 The Golden State Warriors began their playing days in Philadelphia with some of the first stars in the league. Joe Fulks won the first championship for the team in the NBA's predecessor, the BAA, in 1947. Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston formed a tough front court and brought home the second championship, this time in the NBA, in 1956. The next great player, Wilt Chamberlain changed the game with his rare combination of height and athleticism, but his presence would not win a championship for the Warriors. It was not until the team moved west to California and became the Golden State Warriors that the franchise was able to again win the NBA Championship. Rick Barry, Jamaal Wilkes, and Phil Smith played the role of massive underdogs in the 1975 Finals with the Bullets. The Warriors own home during he regular season, the Coliseum Arena, had scheduled other events instead of playing host to the series when it swung west from Washington D.C. Golden State shocked the NBA and their fans with a four game sweep of the Bullets. Since then the Warriors have consistently disappointed. Golden State suffered a disappointing era in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. It was not until Run TMC hit the scene with Don Nelson as the head coach that the Golden State Warriors made noise again in the league. The three stars, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, could score in bunches but could not make many inlets in the postseason. The Warriors trio was broken up and talented players with bad attitudes, like Chris Webber and Latrell Sprewell, were unable to succeed, leading to the start anew that saw the tow players and Don Nelson elsewhere while the Warriors front office tried to pick up the pieces. Bloated salaries given to players who produced little buried the team for the rest of the 1990s and the first half of the 21st century. A return Golden State's roots brought Chris Mullin in as the vice president of basketball operations. Mullin brought in players like Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., and Troy Murphy to try and create an uptempo, shooter friendly team. The Golden State Warriors retro design was completed when Don Nelson came back as the head coach. Though the Warriors looked great on paper, injuries consistently halted Golden State's progress. Baron Davis was unbelievable when healthy and fit the system. When he could play, the Golden State Warriors played like a playoff team. In the 2006-07 season, the Warriors outplayed Don Nelson's old team, the Dallas Mavericks, to shock the league with just the second first round series where the number eight seed took out the number one seed.
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