When you look at the golden state warriors records year by year, it’s basically a heartbeat monitor for a basketball junkie. There are massive, record-breaking spikes where they look like the greatest team ever assembled, followed by flatlines that make you wonder how they even kept the lights on at the arena. Most fans today just think of the Splash Brothers and the Silicon Valley dominance. But if you dig into the logs, you’ll find a franchise that has moved three times, changed its name three times, and survived a 40-year drought that would've broken most fanbases.
From Philly Roots to the Bay Area Move
People forget the Warriors actually started in Philadelphia back in 1946. They weren't even in the NBA yet—they were part of the BAA (Basketball Association of America). Honestly, they were good right out of the gate. In that inaugural 1946-47 season, led by Joe Fulks, they went 35-25 and won the very first championship in league history.
Fast forward to the late '50s, and you hit the Wilt Chamberlain era. The numbers Wilt put up are just stupid. In 1961-62, he averaged over 50 points a game. That year, the team finished 49-31, but they still couldn't get past the Celtics. That's a recurring theme in the early records—great individual stats, but running into the Boston buzzsaw.
The move to San Francisco happened in 1962. It wasn't an instant success. They went 31-49 in their first year in the Bay. They were the San Francisco Warriors then, and it took a few years and the arrival of Rick Barry to really find their footing. Barry led them to the Finals in 1967, but they fell to—ironically—the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Name Change and the 1975 Miracle
In 1971, the team rebranded as the Golden State Warriors. They moved across the bridge to Oakland. This is where the golden state warriors records year by year get really interesting. For a few years, they were just a solid, middle-of-the-road team.
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Then 1974-75 happened.
Nobody expected much. They finished 48-34 in the regular season. It’s still considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. They swept the Washington Bullets in the Finals. After that? Total cliff dive. They wouldn't see another championship parade for four decades.
The Wilderness Years and the Run TMC Blip
If you look at the records from the late '70s through the mid-'00s, it’s mostly a sea of losing seasons. There were some fun moments, though. In 1988-89, Don Nelson took over and we got Run TMC (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin). They were fast. They scored a ton. They also didn't play much defense.
The 1990-91 season was the peak of that era, finishing 44-38. They beat a powerhouse Spurs team in the first round but couldn't get past the Lakers. After that, the franchise entered what fans call the "Dark Ages." Between 1994 and 2006, they didn't make the playoffs once. Not even a sniff.
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The "We Believe" team in 2006-07 broke the curse. They finished 42-40, barely squeaking into the 8th seed. Then they went out and stunned the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks. It didn't lead to a title, but it shifted the culture. It proved that winning in Oakland was actually possible again.
The Stephen Curry Era: Redefining the Record Books
The trajectory changed forever in 2009 when they drafted a skinny kid from Davidson. But it wasn't an overnight fix. Curry's early years were plagued by ankle injuries, and the team record reflected that.
- 2011-12: A lockout-shortened 23-43 disaster.
- 2012-13: The breakout. 47-35 and a playoff win against Denver.
- 2014-15: Steve Kerr arrives. 67-15 record. First title in 40 years.
Then came the 2015-16 season. The 73-9 year. It is the greatest regular season record in the history of the NBA. They surpassed the '96 Bulls. Every night felt like a religious experience. Of course, the record is bittersweet because they lost the Finals to LeBron James and the Cavs after being up 3-1.
The Kevin Durant Years (2016-2019)
When KD joined, the golden state warriors records year by year became almost predictable. They were a cheat code.
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- 2016-17: 67-15 record. They went 16-1 in the playoffs. Absolute dominance.
- 2017-18: 58-24. A bit more "bored" during the season, but they swept Cleveland in the Finals.
- 2018-19: 57-25. The final year in Oakland. Injuries to KD and Klay in the Finals cost them the three-peat against Toronto.
The Modern Era: Chase Center and the Seventh Ring
Moving back to San Francisco and into the Chase Center was rocky. In 2019-20, with Klay out and Steph injured, the Warriors finished with the worst record in the league: 15-50. It was a weird, humbling year.
But the 2021-22 season proved the dynasty wasn't dead. They went 53-29. Steph, Klay, and Draymond caught lightning in a bottle one more time, beating the Boston Celtics to secure their seventh franchise championship.
Lately, things have been more of a grind. As of the current 2025-26 season, the team is hovering around the .500 mark. The core is older. The league is faster. But when you look at the total history—the 7 rings, the 73-9 season, the Philly start—the Warriors have arguably the most storied statistical history in basketball.
Practical Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're trying to track these records for betting, trivia, or just pure fandom, keep these nuances in mind:
- Venue Shifts: The home record changed significantly when they moved from the high-energy "Roaracle" Arena in Oakland to the more corporate Chase Center in SF.
- Context Matters: The 2019-20 "flop" wasn't a failure of talent, but a strategic reset due to injuries.
- Pre-1971 Records: Remember to search for "Philadelphia Warriors" or "San Francisco Warriors" to get the full picture of the franchise's win-loss totals.
Tracking the golden state warriors records year by year is basically watching the evolution of the three-point shot. It’s a wild ride from Joe Fulks’ set shots to Steph Curry’s logo 3s.
To get a deeper look at the specific game logs or playoff brackets for a particular year, your best bet is to cross-reference Basketball-Reference with the official NBA History archives. They have the most granular data on defensive ratings and pace that explain why those records happened.