NBA Champions ·
1975 Golden State Warriors
The 1974-75 Golden State Warriors went 48-34 and swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets to win the title. Rick Barry, shooting his free throws underhand, led the league in scoring at 30.6 a game and took Finals MVP. Rookie forward Jamaal Wilkes won Rookie of the Year, and almost nobody outside the Bay Area saw the sweep coming.
Golden State traded Nate Thurmond before the season and lost Cazzie Russell to free agency, leaving Barry as the clear leader. Al Attles coached a deep, share-the-minutes rotation that could use ten players in a game. The Warriors won the Pacific Division but profiled as ordinary on paper.
Barry did almost everything, leading the NBA in scoring, free-throw percentage, and steals while finishing sixth in assists. Wilkes gave them a smooth scorer at forward, Clifford Ray held the middle, and a young Phil Smith emerged in the backcourt.
The Warriors trailed the Bulls 3-2 in the conference finals before winning Game 6 in Chicago and Game 7 at home, 83-79. That set up the Finals against a Washington team that had won 60 games. Golden State swept it in four, with one-point wins in Games 2 and 4.
It was the franchise's first title since 1956, when it played in Philadelphia. The Warriors would not return to the Finals until 2015.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Rick Barry | PF | 93 |
| Jamaal Wilkes | SF | 84 |
| Butch Beard | PG | 80 |
| Clifford Ray | C | 78 |
| Phil Smith | SG | 79 |
| Charles Johnson | 6th man | 73 |
| Al Attles | Coach | 85 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Mullins | G | veteran guard |
| Derrek Dickey | F | rookie forward who scored well in the Finals |
| George Johnson | C | shot-blocking reserve center |
| Bill Bridges | F | veteran forward |
| Charles Dudley | G |