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The Golden State Warriors are one of the longest-tenured franchises in domestic professional basketball, founded all the way back in 1946 as a charter member of the Basketball Association of America. They're a modern-day NBA institution almost 70 years later, not just the league's most popular team worldwide but still in the midst of a dynasty that's already produced four championships.
There's no telling when the Warriors' current reign will end, not after winning another championship in a season their starters didn't play a single minute together in the playoffs. It's not like Stephen Curry is showing any signs of slowing down, and Joe Lacob's hopes of building a contention-worthy young core as Golden State's franchise pillars slowly age out of their prime begins in earnest this season. The Warriors aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
When it finally comes time for Curry and his “Strength In Numbers” brethren to hang it up, though, Draymond Green seems to know exactly how they'll be remembered locally. In a promotional video for the rapidly approaching 2022-23 season, Green muses that the Warriors' current collection of six retired jersey numbers will “add five guys” in the “next five to seven years.”
"Why haven't there been more guys retired [as Warriors]? I think because over the years the organization hasn't had a ton of success until of late… In 5 or 7 years we'll probably add 5 guys to that."
-Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/iy4yaBBQI1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 30, 2022
Curry's No. 30 is a lock to be raised to the Chase Center rafters upon his retirement. Barring a shocking late-career move elsewhere, he'll go down as perhaps the greatest player of all time to suit up for a single team, in the running for that distinction alongside the likes of Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.
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Green's No. 23 is virtually guaranteed to be immortalized, too. He's long been his team's emotional tentpole and deserves as much credit for driving Golden State's game-changing defensive attack as Curry does its wholly unique offensive system. It's also only a matter of time until Klay Thompson's No. 11 flies high above Chase Center, an honor warranted even before his dramatic comeback from two-and-a-half years lost due to injury culminated in another Warriors title.
Who else is Green forecasting to be memorialized next to franchise legends Wilt Chamberlain, Tom Meschery, Al Attles, Chris Mullin, Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond?
Andre Iguodala is no doubt among Green's predicted quintet. He's been a part of all four championship teams during the Curry era, winning Finals MVP in 2015 and helping spearhead the varied, versatile two-way identity that remains a Golden State hallmark. The fifth member of Green's group is likely Steve Kerr, the coach who's led the Warriors on their truly transformational journey to the top of the NBA world. Attles, remember, coached Golden State to a title in 1975 after his playing days were finished. Kerr never suited up for the Dubs, obviously, but deserves the same honor Attles received as a coach regardless.
What about Kevin Durant? Well, Dub Nation doesn't need to pay too much mind to future jersey retirements for now. Curry, Green and company have a championship to defend first, not to mention at least several more seasons to go before they seriously ponder retirement. There will be plenty of time for Warriors fans to debate Durant's fraught standing in the historic organizational hierarchy down the line.
