Warrior Mentality

Just a day ago, in this very spot, we were rhapsodizing about the Cleveland Cavaliers and how they could turn their city’s dismal record in championships around. Now we get to the do the same to some degree with the Golden State Warriors.

Cleveland hasn’t won a championship in a major sport since the 1964 Browns took the NFL title. The Cavaliers have been to the NBA Finals only once before (2007) and were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

Now come the Warriors, who clocked the Houston Rockets 104-90 on Wednesday night to win the Western Conference final in five games. The Warriors haven’t won the NBA title since 1975. But they’re in a good position to do it.

They won a franchise record 67 games in the regular season and general manager Bob Myers was named NBA Executive of the Year. Coach Steve Kerr is in his first season and had to smooth over the feathers that were ruffled when his predecessor, Mark Jackson, was fired suddenly after last season.

The Finals open next Thursday in Oakland, with Game 2 the following Saturday. The Warriors are 46-3 at home this season, including a 7-1 mark in the playoffs.

“We’ve still got unfinished business and it’s a long time coming for the Bay Area,” the Warriors’ Klay Thompson said.

Funny. LeBron James used the same term – unfinished business – the night before when Cleveland clinched its berth in the Finals.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .