The Golden State Warriors were the dynasty that not only defined the last decade of the NBA, but perhaps reshaped the sport of basketball as a whole.
With Steph Curry leading the way, the Warriors altered how the next generation of NBA superstars around the world played the sport as the greatest-three point shooter rained deep strikes on opponents from will. The two-time MVP is widely considered the greatest shooter in NBA history and is ultimately credited with revolutionising the sport, moving away from dominant big men in favour of deep shooting.
Armed with elite interior defence from Draymond Green and first-class perimeter hustle in Thompson - who is also one of the best shooters in league history - the Warriors dominated the NBA. Golden State were champions in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, while they lost the 2016 and 2019 NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors respectively.
The loss to LeBron James seven years ago stings the most, as the Warriors made history and eclipsed Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls single-season wins record. Under head coach Steve Kerr, the reigning champions finished with a 73-9 regular season record before losing the Finals. They moved quickly, adding former MVP Kevin Durant to their roster to set up back-to-back championship victories.
Shaun Livingston may not be a headline name when it comes to the Warriors dynasty, but the three-time NBA champion was a cornerstone of the dynastic operation. After bouncing around nine teams in nine seasons, Livingston shrugged off his journeyman tag to enjoy the best basketball of his career with the Warriors - and even he was surprised by how much his team evolved the sport.
“I’m really amazed at how much it changed in the five-year period I was with the Warriors,” Livingston exclusively told Mirror Sport. “I got there in 2014, we won a championship in my first year and ultimately that’s what changed the league. It was more so in our second year, because of the blitz we put on the regular season, even though it was kind of moot because of how it ended.
“The game forever changed from that standpoint - and the Kevin Durant joined the team. It became an arms race after that, with basketball front office’s rebooting how they would restructure rosters as well as how they wanted to play, which really changed the NBA landscape.”
As soon as he stepped in the building after leaving the Brooklyn Nets, Livingston - who signed a three-year deal worth $16million - felt something different. He quickly discerned this was a team on the precipice of something unlike anything he was a part of before, something truly ‘special’.
“In December, we went on a run and I realised this was different,” Livingston added. “It was my 10th year in the NBA at the time and I had never been a part of dominant team. Seeing Steph Curry come into his own and win MVP was incredible, and Klay Thompson was an All-Star as well.
“There was a freshness in us all being together, along with veterans joining like myself, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala and the rest. There was a lot of chemistry and it felt like the universe was just speaking to us.”
Every great dynasty in sports must overcome the surprising hurdles that come with success. The hunger often changes, as Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has alluded to when discussing why his squad undergoes so much turnover - but Kerr, who hit the winning shot for the Bulls in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals, ensured Golden State’s appetite to win was insatiable.
"You have to credit Steve Kerr,” Livingston instantly pointed out when discussing the Warriors’ mentality. “I grew up in Illinois, so we watched the Chicago Bulls, idolising that team - they were the team of the century. The Bulls won six championships and he won three of them alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. He lived through the ups and downs of winning multiple titles and the strain it takes on you.
“On the philosophical side, I think he took a lot from Phil Jackson as well as from Gregg Popovich, the coaches he played under. He was great at keeping us fresh, but also talking to us about our mindset, and not running us too hard because it's a long season and you can get burnout.“
Livingston is currently thriving as a front office executive with the Warriors, working as a the director of players affairs and engagement. He hopes Golden State can return to the postseason and defend their title after defeating the Boston Celtics in six games a year ago, with the 37-year-old acknowledging the difference between playing in the regular season, the playoffs, and the NBA Finals.
“There’s levels to it,” Livingston said with a wry smile creeping across his face as if he’s about to nail a trademark fadeaway in the post. “When you don’t know about the pressure, you just play and give your all - but truly experiencing the NBA Finals, there’s a different feeling and intensity.
“There’s more pressure, more anxiety, more attention. Everyone is dealing with their own stuff, and the further you go in the playoffs leads to more attention so you’re representing not only yourself and your team, but your family and your community.
“The most excitement I felt when playing was the pressure in a Game 7 or the NBA Finals - it’s invigorating and addicting.”
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