SAN FRANCISCO — Only five players in the NBA entering the 2022-23 season have a chance to win their fifth championship. Four of them play for the Warriors. The other is LeBron James.
In the rich history of the league, only 44 players have ever won as many as four rings. That list is whittled down to 26 when you get to the five-title tier, but Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are eager to add their names to the list.
The reigning champ Golden State Warriors have to be viewed as a serious contender to repeat this season, despite their aging core. For Thompson, the goal of a fifth championship is alluring. He’s thinking about greatness.
“I think we are all so proud of what we accomplished last year, but that's in the past,” Thompson said. “The greats stay hungry, and we all have our motivations for why we want to win another one. I mean, the guys coming back who have won it for their first time, I just know they want to experience that again. And, I mean, for me personally, and probably Steph and Andre and Draymond, you think of the players who have won five championships, it's such a short list. And to have the opportunity, just the opportunity, to be able to do that, is like so special.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is among the players who have won five rings, along with other NBA greats like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson.
“Like I think back to my rookie season, and if you would have told me in ten years I would have the opportunity to win five championships with the Warriors, I would have laughed in your face. To be here and heading into the season healthy with this opportunity, I get chills thinking about it every day.”
Klay doesn’t need any pinching. This is the Dubs reality in 2022, as the dynasty still has a chance to extend its reign.
“It inspires us to keep writing our legacy,” Thompson said, “keep going hard every day because there's been a lot of great dynasties in the basketball world, and we want to be a part of that fraternity. It's just very special.”
Considering he missed nearly 31 months after injuring his Achilles and ACL, Thompson is savoring the possibility of another title run. And he won’t have to jump into the season halfway through it, like he did last year.
“Opening nights are always so much fun, especially when there's a ring involved,” Thompson said. “And it's just awesome, man. You don't have to go through, you know, slumps or whatever you're going through during the middle of a season, and you can kind of go through that earlier if you have to. So I'm just excited to play some October basketball again.”
