2016 73-9 Record

Lore & Background

In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors won three of the first four games and led 3–1 before the Cleveland Cavaliers won three straight games to clinch the title. The Warriors lost Game 5 at home, Game 6 on the road, and Game 7 at home. This was the first time a team overcame a 3–1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.

In Their Own Story

The Oracle Arena crowd was a deafening roar of orange and blue as the final buzzer sounded against the Memphis Grizzlies. The scoreboard blinked: 73 wins. A hush fell over the arena for a split second before erupting into pure disbelief; they had done it, they had broken the Bulls' record. Stephen Curry stood at center court, towel draped over his head, absorbing the moment that felt like destiny. Yet, in the quiet of the locker room later that night, the mood was somber. The goal was no longer just to be the best regular-season team; the ghost of 1975 and the shadow of 2015 loomed large. They had conquered the mountain, but the summit of the Finals felt suddenly slippery. As the season closed, the 73-9 record stood as a testament to brilliance that would forever be weighed against what came next.

Reader's Guide

The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, who was named NBA MVP for the second straight season. The Splash Brothers duo of Curry and Klay Thompson combined to average 52.2 points per game. Head coach Steve Kerr missed the first 43 regular season games due to a back injury; assistant Luke Walton served as interim head coach and led the team to a 39–4 start.

Did You Know?

• The Warriors broke the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls' record of 72–10 with their 73–9 regular season.
• They set an NBA record with 34 road wins in the regular season.
• The Warriors started the season 24–0, the best start in NBA history.
• They were the first team to make over 1,000 three-pointers in a regular season (1,077).