NBA Champions ·
2022 Golden State Warriors
The 2021-22 Warriors won their fourth title in eight years, beating the Boston Celtics in six. This one came after a fall: Kevin Durant was gone, Klay Thompson had missed two and a half years to a torn ACL and then a torn Achilles, and Golden State had missed the playoffs twice. Stephen Curry finally won his first Finals MVP at 34.
The dynasty had cratered. Durant left in 2019, Thompson got hurt, and Golden State won 15 and then 39 games in the two seasons after its last Finals. The Warriors rebuilt around Curry and a young trio of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and Andrew Wiggins, the last of whom arrived in a trade that drew shrugs at the time.
Wiggins became the answer on defense. He took the toughest wing assignment each round and made an All-Star team. Thompson returned in January, rusty but still able to score in bunches.
Golden State beat Denver, Memphis, and Dallas to reach the Finals, then fell behind Boston 2-1. Curry answered with 43 points in Game 4 in Boston to even the series, the swing of the whole thing.
He averaged 31.2 for the series and won Finals MVP, the one trophy missing from his case despite two regular-season MVPs. Kevon Looney rebounded everything, and Gary Payton II returned from a broken elbow to defend. It was the franchise's seventh championship.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | PG | 93 |
| Klay Thompson | SG | 80 |
| Andrew Wiggins | SF | 81 |
| Draymond Green | PF | 82 |
| Kevon Looney | C | 74 |
| Jordan Poole | 6th man | 78 |
| Steve Kerr | Coach | 90 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Otto Porter Jr. | F | |
| Gary Payton II | G | returned from a broken elbow |
| Jonathan Kuminga | F | rookie |
| Andre Iguodala | G/F | |
| Moses Moody | G | rookie |