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Five of the greatest Golden State Warriors in the history of the franchise

Over the past half decade or so, the Golden State Warriors have become one of the NBA’s most renowned franchises, and many of their best players have also been considered among the NBA’s best ever players.(Golden State Warriors jerseys available here) After not winning a title between 1975 and 2015, the Dubs have now passed the Chicago Bulls for third place in the league, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

This is why some of the greatest players of all time have suited up for the Warriors, such as Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Tim Hardaway, and many others.

1. Kevin Durant

The career of Kevin Durant as a Warrior is filled with impressive accomplishments, making him one of the greatest offensive players to ever lace up. Durant led the Dubs to consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018 when he was an All-Star each year.

For the five-game series, Durant averaged 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, making him one of the best Finals players of all time.

As a result of free agency, Durant left the Warriors in 2019 to join the Brooklyn Nets with star point guard Kyrie Irving, but the Warriors will remember him fondly for what he accomplished during his brief tenure. Due to his short tenure, KD isn’t higher on this list.

2. Chris Mullin

In his 13 seasons in the Bay Area, Chris Mullin was selected to four All-NBA teams and made the All-Star team five times. He was the epitome of a well-rounded basketball player.

Run TMC was a formidable trio for a few seasons, but they didn’t have much postseason success, which has tainted Mullin’s legacy.

Even though Mullin did not win a championship for Golden State, he should still be regarded as a Warriors legend because of his impressive shooting and scoring ability (20.1 points per game for his Warriors career), along with his unique basketball IQ. Rather than jumping out of the gym, the lefty outsmarted his opponents.

3. Wilt Chamberlain

When Wilt Chamberlain was drafted into the Philadelphia Warriors in 1960, it was immediately evident that he was unlike any player the league had ever seen. Despite his massive height, Chamberlain had the quickness and leaping ability of a guard.

In his six years with the Warriors (also the San Francisco version), Wilt the Stilt never averaged less than 36.9 points per game. He scored 50.4 points and grabbed 25.7 boards in 48.5 minutes per night, which is greater than the 48 minutes in an NBA game that doesn’t go into overtime during his best year, 1961-62.

Although Chamberlain did not win a title as a Warrior, he put up historic numbers that will likely never be surpassed.

4. Rick Barry

In the ’60s and ’70s, Rick Barry played and was a victim of the times. When Barry was an eight-time All-Star and champion with the San Francisco Warriors as well as Golden State Warriors, his skill set was unheralded. From the charity stripe, he was as efficient as anyone in league history, and he could shoot the ball from anywhere on the court.

It was the strange yet highly effective shooting mechanics of Barry that allowed him to shoot 89.3 percent from the line. Due to his underhand free throw shooting style, he ranks eighth all-time in free throw percentage. It’s fun to imagine how he would light up the scoreboard in today’s pace-and-space style of play with his elite perimeter shooting ability.

5. Stephen Curry

As well as being the greatest shooter in franchise (and perhaps league) history, Stephen Curry is also the greatest Warrior ever. He has won two MVPs, four championships, and eight All-Stars since being drafted seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by Golden State.

It is likely that Klay Thompson will soon join Curry on this list if he makes a 3-point field goal, as he passed fellow great Ray Allen for the most in NBA history. Curry will certainly have the opportunity to add even more to his legacy with the Dubs (and it won’t be long until he joins him). Here is a link where you can buy cheap jerseys

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