The National Basketball Association, or the NBA, is a fascinating league to say the least.  Filled with the best basketball players in the world, the NBA is the premier place to be for a successful basketball career.  Athletes compete against each other in exciting games that more often than not end up coming down to the wire, being won in the final few seconds. There are the bad teams that win 10 games on a good year, and then there are the teams that always end the season with over 50 games won, dominating their opponents.
       

While watching the best teams in the league win year after year can be exciting for some fans of the NBA, these teams are not the most intriguing ones to follow. The teams that provide the most excitement for the fans are the franchises that go from being a mediocre, or even awful, team to being one of the top teams in the entire league.
       

A prime example of this type of team is the Golden State Warriors. They have emerged as the league’s best team over the past three years, and have even won an NBA Championship. However, before that, nobody really knew who they were.  In 2011, the franchise went just 23-43, finishing 13th in the Western Conference out of 15.  The year after that, they won slightly more than half their games.  So, nobody expected what was to come during the following seasons.
       

2013 was the first season that the franchise proved that it was worthy of being considered as one of the top teams in the league..  The young, inexperienced team made the playoffs with a strong 51-31 record, but lost in the first round.  However, the next season was a turn for the best.  In 2014, the team went a league best 67-15 and won the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. Then, in 2015, they finished the remarkable season with a 73-9 record, the best in NBA history.
       

The Warriors’ success is mostly attributed to their outstanding players.  Point guard Stephen Curry, the NBA Most Valuable Player winner for two consecutive seasons, leads the Warriors with his outstanding play making abilities.  He holds the NBA record for most three pointers made in a season, and he even broke his own record after taking possession of the honor.  His ball handling skills are incredible, and he constantly makes defenders trying to guard him look unprofessional and child-like.  Also in the backcourt, shooting guard Klay Thompson lights it up from three-point range.  Him and Curry are tremendously difficult to guard, especially with their dangerous three point shots.  Also, in the frontcourt down low, forward Draymond Green is a dominant force.  He is one of the best defenders in the league, and also heavily contributes on the offensive end.  The way this team is gelling together and how their chemistry has evolved is spectacular to witness.
       

Now, this year, they are hoping to be even better.  Undoubtedly, it is very hard to be better than 73-9, but in the offseason, Golden State made a huge addition to their roster.  Kevin Durant, former NBA MVP and superstar player, decided to join the already elite team.  The assembling of this team was heartbreaking to all other franchises.  Playing against the Warriors, who also have some of the best bench players in the NBA in Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, is exhausting.  Every member on the Golden State roster is extremely talented and can take over a game single handedly.
       

There were doubts coming into the season about this talented team, though.  With three tremendous scorers, analysts were not sure if the three were going to be able to share the ball with each other for the good of the team, rather than trying to boost individual stats.  However, as early as the first five games, those analysts’ thoughts were put to rest.
       

So far, the team is first in the NBA with a 36-6 record.  The team lost their first game, but after learning how to play together, the Warriors are performing incredibly well.  They average a league best 120 points per game; that is the most since 1983.  Also, the team averages 35 assists per game.  This unselfish style of play has gotten the team easy baskets and dominant wins.  This great amount of assists per game is also the most in NBA history.  Three players, Curry, Durant, and Thompson, are averaging over 20 points per game, and three others are averaging 5 assists per game as well. With these outstanding individual statistics, this team is capable of winning many championships if they stick together in the future.
       

However, talks of Klay Thompson leaving the team have surfaced.  Supposedly, he is unhappy with his teammates not passing him the ball as much as he would like. After all, he is a top-ten player in the league, but is the third best player on the Warriors. However, after scoring 60 points the other day, it is pretty certain that he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, for following that great performance, it is very nearly impossible to walk away from the franchise.
       

There are certainly some obstacles for the Warriors to overcome if they want to win championships, though.  The Cleveland Cavaliers, another super team in the league, consists of three elite players and a talented bench.  The Cavaliers are the Warriors’ kryptonite, as the Warriors have had a lot of trouble winning games against Ohio’s tremendous franchise.  Just last year, the Warriors blew a 3-1 championship series lead to the Cavaliers, resulting in a disappointing and embarrassing end to the season.  Nonetheless, with the loaded roster that Golden State now has, it is very possible that the team will overcome every obstacle that they may face
       

With this team filled with overpowering and gifted players, this franchise can do some great things and change the league.  What used to be a very physical, defensive game, the Warriors have the chance to change the game of basketball with their incredible offense.  So, clearly the franchise from California has more to play for than simply winning championships – they can change the game forever.