golden state warriors history: dubs march toward 59 win season (Photo: SportsIllustrated)
It was 38 years ago this week the Warriors were in the midst of winning 43 of their first 60 games en route to their franchise best win total ever.
Fresh off their first world championship the year previously, the Warriors returned the next season with a few roster changes, a slight uniform change
Unfortunately, this year would end in bitter disappointment.
Prior to the ending, however, was a season filled with utter Warrior dominance.
With star Rick Barry once again leading the way, the Warriors seemed to be head and shoulders above everyone as the season progressed.
Even with a loss on the leap year last day of February to the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics, the Warriors still finished off the first two months of 1976 with a sizzling 22-8 record.
Newcomer guard Gus Williams had joined the established core of Barry, Phil Smith, Jamaal Wilkes (formerly Keith) and Clifford Ray that, on paper as well as on the court, seemed stronger than the squad that had won the title the year previously.
With coach Al Attles still manning the ship, the Warriors coasted through the final months of the season losing only 6 more games.
The playoffs awaited.
As compared to the season prior, the prognosticators this time penciled in the Warriors for an eventual Finals date with the famed Celtics.
After disposing of the Detroit Pistons in the Semifinals, the Warriors seemed ready to make them right as they faced the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals.
It never happened.
After taking a 3-2 series lead, the Warriors lost a Game 6 nailbiter in Phoenix.
Then painfully they lost Game 7 and watched the Suns celebrate on the Oakland County Coliseum Arena floor.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5fAAN-KFWY&w=420&h=315]The Suns would go on to their own painful loss in one of the most remembered NBA Finals.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW28zFycFgM&w=560&h=315]The Warriors, however, seemed to set the stage for what most followers believe was the beginning of the dark years:
“They swept Washington in the Finals thanks to a transcendent effort from Rick Barry, one of the best 25 players of all time and the finest passing forward of his generation. The following spring, the heavily favored Warriors blew their chance to repeat because Barry fought Phoenix’s Ricky Sobers in the first half of Game 7 of the Western Finals, bristled when his teammates didn’t defend him, then refused to shoot for the next hour. And so it began. Three and a half decades later, the Golden State Warriors have morphed into the most tortured franchise in professional basketball.” Bill Simmons – March 21, 2012
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