Warriors

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Warriors (骑勇)
Alias(es)	Golden State Warriors; “Cosmic Warriors”; “Cosmic Battleship” 13 66
Affiliation	NBA
Occupation/Role	Professional basketball team
Status	Active; defending NBA champions 1313
First Appearance	Chapter 13

Team Identity & Playing Style

Durant-era “Cosmic Warriors”

The Warriors became a league-defining superteam after using the increased salary cap and Stephen Curry’s team-friendly contract to sign Kevin Durant. Their core paired Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant, and Draymond Green with veteran contributors Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. 13

• Offense
  • Relied on three elite shooters, Green’s point-forward playmaking, and Durant’s positionless scoring as a fallback option. 14
  • Used Curry-Green pick-and-rolls, off-ball screens, rapid passing, and perimeter spacing to generate open shots. 14 543
• Defense
  • Built around Green’s ability to guard all five positions, with Thompson and Durant supplying high-level wing defense. 14
  • Frequently hid Curry on the opponent’s least threatening isolation scorer. 14 344
• Small ball
  • Steve Kerr regularly deployed five-small lineups to maximize speed, shooting, switching, and transition pressure. 186 929

Post-Durant Core

After Durant’s departure, the Warriors remained centered on Curry, Thompson, and Green. Andrew Wiggins became their primary wing replacement, while Jordan Poole developed into a major secondary scorer. 417 543 545

• Curry’s shooting gravity creates openings for Thompson, Wiggins, Poole, and Green’s passing game. 543 1191
• Green remains the defensive organizer, transition initiator, screen-setter, and key playmaker. 547 1195
• The team’s smaller lineups can struggle against size, interior scoring, and defensive rebounding. 454 545 547

Roster Evolution

Era	Key Personnel	Notes
Durant superteam	Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia; Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston off the bench	The original “Cosmic Warriors” roster featured four All-Stars in its starting group. 13
Curry injury playoff lineup	Nick Young, Thompson, Durant, Iguodala, Green	Kerr opened a Thunder playoff series with this five-small unit while Curry was unavailable. 186
Five-star period	Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green, Kevon Looney; DeMarcus Cousins added	Cousins’ injury and later difficulty integrating limited the intended five-star lineup. 237 312
Post-Durant core	Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, Looney; Poole as a key scorer	The team remained competitive despite losing Durant, but lacked the old roster’s forward depth and bench quality. 417 454 543
Defending champions	Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis	Jackson-Davis replaced Looney as the starting center by the following title-defense season. 1313

History

Formation and first championship

The Warriors’ salary-cap advantage enabled them to add Durant to an already elite Curry-Thompson-Green foundation. Before the season began, the media considered the championship effectively predetermined because of the roster’s overwhelming talent. 13

Golden State finished the regular season at a league-best 67–15, six games ahead of the Spurs and eight ahead of the Thunder. 66 They then defeated the Cavaliers 4–1 in the Finals, with Durant receiving Finals MVP honors. 94

Thunder rivalry and playoff setbacks

The Warriors’ rivalry with the Oklahoma City Thunder became one of the novel’s recurring matchups, shaped by Curry versus Russell Westbrook, Thompson versus Chen Xi, and Durant’s history with Oklahoma City. 81

With Curry returning early from injury, Golden State recovered from a 3–1 series deficit against the Thunder and won the series 4–3. 191 200 In a later Western Conference Finals, however, injuries and fatigue caught up with the team: Thompson was injured in double overtime of Game 6, and the Thunder eliminated the Warriors 4–2. 348

Durant’s departure

Internal tension between Green and Durant became public after Green refused to pass Durant the ball in a crucial possession and responded to Durant’s complaint with hostility. The conflict, combined with their contract situations, damaged the team’s chemistry. 253

Durant ultimately left Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets. The Warriors received D’Angelo Russell, Shabazz Napier, Treveon Graham, and two second-round picks, then made additional trades to relieve salary pressure. 368

Return to championship contention

Despite Durant’s departure, Curry, Thompson, and Green kept Golden State competitive. The team held fifth place in the Western Conference during the following season, exceeding many fans’ expectations. 417

The Warriors later reached the Finals against Durant’s Nets. After falling behind early in the series, Kerr’s defensive adjustments—particularly high-intensity doubles on James Harden—helped Golden State turn the matchup around. 1193 1194

Golden State ultimately won the 2022–23 NBA Championship in a Game 7 victory over Brooklyn. Curry was named Finals MVP after averaging 32.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in the series. 1200

Championships & Major Results

Achievement	Result	Notes
Regular-season dominance	67–15 record	Finished first in the league during the Durant-era season. 66
NBA Championship	Defeated the Cavaliers 4–1	Durant won Finals MVP. 94
Thunder playoff comeback	Won series 4–3 after trailing 1–3	Curry returned early as Golden State kept its season alive. 191 200
2022–23 NBA Championship	Defeated the Nets in Game 7	Curry won his first Finals MVP. 1200
Title defense	Entered the following season as defending champions	The franchise displayed six championship banners at Chase Center. 1313

Rivalries

• Oklahoma City Thunder — Golden State’s most persistent Western Conference rival; the teams repeatedly meet in high-stakes regular-season and playoff games. 81 186 334 1186
• Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook — Their clashes are framed as a battle for Western Conference point-guard supremacy. 81
• Klay Thompson and Chen Xi — Long-running wing matchup; Thompson recognizes Chen Xi’s rapid improvement from their repeated defensive assignments. 418
• Brooklyn Nets — Durant’s post-Warriors team and Golden State’s opponent in the 2022–23 Finals. 1193 1200
• New York Knicks — A major matchup during Golden State’s title-defense campaign, featuring Curry against Chen Xi’s Knicks. 1313 1314

Notable Quote

“We were champions before you got here!” — Draymond Green to Kevin Durant 253

Trivia

• The Warriors signed Curry to a five-year, $207 million extension, securing his future with the franchise. 745
• Green later re-signed for four years and $100 million after the 2022–23 championship. 1205
• By the title-defense season, Curry, Thompson, Green, and Poole’s combined salaries were projected to push the team beyond the second apron. 1313