The Golden State Warriors proved once again why they are the favorites to win this year's NBA Finals with a dramatic 99-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day. Although both teams were shorthanded at the point guard position, the Warriors' roster ultimately prevailed in what was perhaps the most controversial ending to a game up to this point in the 2017-18 season.
As a result, further speculation has been raised about whether or not the Cavs have enough to take back the throne from the Warriors this year. That said, NBA legend Charles Barkley is convinced that only two teams are capable of beating the Warriors, neither of which exists today.
During his postgame analysis with the NBA on TNT, “Chuck” says only the '96 Chicago Bulls and '82 Boston Celtics would be able to take out today's Golden State team.
Chuck thinks there are only TWO teams that could beat the @warriors… (sound on) pic.twitter.com/hRxnpq30ok
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 26, 2017
“We gotta keep faking it but if someone has a chance of beating these Warriors,” Barkley said. “the '96 Bulls…. the '82 Celtics.”
With the Warriors on the brink of becoming the NBA's next great dynasty, there have been plenty of debate as to how they stack up amongst the elite teams in league history. While the '96 Bulls are a common pick, the '82 Celtics came as a bit of a surprise from Charles Barkley since they did not even go to the NBA Finals that year.
However, he could be mistaking the '82 team for the 1980-81 squad that did win a championship. The Celtics' roster that year consisted of NBA legends such as Larry Bird, a rookie Kevin McHale, and a veteran Nate “Tiny” Archibald. While it is difficult to gauge such matchups based on hypotheticals, one would still be hard-pressed to imagine them stacking up to the star-studded Warriors.
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