Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area argues that the NBA’s current tax apron system has made it far more difficult to build a dynasty like the Warriors’ championship teams of the late 2010s.
Many believed the Thunder were the best candidate to become the league’s first repeat champion since Golden State’s back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, but Oklahoma City was eliminated by San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals.
Now the Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, trail the Knicks 2-0 in the NBA Finals.
New York’s veteran-heavy roster has won 13 consecutive playoff games, and regardless of the outcome, the NBA will have an eighth different champion in eight seasons.
That parity stands in contrast to Golden State’s run of three championships and five straight Finals appearances.
No team has even reached the Finals in consecutive years since the Warriors completed that stretch.
“Just mindset,” Shaun Livingston said. “We wanted to win over everything – and be remembered for such. We knew we had a moment, so we could squeeze the juice.”
Poole notes that Golden State also benefited from unique financial circumstances.
Stephen Curry was playing on a team-friendly contract during his MVP seasons, and a major salary-cap spike helped create the flexibility needed to sign Kevin Durant in 2016.
“That’s a huge reason,” Livingston said.
Western Notes: Warriors, Jazz, Fleming, Plumlee https://t.co/gl3u1DDVyb
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) June 7, 2026
