OAKLAND – The Warriors still have a ways to go before claiming the longest season-opening win streak in major American sports, according to the research department at Elias Sports Bureau.
Though the Warriors’ 16th win of the season allows them to hold the record for the longest such streak in modern sports (post-1900), the folks at Elias found another team that posted a 20-game win streak.
The St. Louis Maroons of the long-defunct Union Association opened the 1884 season by reeling off 20 consecutive victories. The UA folded after one season, with the Maroons being the only team to join Major League Baseball, entering the National League.
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It generally was thought that the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets, each of whom began seasons by winning 15 in a row, held the record prior to the Warriors nabbing win No. 16 last Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though some sports historians, such as baseball’s Bill James, question the legitimacy of the UA, it generally is recognized as a major league. The NBA and the Warriors media relations department are honoring the Maroons’ streak as the longest by any major American professional sports team.
The Warriors would need to continue their streak through Game 21, on Dec. 5 at Toronto, to take official possession of the record.