Warriors vs. Pacers: Remembering where we came from

Part of Daniel Hardee’s recent video about Monta Ellis was the once-controversial trade for Andrew Bogut that resolved the positional conflict with Stephen Curry and brought down a wave of boos on Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s head.

The enduring legacy of that moment for many NBA fans has been Bill Simmons’ epic Grantland article about the misery of being a Warriors fan. And like Golden State of Mind writer Thomas Bevilacqua, I imagine that many longtime fans know exactly where they were when they read that story.

It’s kind of wild to think that Simmons’ article was exactly nine years and four NBA Finals appearances ago now, as the indispensable @Thisdayinsuck reminded us all today — for some, all that pain and anguish is either a distant memory or a dispassionate backstory that contextualizes that the Warriors’ success in the present. And if you brush all that history aside, coach Steve Kerr’s rotations, losing a game advantage on first place en route to what could be a three-peat, Kevin Durant talking to Kyrie Irving after a game or not filling the 15th spot on the roster in a timely fashion can seem like a heart-stopping crisis (“hOw wILl wE Be rEaDy fOr tHE plAYofFs iF We doN’t sIgN RobIn LoPeZ?!?!?!”).

Yet among those for whom the pain that Simmons describes very much defined their identity as a Warriors fan, it doesn’t just go away — you appreciate this moment because you know things can be and have been faaaaar worse.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t hold this team to the highest standard, but that HOLY SHIT THE WARRIORS ARE IN FIRST PLACE AND IN CONTENTION FOR A THREE-PEAT?!?!?!?!?!?! THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS?!?!?!?!?

So if you find yourself yelling at the screen during the Warriors’ 71st game of this season — which, again, could culminate in a fifth straight Finals appearance and a three-peat — take a deep breath, back away from the TV slowly, and try to remember your state of mind when you were reading Simmons’ article nine years ago.

Obviously, you’re entitled to feel however you want, but I promise your gripes will feel trivial if the Warriors are accepting yet another championship trophy at the end of this season.

P.S. Shoutout to everyone who remembers me rocking that Reggie Miller jersey in high school because the Pacers were my adopted second team since I never imagined my team being worthy of the playoffs.