The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland,

California. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of
the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors
relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name, before changing its
geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971.[b] They play their home games at the Oracle Arena.

The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947,
[c] and won its second championship in 1956, led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and
Neil Johnston. However, the Warriors would not return to similar heights in Philadelphia, and
after a brief rebuilding period following the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain, the team moved to
San Francisco. With star players Jamaal Wilkes and Rick Barry, the Warriors returned to title
contention, and won their third championship in 1975, in what is largely considered one of the
biggest upsets in NBA history.

This would precede another period of struggle in the 1980s, before becoming playoff regulars at
the turn of the decade with stars Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, colloquially
referred to as "Run TMC". After failing to capture a championship, the team entered another
rebuilding phase in the 2000s. The Warriors' fortunes changed in the 2010s, ushering in a new
era of success led by Stephen Curry. After drafting perennial All-Stars Klay Thompson and
Draymond Green, the team returned to championship glory in 2015, before winning another two
in 2017 and 2018 with the help of former league MVP Kevin Durant.

1946–1962: Early years

Joe Fulks was the league's first scoring champion.

The Warriors were founded in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, a charter member of the
Basketball Association of America. They were owned by Peter A. Tyrrell, who also owned the
Philadelphia Rockets of the American Hockey League.[12] Tyrrell hired Eddie Gottlieb, a longtime
basketball promoter in the Philadelphia area, as coach and general manager.[13] The owners
named the team after the Philadelphia Warriors, an old basketball team who played in the
American Basketball League in 1925.[14]

Led by early scoring sensation Joe Fulks, the team won the championship in the league's
inaugural 1946–47 season by defeating the Chicago Stags, four games to one. The NBA, which
was created by a 1949 merger, officially recognizes that as its own first championship.[c] Gottlieb
bought the team in 1951.

In 1959, the team signed draft pick Wilt Chamberlain. Known as "Wilt the Stilt", he led the team
in scoring six times, quickly began shattering NBA scoring records and changed the NBA style of
play forever. On March 2, 1962, in a Warrior "home" game played on a neutral court in Hershey,
Pennsylvania, Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks, a single-game record
the NBA ranks among its finest moments.[15]

In 1962, Franklin Mieuli purchased the majority shares of the team and relocated the franchise
to the San Francisco Bay Area, renaming them the San Francisco Warriors. The Warriors played
most of their home games at the Cow Palace in Daly City (the facility lies just south of the San
Francisco city limits) from 1962 to 1964 and the San Francisco Civic Auditorium from 1964 to
1966, though occasionally playing home games in nearby cities such as Oakland and San Jose.

In 1962, Franklin Mieuli purchased the majority shares of the team and relocated the franchise
to the San Francisco Bay Area, renaming them the San Francisco Warriors. The Warriors played
most of their home games at the Cow Palace in Daly City (the facility lies just south of the San
Francisco city limits) from 1962 to 1964 and the San Francisco Civic Auditorium from 1964 to
1966, though occasionally playing home games in nearby cities such as Oakland and San Jose.

Prior to the 1963–64 NBA season, the Warriors drafted big man Nate Thurmond to go along with
Chamberlain. The Warriors won the Western Division crown that season, but lost the 1964 NBA
Finals to the Boston Celtics, four games to one. In the 1964–65 season, the Warriors traded
Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer, Paul Neumann and
$150,000 and won only 17 games.

1965–1978: Thurmond and Barry

Nate Thurmond averaged over 20 points per game during five different seasons and over 20
rebounds per game during two seasons while with the Warriors.

In 1965, they drafted Rick Barry in the first round who went on to become NBA Rookie of the
Year that season and then led the Warriors to the NBA Finals in the 1966–67 season, losing (four
games to two) to Chamberlain's new team that had replaced the Warriors in Philadelphia, the
76ers.