No one expects the Warriors to be NBA champions next season. 

So, will it be a wasted season?

Far from it. 

Not everything can be judged by whether the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy is hoisted in June. 

The Warriors are playing for so much more than a champagne bath. They’re playing for each other. 
Steve Kerr chose to return as coach because he wanted to finish what he started with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, who won four championships in eight years from 2015-2022, becoming the league’s modern-day dynasty. 

They’ve had each other’s backs for 12 years. They’ve been through wars. They’re brothers. 

Next season is about two players and a coach who have shown a loyalty to one another that’s uncharacteristic in a league where players jump ship at any signs of distress and coaches are cycled through faster than ephemeral social media trends. 

In a world of change, the Warriors stand out. 

And they’re still fun as heck. 

Curry is still the greatest shooter of all time. He became the oldest point guard last season to be named an All-Star starter.

Green remains a thrilling and fiery force on the defensive end, the embodiment of a player who transformed himself from being overlooked into a Hall of Famer through sheer heart and grit.

Kerr is still one of the sharpest minds in the sport, as well as a fearless leader on and off the court. 

Are they the edge-of-your-seat show they once were? No. But are they still fascinating? Yes. 

There are a lot of questions. 

Can they make a move before the trade deadline to become competitive? Can Curry remain the most jaw-dropping player in the league as he turns 39? Can Jimmy Butler return from injury and provide the kind of jolt he did back in February 2025, when the Warriors finished the season with a 23-8 record after trading for him?

The Warriors still have their spark, even though they haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since winning their last championship in 2022. 

We were reminded of that last season. 

Facing elimination in a play-in game against the Clippers in April, Curry and Green tapped into their greatness, channelling what made them the best in the world at their jobs for nearly a decade. 

Curry had 35 points, scoring 27 of them in a dizzying second-half scoring spree. Green held Kawhi Leonard to two points in the fourth quarter. It was a vintage performance. It was magical. 

Those guys still have that inside of them. 

After that game, Kerr was beaming. His joy was palpable. His words were shiver-inducing. 

“For one night, we’re us,” Kerr said. “We’re champions again.”

The Warriors are searching for that feeling again.

It might not lead to a first-place finish, not in a league with teams with young legs and deep rosters chomping at the bit.

But they’ll still have those small moments. 

You know, the times when Curry goes unconscious from the court, leaving Green genuinely smiling and Kerr trying to find the right adjectives to describe the beauty he just witnessed in his postgame news conference.

Or when Green makes a defensive stop and roars, the type of scene that has happened so many times and led to him being called the unequivocal soul of the team. 

Or when Kerr knows exactly what Curry or Green needs to be told in a specific moment, showcasing his rare and piercing ability to connect with people that has turned him into one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. 

Kerr, Curry and Green are playing for something different now. Their success isn’t going to be measured by wins and losses. 

It will be measured by the magnitude of playing for something greater than themselves. By the camaraderie generated over 12 seasons of fighting alongside one another. By the genuine joy that comes from seeing each other shine. By unparalleled loyalty. By the dignity of standing together as their dynasty fades. 

The Warriors may not be one of the elite teams in the league. 

But they’re still one of the greatest shows out there. 

Even though now it’s for different reasons.