This is what I like to hear – according to Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors are going for it, and will attempt to break the NBA’s all-time single season record of 72 wins by the ’95-’96 Chicago Bulls.
Speaking in an interview which will air on ESPN Radio on Saturday, Thompson said if the opportunity to become the greatest regular season team of all-time is up for grabs, the Warriors should go for it.
“Just to be in the conversation of ‘You guys can do it’ is crazy. It’s great. I would have never imagined this. Growing up I always thought that record was untouchable. Obviously we’re playing for more than just 73 wins — we’re playing for a championship — but if it’s right there for us, we might as well try and take it.”
It’s still hard to believe the Warriors have a legitimate chance to break the record. They currently sit at 48-4, which easily puts them on pace to eclipse what was thought to be an unbeatable mark set by arguably the greatest team in NBA history. Golden State would need to go 25-5 post-All-Star break to accomplish the feat – and with a team which features the three-headed dragon of Thompson, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green, that’s fully inside the realm of possibility.
Green was a little less boastful, saying it wouldn’t matter if they broke the record but didn’t win the Championship.
“I think it’s one of those things where obviously we don’t talk about it at all. It’ll come up every now and then, but it’s more so, ‘Man, could you imagine if that happened?’ But it’s never like, ‘Hey, let’s focus on getting 72.’ Our focus is always to get better each and every time we step on the floor. And I think if we do that, we get to 72. But if we win 72 or 73 games or 74 and we don’t win a championship, nobody will ever care about the 70-whatever wins in the regular season. Everybody cares about the Bulls because they won a championship while winning 72. So it’s more important to win the championship than winning 72 games.”
So, the Warriors’ ultimate goal remains the same, but as Thompson says, they might as well try to be the best team ever too. The Warriors are too much fun.
[ESPN]