The Warriors' last opponent, one who gave them their first loss of the 2022-23 NBA season, is a team they're well familiar with in the Denver Nuggets. They played the Nuggets four times last regular season, and dropped three of those contests. Then the two squads opened up the playoffs, and the Warriors had their way in five games.
Not only was the team a familiar one, but also so was the coach.
Before Michael Malone was given his first head coaching job in the NBA, his last stint as an assistant was with the Warriors where he was hired in the summer of 2011. The Warriors won only 23 games in the 2011-12 season, and then improved to 47-35 in 2012-13. Golden State upset Denver in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, and the Sacramento Kings then gave Malone his first crack at being a head coach.
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That was before Steve Kerr was named the head coach of the Warriors, starting off a streak of five straight trips to the NBA Finals. Fast forward to Sunday night, and Kerr is facing his fourth former Warriors assistant turned head coach for the first time.
Mike Brown is making his return to Chase Center, and it's no surprise that it's as the head coach of the Kings. While Kevin Durant's announcement of signing with the Warriors stole the spotlight on July 4, 2016, Brown being named an assistant on Kerr's staff also was a major move. He was an integral part of the Warriors' success the last six seasons, and grew to be great friends with Kerr.
So, who will get the last laugh Sunday night in San Francisco? Here's what history has to say.
Alvin Gentry
Golden State Warriors
The 2014-15 season was the start to the Kerr era in the Bay Area, and a one-season stop for Alvin Gentry's long coaching career. Gentry served as Kerr's associate head coach, and it's hard to find somebody ever say a bad word about the basketball lifer who will turn 68 years old on Nov. 5.
Following his one season with the Warriors, Gentry was named the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans -- the same team that the Warriors swept in the first round of the playoffs with Gentry on Golden State's staff. The schedule makers knew exactly what they were doing, giving the Warriors a date with Gentry and the Pelicans for the season opener. It didn't turn out too well for Gentry.
To start off their 73-win season, the Warriors scored 40 points on Gentry's Pelicans in the first quarter and won 111-95 at Oracle Arena. Speaking of 40 points, that's how many Steph Curry dropped on his former coach to kick start his second straight MVP season and first scoring title. He also had seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and hit five 3-pointers.
However, Kerr wasn't on the Warriors bench for that win. Interim head coach Luke Walton was. Kerr was on an indefinite leave of absence to a back injury. Kerr didn't return as the Warriors' full-time head coach until Jan. 22, 2016. At that point, Walton's Warriors had already beat Gentry's Pelicans twice.
Kerr finally faced his former assistant coach on March 14, 2016. It was the Warriors' third and final game against the Pelicans that season, and their third win. They took down New Orleans 125-107 in Oakland, improving to 60-6. Curry again stole the show with 27 points and four 3-pointers, but also received help from Draymond Green's 14 points and 12 rebounds, as well as Klay Thompson's 18 points and Marreese Speights' 14 off the bench.
Luke Walton
With Walton filling in for Kerr, the Warriors went 39-4, which was the second-best start in league history. That record also pretty much guaranteed a head coaching gig for Walton the next season. The Los Angeles Lakers took the bait.
This time, Kerr's former assistant had the upper hand.
Though it wasn't the season opener, Walton didn't have to wait long to go against Kerr. The Warriors and Lakers squared off in the sixth game of the season, a 20-point blowout loss for the Warriors in LA. They dominated to the tune of a 117-97 defeat.
How bad was it? At the time it was Curry's worst shooting night of his career from beyond the arc. He missed all 10 of his 3-point attempts and scored only 13 points. Still, he almost had a triple-double with 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Six Lakers scored in double figures, including three of the bench. That includes 20 points from Lou Williams, 12 from Brandon Ingram and 12 from Larry Nance Jr. The Warriors' bench was led by 11 points from Shaun Livingston and 11 from Kevon Looney.
Here's the reality: The Warriors beat the Lakers the next three times they played each other that season. The loss was the second night of a back-to-back after traveling from Oklahoma City, and the Lakers went on to win only 26 games. The Warriors won 67 and were champions once again, losing only one game in the playoffs.
Willie Green
After making five straight Finals, many saw the 2018-19 season to be the beginning of the end for the Warriors. Kevin Durant tore his Achilles in Game 5 of the Finals, Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6 and Durant departed in free agency.
So did Willie Green.
After three seasons on Kerr's staff, the 12-year NBA veteran took a job with the Phoenix Suns as an assistant. He spent two years in the desert, and was named the Pelicans' latest head coach last summer. The Pelicans started the season 1-12 under Green, including a 41-point 126-85 thrashing from the Warriors on Nov. 5, 2021 in his first try at coaching vs. Kerr.
Jordan Poole put together his second 30-point game of his career, giving us a glimpse of what was to come in his breakout campaign. He scored 31 points while making six 3-pointers. Curry added 19 on five 3-pointers, Andrew Wiggins gave the Warriors 16 points and every single bench player scored at least once. It was pure dominance.
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And then, the Pelicans improved in major ways. They beat the San Antonio Spurs and LA Clippers in the play-in tournament. In the first round, they pushed the Suns to six games. This is a team on the rise.
Last season, the Warriors faced Green's Pelicans three times. Two were blowout wins for Kerr's team, and one was a five-point loss where the Warriors were without Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green. The Warriors' first game against the Pelicans this season falls on Nov. 4 in New Orleans.
All three games should be must-watch TV with the reigning champions battling one of the most exciting teams in basketball.