73 and 9.
It’s a sequence of numbers that feels like a glitch in the Matrix. If you were watching basketball in the 2015-16 season, you remember how it felt. Every night wasn't just a game; it was a foregone conclusion. Steve Kerr’s squad didn't just win; they dismantled the very idea of defensive resistance. But even now, years later, the Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA record carries this weird, heavy asterisks in the minds of fans because of how the story ended.
They were better than the '96 Bulls. Or they weren't. Honestly, it depends on whether you value the journey or the destination.
The Math of a Masterclass
To understand the Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA record, you have to look at the sheer absurdity of their start. They went 24-0. They didn't lose a game until mid-December. Most teams are still trying to figure out their rotation in November, but Golden State was already playing "Total Basketball." Steph Curry was hitting shots from the tunnel. Draymond Green was acting as a 6-foot-6 point center who guarded seven-footers. Klay Thompson was... well, Klay.
They finished with 73 wins and only 9 losses. Think about that. To get to 73, you basically have to refuse to have an "off night." You have to win on the second night of back-to-back sets in altitude. You have to win when your shots aren't falling. But for that team, the shots almost always fell. Curry finished that season with 402 three-pointers. Before him, nobody had even hit 300. He didn't just break the ceiling; he deleted it.
What People Get Wrong About the Fatigue
There’s this common narrative that the chase for 73 ruined them. Critics say they pushed too hard for a regular-season record and had nothing left for LeBron James and the Cavs.
Maybe.
But if you look at the minutes played, Steve Kerr was actually pretty careful. Steph averaged 34.2 minutes per game. For context, in 1996, Michael Jordan averaged 37.7. The Warriors weren't overplayed in terms of time; they were overplayed in terms of emotional output. Every single city they visited treated their arrival like the Super Bowl. When you’re the hunted every single night, the mental tax is astronomical. They were playing under a microscope for six straight months.
The Draymond Factor and the Turning Point
You can’t talk about the Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA record without talking about the Game 5 suspension. Most people point to the 3-1 lead collapse—which, yeah, was historic—but the catalyst was the accumulation of "natural shooting motions" and technicals that finally caught up to Draymond Green.
Draymond was the heartbeat. Without him, the defense leaked oil. Andrew Bogut getting hurt didn't help either. Suddenly, the "Death Lineup" looked mortal. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving smelled blood in the water.
The Complexity of 73-9 vs. The Ring
Is a record worth anything without a trophy? It's the ultimate sports bar debate.
If you ask a Bulls fan, they’ll tell you "72-10 don't mean a thing without a ring." And they’re right, in a way. The Bulls finished the job. The Warriors didn't. But from a pure basketball perspective, we might never see a more perfect collective unit than that 2016 Warriors squad. Their Net Rating was +10.7. They led the league in scoring, assists, and true shooting percentage. They changed how the game is played at every level, from middle school gyms to the pros.
Honestly, the league is still chasing the ghost of that season. Every GM started looking for "switchable" defenders and "stretch fours" because of what Golden State proved was possible.
Hard Truths and Stat Lines
Let's get into the weeds of the Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA record for a second.
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- Home Dominance: They went 39-2 at Oracle Arena. You basically had a better chance of winning the lottery than winning in Oakland that year.
- The Clutch Factor: In games decided by five points or less, they were nearly invincible.
- The Curry MVP: He was the first-ever unanimous MVP. You can't even get people to agree on a lunch order unanimously, yet every single voter looked at Steph and said, "Yeah, that's the guy."
The irony is that the 2017 Warriors—the one with Kevin Durant—was probably a "better" team. They were certainly more talented. But they weren't as fun. The 2016 team felt like a grassroots movement that turned into a juggernaut. It was homegrown. It was joyful.
The Legacy of a Loss
When they lost Game 7, it felt like the air went out of the basketball world. We had spent months tracking the wins against the 1996 Bulls' pace. We saw them hit 50 wins faster than anyone. 60 wins. 70 wins.
Then, it just stopped.
But the record stands. 73-9 is the mountain peak. To beat it, a team would have to go 74-8, which requires a level of consistency that seems almost impossible in the modern era of "load management." Today’s stars sit out back-to-backs. They rest for the playoffs. The 2016 Warriors didn't believe in rest. They believed in the pursuit of greatness, even if that pursuit eventually left them vulnerable in the final minute of the final game.
How to Analyze This Record Today
If you’re looking at the Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA record as a student of the game, stop focusing on the Finals for a moment. Look at the gravity.
Watch the tape of how defenses had to pick up Steph Curry at half-court. That’s the real legacy. They forced the NBA to expand its geometry. Before 2016, a "bad shot" was anything more than 25 feet out. After 2016, that was just a standard transition bucket for Golden State.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Analysts
- Don't dismiss the 73 wins because of the Finals. A 3-1 collapse is a meme, but 73-9 is a statistical anomaly that likely won't be touched for decades.
- Study the "Gravity" effect. If you want to understand modern spacing, watch 2016 Warriors film. Notice how Klay Thompson's mere presence in the corner opens up the lane for a Draymond/Steph pick-and-roll.
- Appreciate the durability. To win 73 games, your stars have to stay healthy and motivated. In an era where "resting" is the norm, that 2016 run looks more impressive every year.
- Acknowledge the variance. Basketball is a game of high variance. If a few shots go differently in Game 7, we call this the greatest team in the history of human civilization. The difference between "best ever" and "biggest collapse" was literally one or two possessions.
The Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA record remains a testament to what happens when a specific group of players finds the perfect scheme at the perfect time. It was a lightning strike that lasted for 82 games.