.
Alright, here we go. Let's fight.
The Warriors' resolve was tested
as they struggled to contain the King.
Five to shoot. Back out, LeBron James.
Puts up a three.
Gets it to go!
And now another triple-double
for LeBron James.
That's a true test for us,
'cause now it's that one guy
that is arguably the best player in the world
going against us and our strength in numbers
and our team.
Their best chance against the four-time MVP
was to turn to their own most valuable player.
You know, LeBron's really good.
But we also know Steph Curry's really good.
This is your kind of game.
You can get anywhere you want to get to.
Come on, now, dig in!
Stop right here! Dig in!
When he was needed the most,
at this critical juncture in the pivotal game
of the 2015 NBA finals,
Steph Curry unleashed an attack
that put his signature on the series.
I always tell people,
"You can play whatever defense you want.
"If he missed a shot it's got nothing to do with you.
"He just had a rough couple games. "
But I knew that he would get to that point
where he was being great for us again.
Curry at the right point. Works on Dellavedova.
Takes a step-back three.
Whoa! Stephen Curry with some magic!
Another eruption from the Oracle crowd.
We knew Steph was gonna eventually hit shots
and he's MVP for a reason.
Curry gets a screen, dribbles on Dellavedova.
Behind the back left hand crossover.
Fades and fires.
Oh my goodness!
Curry with another three!
The Warriors have a ten-point lead.
Their a team on the verge of taking a 3-2 lead
in the NBA finals.
It was fun to see Steph back to himself in game five.
It's the NBA finals, everybody wants to
play their best basketball on the biggest stage.
I mean, this is what you dream about.
And you struggle early on, and you
probably hear some criticism and all that kind of stuff,
probably weigh you down a little bit,
but for him to come through clutch when we needed him to,
I'm sure there was no better feeling.
Game five to the home team.
Game six, Tuesday in Cleveland.
The Warriors can win the title,
the Cavaliers will try to force game seven back here,
You know, Steph is Steph.
He carries us.
Pay attention to detail and keep compeating.
We can get this done in Cleveland.
That's our goal. Get the next one.
That's it.
One more game! One more game!
Win in six! First time in 40 years!
Got a huge win at home.
One step away from our goal.
All it is is about, uh,
winning one more game,
no matter how we get it done.
Hopefully we get it done on Tuesday
It's been 40 years since the Warriors last
celebrated an NBA title.
Today they're one win away
from making history again.
You've earned the right to be here.
You've earned the right to play in this game.
But we have to earn one more thing.
And that's the game tonight.
Nobody's giving us anything.
Showtime, baby. Give 'em hell.
We approached game six like
this is the final game of the season.
Everyone's locked in
and we're leaving it all out there,
and the season ends tonight.
Hey, let's focus on every single possession,
every quarter make the result that we want.
Make it happen, alright? Let's do this.
Let's go. Just us, one, two, three.
- Just us. - Just us.
- One, two, three! - One, two, three!
Iguodala after the inbound.
The shot clock at eight. Right side Draymond Green.
The action cutting, it's a beautiful backdoor
with Kerry, who lays it up and in.
Alright, good job, guys.
Good start, boys.
Boys, take care of the ball. Keep defending.
Their unselfish nature was on full display
as the Warriors found success
by finding the open man.
Iguodala gets it to Curry,
He'll fire...
and hit a three right from the Golden State bench.
And a big difference in the last couple of games for Golden State.
They get off to a good start.
Come on, guys. They made a run.
Let's run right back at 'em.
One play at a time, fellas.
One play at a time. We're alright, fellas.
Back to LeBron in the corner
with the clock at three.
Guarded by Livingston,
step back, corner three. It's good!
What a shot by James.
These Cav fans do not want their season
to end tonight.
James drives. Off-balance!
Thompson on the follow!
Now at the half the Cavaliers
are back within two in this must-win game six.
We're doing some good things.
In the first quarter we moved the ball
a lot better than we did in the second.
We started settling.
Now it's just a matter of executing
and doing our jobs.
After intermission, Golden State began
to create separation from Cleveland.
As the lead ballooned to 13 points,
with Andre Iguodala leading the charge.
Iguodala, two hand slam!
Beautiful feed by Curry.
Get up! Get up!
Picked up by Barnes. Warriors will push.
Ahead to Iguodala.
He'll drive, gets to the rim
and hammers it down with the right hand!
Reposition!
It's all about defense and rebounding.
Guys, there's a lot of game left!
Go put your heads down and play!
A lot of game left! Come on!
Ezeli outside the arc on the right.
Takes it left side.
Taken away by James!
Here's LeBron to the basket.
Dunks it with the right hand!
All of a sudden it's a seven point game
and the energy is back in Quicken Loans Arena.
Going against LeBron James
was one of the ultimate tests for this team,
withstanding that kind of pressure.
When you get to the finals it's about grit.
It's about the will to win.
It's about who wants it more.
And as a team, collectively,
we wanted it pretty bad.
Strength in numbers had defined the
Warriors' drive to championship glory.
And they triumphantly
cleared that final hurdle together.
Back to Draymond, up and under.
Throws to the corner.
There's Iguodala, he'll let it launch.
Iguodala, wide-open shot.
Hits a three-pointer!
Golden State can start their celebration.
We felt we could relax and just celebrate.
It was just a moment of just pure joy.
And nothing I would rather have than
to celebrate with my brothers on the court.
And it's over!
The championship is back in the bay
for the first time in 40 years.
Steph throws the ball in the air.
I'm looking for the ball.
I don't know who to run to.
And then I'm in the circle and
I see Steph, I'm just jumping up and down,
And from there on it's just surreal.
It goes by so fast,
but you remember every second of it.
And the dream season is now complete.
The Golden State Warriors are the 2015 NBA Champions.
Klay, we did it.
We did it, Klay. We did it.
- Good game. - Curry, Curry.
The culmination of years together and guys
nine, ten years in this league
to work our way up to this moment.
Man, it's something you dream as a kid.
They're one of the great regular seasons
in the history of the league.
67 wins is gonna end with a title.
This year's Bill Russell MVP is a player
who didn't start in a single game
until these finals: Andre Iguodala!
- Andre won MVP? - Yes!
That's fantastic!
Oh my God.
Winning a title is so special because
each individual player has his own unique story.
How about the guy who just comes off the bench all year
and gives up his starting role wins MVP of the finals.
Perfect.
And then you combine all those
stories and you feel the same sense of
satisfaction at the end,
and you share it with one another.
There's no better feeling.
To see the sacrifice that Andre Iguodala
specifically made and then to be MVP of the NBA finals,
It's a testament to Andre,
It's a testament to the rest of our team,
the players that sacrificed,
and it's also a testament to Steve's ability
to push the right buttons.
It was tremendous on all levels.
To be in this position, world champion,
with a group of guys that I love,
it's special.
Because I know the dedication, the commitment,
that we all have.
Putting hours in, hard work and practice.
Play through injuries.
For this.
It looks so much better in person, too!
First championship, how does it feel?
Can't put it into words, my man.
People don't understand how hard
the journey is to get here.
12 years. 11 years.
People can play their whole careers
and never get a championship.
We got one. We earned it, too.
We earned it. We're champions, baby.
For life.
Getting to celebrate with a group that gets along so well
made it that much more special.
It's something that I'll never forget.
It was one of the most amazing nights of my life.
The Warriors organization to be celebrating
a championship for the first time in 40 years,
there's a lot of people that should be proud of that.
Players, coaches...
Bob Myers, our GM...
And obviously Joe and Peter
for when they took over the team to get this done.
We did have an expectation that
we could do this in five years,
and by the way, it's been
four years, seven months, and one day
from the first game that we took over as owners
to the night we won the championship.
That last day, by the way, was the best.
Everything that happened all year long was just
building, building, building.
And here we are sitting as NBA champions
and I'm really proud of it.
From 23 to this! Come on!
We gotta have this, right now.
It was an exhilarating experience.
I cried. I actually cried.
I didn't cry winning the Oscar,
I didn't cry winning the Golden Globe.
I was thrilled,
but this was emotionally exhausting.
It was not a sprint. It was a marathon.
We're world champs.
This is something they can never take away from us.
We'll have a bond for the rest of our lives
because of what happened this year.
Warriors!
It's go time!
This is great. This is what it's all about.
It's what you dream about when you're a kid,
and it's just amazing to actually achieve it.
The prize was the championship,
the championship season,
all the men and women who worked to make
this a success.
This is just a celebration of the joy of that.
You've just gotta enjoy the moment.
I got tired of smiling.
You know you're in a good state when that's happening.
Just to see the appreciation all along.
Fans everywhere.
They waited a long time for this and they deserve it.
Defense! Defense! Defense! Defense!
It was just surreal.
I mean every time you go around a new corner
everybody's cheering for Warriors family.
We had no idea there was gonna be this many people
to show up and support,
so it was one of the coolest days of my life.
It's all happening so fast and you're
just gonna want to slow down and just enjoy it
'cause a lot of hard work's gone into it.
To be with my teammates and celebrate,
This is special,
something I'll remember for a long time.
This year the Golden State Warriors
proved everything you can prove
on a basketball court.
They fought like warriors.
They fought like champions.
We celebrate together today.
Strength in numbers! We've waited 40 years!
Are you ready to celebrate
with your 2015 NBA world champion
Golden State Warriors?
Teams change. Injuries happen.
But to be able to win this championship
with this group of guys right here,
there's nothing more special to me than that.
What a journey it's been for everybody
in this organization.
Everybody in the Bay Area.
I think back when I first got here, man,
it was the first time I've been on a team
with someone who shoots it better than me.
I wanted to hate the guy but
you just can't not like him, man.
I saw all kinds of crazy stuff.
I saw a guy hanging off a traffic pole.
I saw a guy in a tree.
And we appreciate all y'all, I mean
the Oracle Arena was the best home court
around the league.
All of Dub Nation, we did it, we did it.
Let's celebrate. Thank you very much.