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Long before a series of bold movements, the Golden State Warrior’s Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and even Kevin Durant – and a sharp shooter named Stephen Curry, once seen as a risk due to his ankle problems – was the franchise known to fall short instead of winning championships.
From 2015 to 2022, Curry and Company hoisted the coveted Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy four times and cemented the franchise as NBA’s latest dynasty.
Other key contributors: Other Iguodala, Kevon Looney, Andrew Wiggins and Zaza Pachulia played important roles at different points in Warriors Run. Pachulia, who retired from the NBA after the 2019 season, recently reflected over her time in a Golden State uniform.
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Golden State Warriors’ Daymond Green (23), Kevin Durant (35), Stephen Curry (30) and Zaza Pachulia (27) Paus as Curry is preparing to get a free kick after he was buried against San Antonio Spurs in the first half of their opening night in Oracle Arena in Oakland, California the 25th of October, 2016. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group via Getty Images)
Pachulia acts as one of the company’s ambassadors and is an investor. Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young and four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird have also made investments.
“Being in the league 16 years (but) being part of the warriors was different. First practice you go into the gym and you see so much talent in there Iguodala, David West, Shaun Livingston, had been staring for different teams.
Reported completion of another new format for this season’s All-Star game
Warriors experienced limited success before Curry settled in, and Steve Kerr took over as the team’s head coach in 2014. In the 2007 NBA playoffs, “We Want” drew a shocking disturbance by removing the top-notch Dalla’s Mavericks in the first round. The team Fizzled out in the western conference semi -final and could not qualify for the post season the following year.
Pachulia credited Bob Meyers, who served as Warrior’s General Manager from 2012 until he stepped down in 2023, and others for taking key player decisions to help get the team moving in the right direction.
“Obviously, Steve Kerr and Bob Meyers and everyone did a good job of having intial conversations about what the expectations were. That way there were no surprises,” Pachulia noted. “Of course, things will change through the season.”
“Everyone (talked) about Warrior’s culture, and I give the honor to Steve (Kerr), Bob (Meyers) and Steph (Curry), these three guys certainly set the tone.”
“That was the biggest team ever gathered in my opinion.” Pachulia added. “Just the fact that we were compared to the 90s bulls is such a huge compliment.”
Golden State Warriors -Guard Stephen Curry is presented with a money ball by Zaza Pachulia before a game against Orlando Magic at Chase Center on February 3, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
It undoubtedly took a devastating defeat against Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA final 2016 for Warriors’ dynasty to reach its peak. Golden State won an NBA record 73 regular seasonal matches, but couldn’t get past LeBron James and Cavs in Game 7 in that year’s final.
But Warriors were able to add Durant, another leading talent, to his list in the 2016 season.
Durant, League MVP in 2014 and four-time scoring champion, gave Golden State an impressive collection of shooting ability. Durant won back-to-back titles with Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and received NBA Finals MVP Heads in both of these years.
Golden State Warriors Center Zaza Pachulia (Middle) has the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after defeating Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA final at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Richard/USA Today Sports)
Pachulia left Warriors in 2018 and spent her last NBA season with Detroit Pistons. Thompson left Warriors after the campaign 2023-24 and signed with Dallas Mavericks. Curry and Green remain in Golden State. After coming from the 2023-24 post-season, and after Minnesota Timberwolves, Warriors knocked out of playoffs in the last May, many questioned whether the Warriors window had finally closed.
Curry pushed back to that idea.
“Of course, I mean defining a dynasty can take a lot of different looks,” he told ESPN in July. “People thought this was over in 2019 … but 2022 was a fantastic championship because we defied the odds … It’s 11 years of almost 12 years of championship relevance built around a certain core.
“I don’t think [it will be replicated] Just because it’s very hard to keep things together in this league. Much more player movement. Me, Klay and Daymond, we supplemented each other so well for so long. We all brought something else to the table so we get to see. Registrations are intended to be broken. Dynasties all different shapes come inside us, so we get to see. “
Pachulia said that the culture found in Warrior’s closet room will remain unreasonable as long as Curry carries a golden state uniform.
“No one can change it,” Pachulia claimed when asked if new faces could enter Warrior’s closet room and change the team culture. “As far as Steph (Curry) is in the dressing room, is on the field, is the face of this franchise, no one can, no one will. Because he has so much respect, not only from his teammates but also from his opponents. It’s so deep, it’s so strong that no one can break it (or) even try to break it.”
Pachulia remains involved in the Warriors organization through its role as the team’s basketball surgery consultant. Warriors will open the 2025-26 season on October 21 in Los Angeles against Lakers.
