There always are going to be a player or two left off an organization’s all-time roster, as teams like the Warriors, 49ers and Giants all have had a surplus of elite players wear their colors over the years.
When it came to choosing the Warriors’ all-time starting five, ESPN chose to leave off two franchise icons in Chris Mullin and Rick Barry.
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G: Klay Thompson
F: Kevin Durant
F: Draymond Green
C: Wilt Chamberlain
Golden State Warriors
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These snubs might come off as blasphemous to those who watched Mullin and Run TMC tear up the 1990s, or who saw Barry bring the organization its first NBA championship in franchise history.
But who do you slide out of the lineup above for Mullin? The two-time NBA MVP in Curry, or the two-way superstar with three NBA titles under his belt in Thompson?
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Barry has the bona fides as a Hall of Famer to be on this list, but the organization never has had a player with such an unlimited skillset as Durant did, not to mention KD brought two championships and Finals MVPs of his own to the Bay Area. Plus as ESPN's Nick Friedell notes in the piece, Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green all have played together already.
Imagine the 2018-19 Warriors except with an absolute legend like Chamberlain taking the court. Klay's 60 points were unforgettable, but imagine putting up 100 points in a single NBA game ... by yourself?
Outside of the Los Angeles Lakers, there might not be a better Western Conference squad among this group.