Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors cemented themselves as an NBA dynasty when they won three titles in four years. They ended their regular season in the 2015-16 season with a historic 73-9 record.
Led by Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, Golden State broke a long-standing 72-10 record by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Chicago Bulls during the 1995-96 season.
While the Warriors’ record has continued to be the best since and has often been a subject of debate about who was the best of the two teams, Pippen made his stance clear.
Scottie Pippen Makes Feelings Clear on Stephen Curry and the Warriors
Speaking to MARCA in a recent interview, Pippen weighed in on Stephen Curry and the Warriors when asked who would win between his 72-10 team and the sharpshooter’s 73-9 unit.
“It depends on the rules. If you play by today’s rules, it would be one thing. But with the rules of the ’90s, Curry wouldn’t be the same,” Pippen said. “If we played in his era, it would be like playing freely: no one holds you, no one stops you. I don’t know who would win.”
“We weren’t built to shoot 25-50 three-pointers per game,” he further added. “They would probably win that way because they have two of the best shooters in Steph and Klay. But we played physical, we defended hard. We made the teams score only 75-80 points. Today, that’s almost impossible.”
That said, both teams came with their own elite level of skill and star power. The Bulls were led by Michael Jordan, Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tony Kukoč, and legendary coach Phil Jackson. They won a record 44 games at home.
While Pippen’s argument factors in the physicality of the ’90s era and the evolution of 3-point shooting, there is still no doubt that Curry and the Warriors’ run was clinical at best.
The Warriors were an equally solid unit and were led by Curry, whose career saw a meteoric rise. His shooting accuracy played a major role in Golden State’s dominance that season. While they went down 4-3 to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in one of the most dramatic NBA Finals, they still hold the league record for a brilliant regular season.
The new season will now see Stephen Curry and the new-look Warriors with Jimmy Butler in the fold. With the side taking the experience route, it remains to be seen if their championship DNA, coupled with the veteran guard’s shooting, can see them win another NBA championship.
