Golden State Warriors

The team struggled in the 1980s, then became playoff regulars at the turn of the decade with stars Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, nicknamed "Run TMC". Led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the team returned to championship glory in 2015. In 2016, the Warriors achieved the best-ever regular-season record at 73–9 before losing the Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games after surrendering a 3–1 series lead. After signing former MVP Kevin Durant, the team won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. They lost the 2019 Finals to the Toronto Raptors and Durant left that off-season. After missing the playoffs the next two seasons, the Warriors returned to the playoffs and defeated the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Finals.

Nicknamed the "Dubs" as a shortening of "W's", the Warriors hold several NBA records: best regular season, most wins in a season (regular season and postseason combined), and best postseason run. Curry and Thompson are generally considered one of the greatest backcourts of all time. The Warriors rank third for the most NBA championships and Finals appearances in NBA history, trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Chamberlain and Curry are the only players in franchise history to win the league MVP award, for a total of three awards.