Golden Warriors

Wizards v/s Warriors 03/02/11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Golden State Warriors and their fans had been waiting 40 years for another chance at an NBA title.  The wait ended Tuesday night when the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97, winning their Finals series four games to two.

The Warriors had a big season, dominating the Western Conference with a 67-15 regular season record.  Novice coach and former TV analyst Steve Kerr got plenty of help from Stephen Curry (who scored 25 points in Game 6), Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala.  Their playoff run took them past the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.

As for the Cavs, their Eastern Conference playoffs went through the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks with minimal effort.

When LeBron James came back to Cleveland after his championship sojourn in Miami, he was expected to bring a title to a city that hasn't seen one in over 50 years.  He almost did it single-handedly, scoring a triple-double (32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists) in Game 6.  Some said James should have been the playoff MVP, an honor that ultimately went to Iguodala.

James had to be a one-man team when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love went out of the playoffs with injuries.  But you can't win championships when the starting lineup consists of one superstar and four other guys.

The San Francisco Bay Area now has two teams that have won pro sports championships in the past nine months, with the Giants winning baseball's World Series last October.  The Warriors seem likely to make a long run at the top with the talent they've got, provided they remain healthy.

Cleveland?  They're still waiting.