from NBA Playoffs
The Golden State Warriors have had a long and storied history, but their 1745-day absence from the NBA playoffs is now over. The Warriors have been absent from the playoffs since April 13, 2019, when they were eliminated in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Warriors’ return to the playoffs was marked by controversy. In the lead-up to the playoffs, Magic Johnson and the Warriors’ ownership group were embroiled in a dispute over the team’s future. The dispute centered around Johnson’s desire to bring in a new coach and front office personnel, while the ownership group wanted to keep the current staff in place. The disagreement led to Johnson’s resignation as president of basketball operations on April 10, 2020.
The controversy surrounding Johnson and the Warriors’ ownership group was further compounded by the team’s decision to hire former Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton as their new head coach. Walton had been fired by the Lakers in April of 2019 and was seen by many as a controversial choice for the Warriors.
The controversy surrounding Johnson and Walton’s hiring was further exacerbated by the team’s decision to sign former Lakers player JaVale McGee to a one-year contract. McGee had been a part of the Lakers team that had eliminated the Warriors from the playoffs in 2019 and many felt that signing him was a slap in the face to Warriors fans.
Despite the controversy surrounding Johnson and Walton’s hiring, the Warriors managed to make it back to the playoffs for the first time in 1745 days. They finished with a record of 39-33, good enough for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They were eliminated in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
The Warriors’ return to the playoffs was a welcome sight for fans who had been waiting for more than four years to see their team back in action. While the team ultimately fell short of their goal of winning an NBA championship, they can take solace in knowing that they were able to make it back to the playoffs after such a long absence.
