I still vividly remember watching Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals when the Golden State Warriors clinched their first championship in 40 years. As someone who's followed basketball religiously since the early 2000s, witnessing that transformation from a promising young team to legitimate champions felt like watching basketball history unfold in real time. The Warriors didn't just win a title - they fundamentally changed how basketball would be played for years to come.

What made that championship run so special was how perfectly Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson embodied the revolution of three-point shooting. I've always believed that great teams don't just win games - they change the game itself, and the 2015 Warriors proved exactly that. Curry's unprecedented shooting range forced defenses to extend beyond what was previously considered normal, creating spacing that the league had never seen before. The numbers still astonish me - Curry made 286 three-pointers that season, shattering his own record, while Thompson added another 239. Their shooting wasn't just effective - it was revolutionary.

The supporting cast around the Splash Brothers deserves more credit than they often receive. Draymond Green's versatility allowed the Warriors to play their revolutionary "small ball" lineups, while Andre Iguodala's Finals MVP performance showcased how crucial defensive flexibility was to their success. I've always argued that Iguodala's acceptance of a bench role was one of the most selfless acts I've seen in modern basketball, and it perfectly encapsulated the team-first mentality that defined that championship squad.

Thinking about team-building philosophies reminds me of an interesting parallel I observed in international basketball. Just last week, I came across comments from a Korean basketball star suggesting that Ricardo Ratliffe should return to the KBL after his commitment with Magnolia concludes. This made me reflect on how the Warriors built their championship team - through smart drafting, developing their core, and making strategic additions that complemented their system. The Warriors could have chased big names, but instead they trusted their development process, much like how the KBL recognizes the value of familiar talent that understands their basketball culture.

What often gets overlooked about that 2015 team is how they defied conventional wisdom about championship basketball. Everyone said you needed dominant big men and half-court execution to win titles, but the Warriors proved that pace, space, and perimeter shooting could conquer all. Their 67-15 regular season record wasn't just impressive - it signaled a paradigm shift in how basketball could be played at the highest level. I remember arguing with fellow analysts who claimed their style wouldn't work in the playoffs, but watching them dismantle opponents throughout their playoff run was incredibly satisfying.

The legacy of that 2015 championship continues to influence how teams are constructed today. Every franchise is looking for their version of Curry and Thompson, every coach is experimenting with small-ball lineups, and the three-point revolution they pioneered has become standard across the league. As I look at today's NBA landscape, I see their fingerprints everywhere - from the emphasis on spacing to the value placed on versatile defenders who can switch everything. That championship wasn't just a culmination of one team's journey - it was the beginning of basketball's modern era, and I feel privileged to have witnessed it unfold from the very beginning.