Before the Golden State Warriors became a dynasty in the 2010s and changed how basketball is played, the franchise was largely irrelevant, spending most of its existence in the basement of the Western Conference standings. However, the 2006-07 Warriors did prove to be the reception during this era. They ended the franchise’s 13-year wait for a playoff appearance before shocking the world by eliminating the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round following a 4-2 series win, per Basketball Reference.
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Retired NBA star Matt Barnes, who was part of that legendary Warriors roster, was a guest on the latest episode of Podcast P and discussed the team’s series win over the Mavericks. He claimed that head coach Don Nelson, who was in his first season with the Warriors after spending eight seasons in Dallas, devised the perfect gameplan to humiliate his former employers. He also credited Stephen Jackson for helping change the team’s fortunes and hilariously revealed that the two bonded over their penchant for smoking. Barnes said,
“I didn’t know [Stephen] Jack[son]. I played against him, I didn’t know him. I looked at his lips and I knew he smoked and I was like, ‘Imma f**k with Jack’… We start smoking, we going over to his house after practice. Smoking and watching game film. And just hanging out, ordering food. From there we all bonded.”
The camaraderie that the Warriors players built was critical in helping upstage the Mavericks. After they beat Dallas, Barnes, Jackson, and teammate Baron Davis were even fortunate enough to celebrate the win with rapper Snoop Dogg. Explaining how they linked up, Barnes said,
“So Snoop hits us [up on the phone]. He was in town and say,’Nephew, come through.’ So me, Baron [Davis], Jack and my sister went to the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. We go in there and this is when [Snoop Dogg’s album] Tha Blue Carpet [Experience] dropped. We were watching the animated version of Tha Blue Carpet, smoking. So Snoop would roll a motherf***er up and pass one. At one point, we have 3-4 blunts in our hands. Loaded.”
Barnes revealed that his sister Danielle passed out from smoking copious amounts of marijuana, something that failed to shock anybody in attendance. However, the Warriors trio did freeze after room service walked into the room and saw them smoking. Had the news leaked, they would’ve likely been banned from the NBA, which would’ve soured the win massively. However, the workers just came in, congratulated them, and unscrewed the window to let the smoke escape the room. Barnes, Jackson, and Davis then breathed a massive sigh of relief and continued their epic party with the rapper.
Unfortunately for the franchise, that’s as good as the story gets, as the Utah Jazz performed a gentlemen’s sweep of the Warriors in the second round, ending their first playoff run in 23 seasons. However while this team could only go to the second round, it is fondly remembered by true fans to this day. But why?
Why is the 2006-07 Warriors run remembered so fondly?
The 2006-07 Warriors shocked the world when they took down the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, something that was a rare feat. Before the Warriors did it in 2007, only three other eighth-seeded teams had beaten the top-seed in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Additionally, unlike their predecessors, the Warriors’ run leading up to the playoffs was a fairytale.
Sixty games into the 2006-07 regular season, the Warriors were 26-34 and were on track to see their playoff drought extend to 13 years. However, after a run of six wins in seven games in March, they were suddenly in contention to potentially steal a playoff spot. The team then borrowed the 2004-05 Sacramento Kings’ ‘We Believe’ slogan and the fans bought right into it.
They created a raucous atmosphere inside Oracle Arena at every home game to give the team the push they needed to finish the year strong and end their long wait for a playoff appearance. In April, the Warriors went 8-1 in their final nine regular-season games and finished the year with a 42-40 record, good for eighth in the Western Conference standings. This culminated in their first winning season and playoff appearance since the 1993-94 season.
It is no wonder that fans can’t help but think back to this era fondly. After all, this team gave fans something to root for. Or rather, as their slogan suggests, something to believe in.
