Warriors’ owner’s “light years ahead” comment has become a meme around NBA

” (The Warriors are) light years ahead of probably every other team in structure, in planning, in how we’re going to go about things.”

That was Warriors’ co-owner Joe Lacob in a New York Times Magazine profile of himself and the Golden State ownership group, where he talked about the turnaround in the organization. Make no mistake, Lacob, Peter Guber and the front office team with the Warriors deserve credit — if it weren’t for the legendary disaster that was Donald Sterling, the Warriors under Chris Cohan would have been the worst run team in the NBA. If not professional sports. Warriors ownership did turn the ship around and put them on a course to a title and becoming a 73-win team.

Still, that quote was arrogant. There are a lot of other smart, established ownership groups who make smart, forward-thinking decisions. It rubbed people the wrong way.

And after they lost in the Finals after being up 3-1, the quote basically became a meme. A running joke. Check out what Brian Windhorst said in a recent ESPN Podcast.

In within the NBA, there’s a belief that the Warriors are a bit arrogant. The story that was in the New York Times Magazine this spring with Joe Lacob where he issued the quote: “We’re light years ahead of everybody.” That quote has been a touchstone throughout the league. I can’t tell you how many times in the last four or five months, when I’m talking with other people in the league, whether it’s agents or executives or whomever, coaches... There’s the reference, “Well, they are light years ahead so they’ll be fine.”

Other executives enjoyed watching the Warriors getting taken down a peg in the Finals.

Then they groaned when the Warriors landed Kevin Durant this summer. The Warriors have reason to feel a little bit arrogant heading into this season.

(Hat tip Hoophype)