Who Won the NBA 2022 Champion and How They Made History
I remember sitting in my living room last June, watching the Golden State Warriors lift that Larry O'Brien trophy for the fourth time in eight years, and thinking—this isn't just another championship. This one feels different. When they defeated the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game 6 at TD Garden, they weren't just winning another title; they were completing one of the most remarkable comeback stories in modern sports history. Just two seasons earlier, this same franchise had finished with the worst record in the entire NBA at 15-50 during the pandemic-shortened season. The turnaround wasn't just impressive—it was historic, and it reminded me of something Reyes once said about Winston and Heading's performance: even with their struggles, their play proved how tough beating certain teams can be. That sentiment perfectly captures what made the Warriors' 2022 run so special.
Looking back at their journey, what struck me most was how they rebuilt while staying true to their identity. Unlike many teams that tear everything down after losing their stars, Golden State maintained their core philosophy while developing young talent. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green had been through everything together—multiple championships, devastating injuries, and now, a return to the summit. When Thompson returned in January after missing two full seasons with ACL and Achilles injuries, nobody knew what to expect. I'll admit—I was skeptical. But watching him drop 32 points in his first game back, I realized this wasn't just about basketball anymore. This was about legacy, about proving that greatness could endure even when the odds seemed impossible.
The Warriors' path through the playoffs demonstrated something I've come to appreciate about championship teams—they find different ways to win different series. Against Denver in the first round, it was Curry coming off the bench, something we'd never seen from the two-time MVP. Against Memphis, it was their defense holding the Grizzlies to under 100 points in three of their six games. And against Dallas in the Western Conference Finals, it was their experience overwhelming a younger team. But the Finals against Boston was where they truly showed their championship DNA. After falling behind 2-1 in the series, they won three straight games by an average of 15 points. That Game 4 victory in Boston, where they overcame a 12-point deficit, was the turning point—the moment when you could see the Celtics' confidence begin to crack.
What many people don't realize is how much the Warriors' supporting players contributed to this championship. Andrew Wiggins, often criticized throughout his career, embraced his role as a defensive stopper and secondary scorer, averaging 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in the Finals. Jordan Poole, who spent time in the G-League just a year earlier, provided explosive scoring off the bench. And Kevon Looney, the quietest star in the league, grabbed 22 rebounds in Game 6 against Memphis. These players weren't just filling minutes—they were essential pieces that made the whole machine work. It reminds me of that Reyes quote about Winston and Heading—sometimes, it's the players who aren't in the spotlight who make beating a team so difficult.
The statistics from their playoff run are staggering when you really examine them. The Warriors played 22 postseason games and won 16 of them. Stephen Curry averaged 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists throughout the playoffs, finally earning his first Finals MVP award after scoring 34 points in the championship-clinching game. As a team, they shot 39% from three-point range during the playoffs while holding opponents to just 33%. But numbers only tell part of the story. What made this championship different was the narrative—the return from injury, the development of young players, and the validation of a system that many had written off as finished.
I've been covering basketball for over fifteen years, and what the Warriors accomplished in 2022 stands out because it defied conventional wisdom. In today's NBA, we're accustomed to superteams forming through free agency or players demanding trades. The Warriors built this championship team primarily through the draft and internal development. Of their eight rotation players in the Finals, six were originally drafted by the organization. That's almost unheard of in the modern era. It speaks to a culture that develops players and a front office that makes smart decisions. When they selected James Wiseman second overall in 2020, many questioned the pick, but it demonstrated their commitment to building for both the present and future simultaneously.
The Celtics presented a formidable challenge—a younger, athletic team with the best defense in the league. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were emerging as superstars, and their path to the Finals included defeating Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler in consecutive series. But experience matters in the NBA Finals, and the Warriors had been there before. You could see it in how they adjusted after Game 1, in how they never panicked when trailing, in how they exploited mismatches that other teams might have missed. That Game 5 performance where all five starters scored in double figures wasn't an accident—it was the result of years of playing together, of understanding each other's tendencies, of trust built through countless battles.
Watching Curry finally win that Finals MVP felt like watching a story come full circle. For years, people had used his lack of a Finals MVP against him, as if it somehow diminished his legacy. But in 2022, he silenced every critic with one of the most complete Finals performances of his career. His 43-point explosion in Game 4, his 29-point first half in Game 6—these weren't just great statistical games, they were masterclasses in leadership and determination. When he sank that three-pointer with four minutes left in Game 6 and pointed to his ring finger, the message was clear—this championship meant something different.
The 2022 Warriors didn't just win a title—they redefined what's possible in team building and player development. They showed that patience, culture, and belief in your system can still triumph in an era of instant gratification. Two years from the league's worst record to champions—that's not supposed to happen in today's NBA. But the Warriors have always done things differently, and their 2022 championship might be their most impressive accomplishment yet. It proves that even when teams struggle, as Reyes noted about Winston and Heading, the right combination of talent, system, and perseverance can make beating them nearly impossible. This championship wasn't just about adding another banner—it was about cementing a dynasty and proving that some stories are worth waiting for.