With already two titles under their belt and an All-Star core that is locked in for at least two more seasons, the Golden State Warriors have set themselves up to become potentially the most dominant dynasty since the Chicago Bulls of the early 90s. This comparison is not lost on Klay Thompson, who said during the team’s preseason trip in China that the Warriors want to be thought of in the same respect as Jordan’s Bulls when all is said and done.
“What’s that, six championships in eight years?” Thompson told ESPN.com. “So we’re, what, like only a third of the way there? I think it’s close. We still have a long way to go, but I do see the fandom, the fanfare like the Bulls had in the ’90s.”
Granted, Golden State has a long way to go, having won just two championships in three years up to this point, but should be the favorites to win the title every year as long as perennial MVP candidates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are sharing the floor.
More than their accomplishments on the court, Thompson sees the parellel’s between the two teams in the way that fans react when they come to town. This has especially been the case in China, where the Warriors have been followed by large crowds of adoring supporters wherever they go.
“Every time the Bulls came to town, that was the ticket of the year,” Thompson said. “Now it’s when the Warriors come to town, that’s the must-see game.
“And we don’t take that for granted; that’s such a cool position to be in. We rarely play in front of a crowd that’s not sold out. That’s so special. It’s hard to really grasp that as a player. So I think it’s close, I still think we’re not on their level yet, but that’s what we aspire to be of the 2000s.
“We aspire to be that dynasty that will be in the minds of NBA fans forever.”