Golden State Warriors: A fantasy dynasty for the ages

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The Golden State Warriors have won back-to-back titles and their third in four years.

In our younger days, on dirt courts with bent rims, on cement pads with chain nets, and on playgrounds with no nets at all, basketball dreams were had. Alone, you created a super team in your head.

Michael Jordan with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Kobe Bryant with Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone. (Oh wait. That one happened.)

Or perhaps the fantasy team dream stemmed from days of playing NBA Live or any of its video game siblings in which you'd trade for that super team.

That's the Golden State Warriors in a nutshell.

A 108-85 Game 4 victory sealed the deal. A game in which Steph Curry dropped 37 points and Kevin Durant had a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) to help steamroll the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Durant had another outstanding series -- his second straight Finals MVP in the bag -- and proved once again it's much better to chase titles than power through adversity by being loyal.

The stars of any sports league have always carried the weight of the world upon their shoulders when attempting to deliver their beloved franchise a title. Expectations can be even greater when the team (or city) has never won a title.

Just ask James, the man who began the current era of stars chasing titles by forming super teams with other all-star.

Chasing dreams, chasing titles

Even before James went to the Miami Heat to join forces with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, the greatness of an athlete's career was defined by number of titles won. Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and John Stockton have zero titles between them, but does that truly make their hall-of-fame careers any less spectacular?

The idea that titles define an athlete's career has only swelled over the years. It is often a main talking point in the tiresome Jordan vs James debate, in which number of titles and championship losses are used in attempt to settle a debate that can never be settled.

If rings were the end-all-be-all, Bill Russell (11, out of 13 seasons) would be the greatest player of all time. I mean, even Steve Kerr (5) has more rings as a player than James, Curry, Durant, etc.

But rings aren't -- and shouldn't be -- what ultimately defines the greatness of a player. The tangibles are certainly there, like scoring, rebounding, defense, and so on. Intangibles should be marked aspects of a player's greatness as well. Do you inspire others? Do you make others around better? Do you pick them up when they are down? 

Durant has all of these things.

It's not like he was lacking any of these when he left his original franchise -- a team he'd taken to the NBA Finals -- to complete the fantasy team in Golden State. He wasn't hurting in Oklahoma City and Golden State wasn't hurting without him. Coming off a record-setting season, the Warriors fell in the Finals to the Cavs, but it's not like they were blown away and exposed to list of weaknesses. 

Prior to Durant's arrival, it might have been easier to be a fan of the Warriors (if you weren't already). Their top stars were all drafted and groomed in the city by the bay, surrounded by high basketball IQ and role players. The Splash Brothers were born, they played a style much appreciated, and were winning over a new generation of fans.

And now? Well, you know.

Two or three star players on a team is fine. Basketball had a bit more oomph to it when this was the case, held a bit more drama, and at least gave us some parity. The conference finals were more intriguing and eventful than the 2018 Finals were.

Super teams are hurting the product. It is a veritable arms race to knock the Golden State Warriors from their perch. And while they likely won't remain this way forever, they currently sit atop the throne. 

I'd rather see competitive games every night than stars sitting out games, teams tanking, or watching  disparity between talent and no-talent dominate the standings.

There are still teams doing it right. The Boston Celtics have blended free agency, trades, and drafting the right talent. The Houston Rockets have two superstars they are building a team around. Over in Philadelphia, the 76ers had their own process.

And yet, the latter two teams (and to some extent, Boston) appear to be on the radar for James (per the desire and beliefs of fans and pundits).

The free market is fine and players should be able to pursue their own teams and dreams. Congrats to the Golden State Warriors. 

But give me loyalty to a franchise over title chasing any day of the week.

photo credit: flickr.com
For more on sports, movies, pop culture and more, be sure to follow on Twitter: @jasonrh_78

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