The Golden State Warriors have sent a message to the rest of the NBA that their’scary’ team is not done winning championships, as they returned to San Francisco with the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, won the NBA Finals for the fourth time in eight years on Thursday night in Boston.
Curry, dressed in a yellow sweatshirt and a ‘championship’ hat, carried the NBA Finals MVP trophy off the team flight as the Warriors were greeted as heroes at San Francisco International Airport.
With a cigar between his lips, the Davidson college graduate spread his arms wide as supporters came to welcome coach Steve Kerr and his team as they celebrated their latest championship victory.
‘It’s good to see old Larry back where he belongs,’ Curry said.
‘Like Draymond (Green) stated, it’s the Warriors’ reputation, therefore we’re on board!’
‘This is definitely unique. It’s an emotional rollercoaster to get the task done.
‘A lot of work goes into it, and the whole crew is excited, but everyone is fatigued, so we need to rest before the parade on Monday,’ says one of the organizers.
Green was the one who carried the Larry O’Brien championship trophy off the plane.
When asked if a fifth title in nine years is possible, with the Warriors favored by oddsmakers to repeat next year, Green couldn’t see why not.
‘It has yet to be demonstrated that when we’re whole, nobody can stop it,’ Green added.
Golden State won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, led by MVP-level Kevin Durant.
Durant and Klay Thompson both suffered season-ending injuries in the 2019 Finals against the Toronto Raptors, and this team has not been fully healthy until this season, when vital young players such as Jordan Poole, Gary Payton II, and Otto Porter Jr have emerged.
‘And we ain’t done,’ Thompson added on Green’s podcast, The Draymond Green Show, early Friday.
‘That’s the lovely part about it. We’ve got these young bucks on our side, and the same group is returning? That is concerning for the NBA.’
Green agreed. ‘It’s extremely frightening,’ he remarked.
Warriors coach Kerr, who has five championships as a player and four as a coach, almost lost his voice as he spoke upon his return to San Francisco.
‘We had a terrific night last night, an awesome night, a late night, just celebrating with the team and their families,’ says one of the players. ‘Just a lovely night,’ he remarked.
‘This was the most unlikely of the four championships we’ve had.’