'Strength In Numbers'; Golden State Warriors Named Sports Franchise Of The Decade
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The Golden State Warriors, who reached five NBA Finals, winning three league titles over the last 10 years, have been named the 'Sports Franchise of the Decade' by the Sports Business Journal/Daily.
Over that time span of the decade, the franchise has overseen the emergence of a super-star corp of players including Step Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green -- all products of draft-day decision.
The team was able to sign free-agent superstar Kevin Durant for a dominating three-year run of two titles and three straight NBA Finals from 2016-2019 and brought in head coach Steve Kerr to manage the player development.
"We are truly humbled to be recognized with this prestigious honor by the Sports Business Journal, especially when you consider the number of outstanding organizations across all sports," said Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. "The past decade has provided our fans, business partners and all constituents with many incredible memories."
In 2010, the Warriors were purchased by a group of investors headed by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. The management team oversaw the building of the team's new showcase arena -- the Chase Center -- in San Francisco.
The team has also sold out every home game in each of the last six seasons (regular season and playoffs), a run that started during the 2011-2012 campaign. In addition, the Warriors have over 40,000 fans waiting to purchase season tickets on a priority waiting list.
Golden State has also defined success in corporate partnerships by leading the league in revenue for each of the last three years and increased their revenue by over 1,000% during this past decade.
The Warriors have successfully embraced international fans in a variety of heritage and cultural celebrations over the last 10 seasons. On February 20, 2015, the Warriors became the first team in the NBA to wear Chinese New Year themed alternate jerseys.
Currently, Golden State is enduring what fans are calling a 'gap year.' Curry and Thompson are on the sideline, recovering from major injuries. Durant was lost to free agency and Andre Iguodala was a victim of the salary cap.
The team currently has a 5-23 record, the worst in the NBA, meaning they will have a great chance to earn a top three pick in the NBA Draft. With a top pick, Curry, Thompson and possibly Iguodala back in the fold next season along with Green, Kevon Looney and others -- the Warriors are expected to compete again for an NBA Title in 2020-2021.
