Adam Silver has a message for any teams that might be worried or put off by the existence of the Golden State Warriors:
Your move, everyone.
This is more or less what he said when pressed about the issue. But here’s what he actually said (prior to Game 4), per The Washington Post‘s Adam Kilgore (h/t Bleacher Report):
“Rather than focusing on the top of the league, we should be focusing on the rest of the league. Rather than talking about how to break up or knock down a championship-caliber team, my focus should be on how we do a better job developing more great players in this league.” . . .
“And yes, an incredible free agent was added to that squad. All the focus seems to be on, ‘They’re too good’ as opposed to, ‘What is it we should be doing to create more great teams in this league?’ That’s what my response is.
“My answer is, let’s create more great teams, rather than completely focus on one incredible team and whether that’s seemingly unfair to the other team. I think it’s the nature of competition. Ultimately, it’s about raising the bar for all the teams in this league and celebrating excellence.”
This is the only take.
Yes, the only one.
The NBA might be privately upset about how the Warriors were formed, and even more perturbed by how the playoffs unfolded. But it’s over. Done with. There’s no turning back. The Warriors have Kevin Durant. It’s on the rest of the league to respond.
And that’s part of the intrigue attached to superteams. It’s not just about their title window or stretches of dominance. It’s about the next great squad—the franchise that believes it can unseat greatness and is prepared to pull out all the stops to put themselves in a position to make that happen.
Who will that team be during the Age of the Warriors? We know the Cleveland Cavaliers will keep coming, but who else? The Boston Celtics? San Antonio Spurs? Houston Rockets? Will a team on the come-up like the Denver Nuggets or Philadelphia 76ers get busy?
Again: At least a couple of squads are bound to try pushing back. So let’s sit tight and see what those brave souls come up with before we eviscerate the Warriors for ruining the league.
