There is arguably not a single franchise that epitomised the NBA in the 2010s quite like the Golden State Warriors. With Steve Kerr as head coach and Steph Curry at the helm on the court, the Warriors transformed the way in which basketball was played. Never before had a team full of shooters found such success, but in pulling it off, the San Francisco outfit changed the course of the sport for the generations that followed.
As a result, it isn't a surprise that many of that dynasty are considered to be among the greatest to have ever worn the gold and yellow. However, there are several other stars who also made a major impact on the franchise, and ChatGPT has ordered them as it has named the 10 best Warriors in NBA history.
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10 Tim Hardaway
1989-1996
Tim Hardaway
What ChatGPT said: "Electrifying point guard known for the crossover; helped make the Warriors fun in a difficult era."
When you think of Warriors and point guards, the first thought is, of course, Curry. But he's far from the only star to have ever held that position in the Bay Area. Before him was Tim Hardaway.
As ChatGPT says, Hardaway was a Warrior at a time when the franchise wasn't as successful as it would go on to be. Selected as the 14th pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, he began his career with the Warriors and became part of the famous trio that also consisted of Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin.
9 Andre Iguodala
2013–2019, 2021–2023
What ChatGPT said: "Sacrificed stats for team success; Finals MVP for locking down LeBron, vital sixth man."
The first man of the true Warriors dynasty on this list is Andre Iguodala. Often an underappreciated piece of the puzzle, the four-time NBA champion was such a strong defender that he allowed the shooters in front of him to focus on their strengths while he manned the back court.
The All-Defensive First Teamer even won a Finals MVP as the Warriors secured their first of four championships in the Steve Kerr era, with his defensive prowess crucial to stopping the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015.
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8 Nate Thurmond
1963–1974
What ChatGPT said: "One of the best centers of his era; known for his toughness and defense."
If Golden State is the place where basketball changed for good in the modern era, then it may be a surprise to find that back in the day, it was also home to an old-fashioned defender who fit the mould of the game in the 1960s and 1970s with his physicality on the defensive end.
Nate Thurmond was a multi-time All-Star and, while he never won a championship, he did make the Finals in 1967 and has his jersey number 42 retired by both GSW and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
7 Chris Mullin
1985–1997, 2000–2001
Chris Mullin
Credit: © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
What ChatGPT said: "Face of the franchise in the late '80s and early '90s; smooth scorer and sharpshooter."
The second part of 'Run TMC,' Chris Mullin had a slightly greater impact on the Warriors franchise than Hardaway, therefore earns a slightly higher position on the AI's list. A member of the famous Dream Team that went on to win Olympic gold, Mullin spent nearly his entire career in San Francisco, stopping for a three-year pit stop in Indiana.
The five-time All-Star also made the NBA First Team in 1992, and is another star to have their jersey number retired by the franchise, with the number 17 not seeing the light of day since.
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6 Draymond Green
2012–present
What ChatGPT said: "The emotional and defensive anchor of the dynasty; elite playmaker and leader."
Love him or hate him, there can be no denying that Draymond Green has played a pivotal role in the Golden State Warriors' success. Going from being a drafted rotational piece to the man who replaced Iguodala as the premier defender in the team, Green brought — and still brings — a spite to the team that others lack.
While his emotions can get the better of him — both with teammates and opponents — his controversial nature has been necessary at times for the Warriors. It hearkens back to the Bulls trying to overcome the Bad Boy Pistons. Without some grit, they wouldn't have done it. The same can be said here.
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5 Klay Thompson
2011–2024
What ChatGPT said: "Key to the dynasty as both a two-way threat and iconic shooter (37 in a quarter, 60 in 29 mins, Game 6 heroics)."
One half of the 'Splash Brothers,' the only person who may have a genuine argument for being a naturally better three-point shooter than Curry is former teammate Klay Thompson. While most would still pick the point guard in that argument, don't ignore just how lethal Thompson himself was.
The duo were both so good from range that if one was being locked down, the other would be found to find space and be just as devastating. The four-time champion's end with the franchise was marred by horrible injuries and fitness issues, but his peak was tremendous and he was the perfect supporting act to others around him.
4 Kevin Durant
2016–2019
What ChatGPT said: "Though only three seasons, his dominance and clutch Finals play elevated the Warriors to nearly unbeatable status."
Three years, three finals, two Finals MVPs and two championships. And if it wasn't for an injury-stricken Warriors team in 2019, including Kevin Durant himself, it could have been three. When Durant made the move to San Francisco, it shocked the basketball world. The greatest team were acquiring arguably the greatest player on the planet at the time. Dominance was expected.
Safe to say, expectations were met as Durant joining forces with an already formidable line-up was too much for anyone to stop. It may have been short, but it was most certainly sweet and fruitful.
3 Rick Barry
1965–1967, 1972–1978
Warriors legend Rick Barry
What ChatGPT said: "Led the Warriors to their 1975 championship with a legendary Finals performance."
Forty years before Curry and co were leading the Warriors to championship glory, Rick Barry was the catalyst doing just the same. Drafted by the then 'San Francisco Warriors' in 1965, he would leave to try things out in Washington and New York before returning for the best run of his career.
The culmination of this was the 1975 Finals, where he averaged 29.5 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game to overcome the Washington Bullets. While his relationship with his teammates worsened after that, his peak performance was as great as anything San Francisco had seen before — and has seen since.
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2 Wilt Chamberlain
1959–1965
What ChatGPT said: "Most dominant force in early NBA; his statistical feats are legendary, even if titles came later."
Wilt Chamberlain's Warriors tenure started in Philadelphia, back when the franchise was known as the Philadelphia Warriors, before relocating to San Francisco in 1962. During this period, he became the highest-paid rookie in history, and while he didn’t win any championships with the franchise, he most definitely etched his name in history.
His standout moment was the 100-point game he recorded in a victory over the New York Knicks in the same year as the team’s relocation. The record has stood the test of time, with no one even reaching 90 points since.
1 Steph Curry
2009–present
What ChatGPT said: "Transformed the game with his shooting, leader of the Warriors dynasty (2015–2022). Greatest Warrior ever."
'Greatest Warrior ever.' That sums it up, and there was never really any doubt. Incredibly, there is a timeline where this doesn’t happen at all, as Curry was close to being traded to Milwaukee as part of the package that saw Andre Bogut come to San Francisco.
At that point, Curry was struggling with ankle injuries and, three years into his NBA career, had not yet developed into the superstar he would become. Some within the hierarchy were keen on keeping Monta Ellis instead, who had shown quality and more consistency. However, they stuck with their belief in Curry — and the rest, as they say, is history.