Saturday night at Chase Center didn’t just feel nostalgic. It felt like someone accidentally opened a portal to one of the most magical basketball years we’ve ever seen. The 2022 Warriors didn’t just win a title. They created a feeling. A mood. A collective heartbeat. And every time those players show up anywhere in the league today, that heartbeat still thumps under the floorboards.
That’s why when Kevon Looney stepped into the building wearing Pelicans colors, the room swelled. He wasn’t wearing the right jersey, but he was carrying the right memories. The crowd rose and delivered that long, warm “LOOOOON,” the sound that always seemed like boos to outsiders but was really a love song for the ultimate blue-collar champion. Looney looked up at the tribute video, saw the screens, the rebounds, the pain tolerance, the leadership, and tapped his chest with that familiar grin. In that moment, the crowd wasn’t just cheering a role player. They were honoring the backbone of a dynasty.
Jordan Poole was on the visiting bench in street clothes, flashing that magnetic smile. Andre Iguodala sat courtside next to Joe Lacob, casual as ever, like an elder summoning the energy he helped design. It was a homecoming layered with history, but the wildest part was that the reunion wasn’t confined to Chase Center. Three current Dubs who became champions on that ‘22 team showed up last night as well: Gary Payton II blew the game open with an energized double-double, Jonathan Kuminga returned from injury and joined Moses Moody in scoring double figures on the night.
Across the league, the 2022 Warriors were still lighting up the night.
In Detroit, Andrew Wiggins delivered the kind of performance that made him an NBA Finals revelation. Thirty one points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, absurd efficiency. That was Miami Wiggins showing everyone he still has superstar nights in him, still has that quiet two-way dominance that won Golden State playoff rounds.
In Los Angeles, Klay Thompson was back in flow, dropping twenty three points and six threes, a smooth, devastating reminder that the purest jumper of this generation still lives in him. He looked like a man enjoying his second act, fresh off a Thanksgiving cooked by Megan Thee Stallion, shining in a new city while still humming that Warriors rhythm underneath.
Think about that. Two thousand miles apart, both of them detonating on the same night, wearing different jerseys, planting pieces of 2022 magic in new arenas. The league still benefits from the Warriors’ development machine, the Warriors’ culture, the Warriors’ standard. That championship team didn’t just break defenses. They reshaped players. They taught an entire roster how to win at the highest level. And now the league gets to enjoy them. You’re welcome, NBA.
And while the old crew was showcasing their brilliance across the map, the new Warriors were fighting through a gritty game at home. Curry was out. The threes weren’t falling. But Jimmy Butler, the newest star in the lineage, stabilized everything with a 24-8-10 masterpiece on a sore hip.
That 2022 group wasn’t just a championship team; they were a constellation. And even though those stars have drifted to new skies, they still illuminate every building they appear in. They still carry that Golden State imprint, the discipline, the poise, the swagger, the joy. Looney and Poole are working on bringing it to New Orleans. Wiggins brings it to Miami while Klay brings it to Dallas. Iguodala brings it from seat A1 next to Lacob. And Dub Nation still feels it whenever they show up.
Saturday night proved it again. The league is full of teams, but only a few leave ripples that last. The 2022 Warriors were one of those teams. And every time those players shine, whether in Chase Center or across the country, it’s a reminder.
They were special. They _are_ special. And the NBA is better because they won here together. YOU’RE WELCOME.
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