The Warriors apparently found reason to celebrate after losing the NBA Finals.
After Toronto defeated Golden State in Game 6 Thursday to win the franchise's first championship, Stephen Curry's father, Dell, told ESPN the Warriors' mood was upbeat.
"To do it for five years, with the circumstances we had, and still be in it, I can't believe it," Dell Curry said. "We've celebrated more tonight, during a loss, than ever. Because we knew how hard it is.
"We lost, but it's still a win."
Dell Curry put the Warriors' loss in perspective and celebrates the journey 🙌 (via @ramonashelburne) pic.twitter.com/zUwV3sNH34
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 14, 2019
Dell Curry, a regular attendee at Warriors games this postseason, has a point, and it's easy to see why the Warriors would use the Game 6 loss to reflect on their incredible run in recent years. Sure, they lost their bid to win a third straight championship, and fourth in five years. But given the adversity the team faced in the playoffs, with the loss of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, it was a credit to the team's determination that they pushed the Raptors to the buzzer in Game 6.
Coach Steve Kerr wasn't exactly popping champagne after the loss Thursday. But after congratulating the Raptors on their win, he echoed Dell Curry's sentiments — what this Warriors team has accomplished the past five seasons, and this postseason, is something to celebrate.
"Let me say a couple of words about our team," Kerr said. "It's actually, it's hard to put into words how I feel about our team. What I've witnessed as their coach over the last five years is just an incredible combination of talent and character and commitment to each other.
"This just doesn't happen. A group of guys like this doesn't come around together and do what they did over the last five years. … I could not be any luckier as a coach to be with these guys every day and to watch them compete and, boy, do they compete. I think they showed that throughout this series and throughout the playoffs.
"It's amazement that we're sitting in this position, during the game we have a chance to win the game and force a Game 7 and go back to Toronto, and you just think, how? How has this group of guys put themselves in position to do it?"