SAN FRANCISCO – On the night their dynasty came crashing down – toppled by torn ligaments, physical exhaustion and the raw power of Kawhi Leonard—the Golden State Warriors struggled to process their emotions, and their future.
What would they be without Klay Thompson, who’d torn his ACL on that June evening in 2019? Or without Kevin Durant, who had been lost to a ruptured Achilles and was destined to leave in free agency? Or without trusted hands like Shaun Livingston, who was headed for retirement? Was this NBA Finals loss to the Raptors the end of an era? Or just a momentary, painful pause—a transition, of sorts? (And a transition to what, exactly?)
“Maybe it is,” general manager Bob Myers said wearily that night, leaning against a wall near the home locker room. “But I’d be naïve to think (those transitional moments) don’t come. … You never know what’s next, good or bad. That’s what makes it exciting.”
