As the Golden State Warriors lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy on Tuesday night, one could not help but think back on the long years of suffering that the Warriors put their fans through. Decades of ineptitude made all the worse by poor decisions by management in drafting players and letting superstars go. A once proud franchise that won a championship in 1975 had become one of the worst teams in the league and were known more for their mediocrity than anything else.
They had a brief glimmer of hope in the early 1990s with Run-TMC and the mid-2000s with the “We Believe” squad that was a great deal of fun to watch but were never taken seriously as title contenders. Today they are the best team in the NBA after one of the best regular seasons in the history of the league and have become one of the best-run franchises as well. They have marketable stars and fully invested owners that delivered a title to a desperate franchise.
Now, doesn’t that sound an awful lot like our beloved Chelsea FC? The Blues won the top flight in 1955 but did not win it again for another 50 years until 2005. They faced years of poor management under terrible ownership that nearly bankrupted the club with their poor decision making. In the 1990s they became a fun team to watch with stars such as Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli, won a few trophies, but were never taken seriously as Premier League title contenders.
New ownership came in to the fold and revitalized the club and in a few years made the Blues a true title contender. They also have marketable stars in Eden Hazard and Oscar and are now one of the biggest clubs in the world. Blue truly is the color in both the San Francisco Bay Area and in West London.
So join us as we compare members of the Warriors’ championship team with the title winners from Chelsea FC.
Next: Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr – Jose Mourinho
There are not many similarities between the Jose Mourinho of 2015 and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr but there are plenty if you think back to Mourinho of 2004-05. Both managers were highly sought after by teams around Europe and the NBA respectively and both had big decisions to make as to their coaching futures.
Kerr had to choose between the New York Knicks and working for Phil Jackson, and Mourinho had to choose between Liverpool and Chelsea FC. It was obvious shortly after both seasons began that both coaches made the right decisions as they lead their teams to league titles in their first seasons in the Premier League and NBA.
Mourinho did so with his brash attitude and a squad that suffocated and pressed other teams in to submission. Kerr took a more diplomatic approach and had a team with the league’s best offense but also had a suffocating and league-best defense.
The 2005 title was a stepping stone for Jose Mourinho in to true managerial greatness as he went on to build a tremendous legacy across Europe. This title is just the first milestone in Steve Kerr’s career as a head coach but if he becomes anywhere near as successful as Mourinho then he will retire as one of the best that ever roamed the sidelines in the NBA.
Next: Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry – Eden Hazard
This was the easiest comparison to make as both players are in similar places in their careers. Eden Hazard just won his first Premier League title and Steph Curry is an NBA Champion for the first but hopefully not last time in his career.
Curry was voted the MVP of the NBA and Eden Hazard was chosen as the Premier League Player of the Year among several other awards. Both were selected to their respective leagues’ First Team or Team of the Year and both are threatening a dichotomy of the best player in the sport.
Eden Hazard has joined the elite group of players with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and Curry has done the same with LeBron James and Kevin Durant. All of these players are still at the height of their powers but the fresh faced youngsters wearing blue and white are banging down the door to join the club.
As he lifted the O’Brien Trophy on Tuesday, Stephen Curry finally elevated himself in to the upper echelon of NBA superstars, much the way Eden Hazard did when he lifted the Premier League trophy in May. The world already knew how good both of these players were before those moments but in the end championships are what define true greatness.
Next: Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson – Oscar
Both Klay Thompson and Oscar are supremely talented player with excellent athletic pedigrees but both can also be incredibly frustrating at times. Oscar shows his talent with spectacular goals such as the free kick against Stoke City, the outside-footer against QPR and the legendary goal against Juventus and Gigi Buffon.
At the same time he has the tendency to disappear in matches and go missing for weeks at a time. Some blame it on fatigue while others blame it on a simple lack of consistency. The point being, if he is good enough to do it for Brazil then why can’t Oscar do it consistently for Chelsea FC?
The same conversation is being had about Klay Thompson right now. He was linked with moves to Minnesota for Kevin Love (Oscar to PSG anyone?) but instead stuck around and was given a max contract. All year long he played at an incredible level and was selected to his first All Star team but he has struggled in the playoffs.
The same player who scored 37 points (!!!) in a quarter is now struggling to break double digits against the Cavaliers and no one is quite sure why. It could be his confidence is shot but he also has had a game where he scored 34 against Cleveland so that theory does not have much credence. Either way, both players have the talent to succeed and they just need consistency.
Next: Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes – Willian/Thibaut Courtois
You’re not sure what you’re gonna get from either player at times but both of them are capable of the spectacular, whether it’s a precision strike from outside the box or a thunderous dunk that tears the roof off Oracle Arena. Willian and Barnes also faced outside compeitition to try and remove them from their starting spot but both responded and raised their level of play. Barnes won back his starting job from Andre Igoudala and Willian fought off both Andre Schurrle and Juan Cuadrado to maintain his place on the right wing.
These players also have a similar temperament in that they never seem to be in awe of the moment nor do they shrink from the spotlight. They also do their best work on the defensive side of the ball as it was Willian who helped protect the right flank when Ivanovic bombed forward and it was Harrison Barnes that shut down James Harden in the Western Conference Finals.
Of course they also contribute with big goals/buckets on the offensive end and have carried their teams in games, Willian against Everton for example, and Barnes against Houston in the fourth quarter of game 3 and with some important dunks in Game 5 of the Finals.
In this scenario, Harrison Barnes is also a lot like Thibaut Courtois. Before this season began, coach Steve Kerr reached out to Andre Iguodala and convinced him to play in the second unit so a player like Barnes could truly flourish. Iguodala of course agreed and never complained about it, just like Cech, and they watched Barnes and Courtois become one of the better players on the team. Barnes and Courtois were instrumental to their team’s success and their cool and collected demeanor belied their youth and inexperience.
Next: Draymond Green
Draymond Green – Diego Costa/Nemanja Matic
Every NBA team needs a guy like Draymond Green and every football club needs a player like Diego Costa. They inspire their teammates with their firey attitude and aggressive nature and in turn piss off the opponents so much they get fooled in to committing dumb fouls.
They are often the instigator of the fight but as they say its usually the guy who retaliates that gets called for the foul or gets booked. These are the types of players that every team hates to play against but the fans love. They set the tone with their hustle, grit, and physicality but in a way that drives opposing fans crazy. The Chicago Bulls have Joakim Noah, Real Madrid has Pepe, the Warriors have Draymond Green, and Chelsea FC has Diego Costa.
Green also draws some comparisons with Chelsea FC’s midfield enforcer Nemanja Matic. Matic does not usually end up on the scoresheet but his contributions to the Blues are immense. He breaks up opposing attacks and starts Chelsea counters with his tackles in midfield.
He is a tremendous defensive player that does all the little things right to make the players around him shine. Draymond Green does some box score stuffing but he also does all the little things right to help his teammates. He gets rebounds, defends players much bigger than him, and drives the team with his energy and hustle.
Next: Andrew Bogut
Andrew Bogut- John Terry
If you ask any Chelsea FC fan who the heart and soul of the team was last season, they would answer unanimously that it was John Terry. The Captain, Leader, Legend was a model of consistency despite a tough injury history in recent seasons and has revived his career with the arrival of Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge.
Terry suffered under Rafa Benitez and was told that he was no longer a three matches a week player and that he was on the downside of his career. Instead he responded by being the best centerback in England once again and being named to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year. He also scored several important goals for Chelsea on his way to becoming the top scoring defender in the history of the Premier League.
Anyone who knows Andrew Bogut’s career timeline will admit that there are striking similarities between the two. Bogut arrived at Golden State with a lengthy injury history of his own and fans doubted the trade to bring him in the first place, much like those who doubted whether Terry could still perform at a high level after he hit his mid 30’s.
He also had a well-publicized spat with former Head Coach Mark Jackson last season but has been revitalized this year. He provided the rim protection necessary for a smaller team like the Warriors and was chosen for NBA All-Defensive Second Team for his efforts. His role on offense must not be diminished either as his picks, passing, and rebounding were vital for the highest scoring team in the NBA.
Next: Andre Igoudala
Andre Iguodala – Cesc Fabregas
Andre Iguodala was brought to Golden State for one reason, management thought that he was the missing piece in the Warriors’ quest for a championship. Iguodala himself had never experienced true success in the NBA and was in search of a team that would help him reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Cesc Fabregas found success with FC Barcelona but never won a trophy with Arsenal in the years that he spent there. He was the emotional leader and captain of Arsenal the way Iguodala was of the 76ers and Nuggets but he could never lead his team to the promised land. Fabregas arrived at Stamford Bridge in a move that few would have ever predicited.
He was a hated man in West London and had a fierce dislike of Jose Mourinho but all that soon disappeared. Iguodala never had that same animosity for Golden State but he did join them from a rival Western Conference team. The Blues were powered by Fabregas’s assists and play in midfield and the second team for the Warriors followed Iguodala’s lead all season long to become one of the best second units in the league.
Both of them were rewarded for their contributions with a championship but Iguoudala took it one step further when he was named Finals MVP despite only starting 3 games in the series. Some could argue that Fabregas deserved to be the Chelsea FC Player of the Year because of his incredible assists total but in the end the championship is all that really matters.
Next: Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Barbosa – Didier Drogba
Where do you go when you need a veteran presence off the bench to revitalize the team? For the Warriors they went to Leandro “The Brazilian Blur” Barbosa and the Blues went to “King” Didier Drogba. The Ivorian striker came back to Chelsea after wandering the world with different clubs for a few years to help bring some veteran leadership and savvy to a young team.
Barbosa was a key player in the Phoenix Suns teams of the mid-2000s but had been wandering around the NBA in relative obscurity with stints in Toronto and Boston before finding his way to Golden State. While there was no dramatic coming home element for Barbosa he fit in easily and soon became one of the leaders of the team.
His calm demeanor in the big moments of the Finals were similar to Didier Drogba stepping in to big matches for the Blues and scoring important goals to help them win a championship. Drogba decided to call it quits with Chelsea for the second time but it seems that Leandro Barbosa is in no hurry to leave the Warriors.
Next: Shaun Livingston
Shaun Livingston- Gary Cahill/Branislav Ivanovic
When teams look for defenders they want someone that can do it all. They need someone good in the air, strong on the ball, and can contribute occasionally on offense with a timely goal or two. When teams look for a backup point guard they want someone that can do it all as well. They look for a player that is strong on the ball, can contribute offensively with assists or points, can defend well, and has the demeanor necessary to maintain his composure.
All those traits and more are what make Shaun Livingston, Branislav Ivanovic, and Gary Cahill all so great. All three players have the characteristics necessary to be elite players and they have the demeanor to handle coming off the bench the way Livingston and Cahill did at times.
Livingston was one of the key players for the Warriors this season as they spent the last three years looking for the perfect back up to Stephen Curry and they found one in the former Brooklyn Nets star. He ran the second team unit with aplomb and his size advantage over many guards made him a versatile and talented defender. Versatility is also what makes Ivanovic so special as he is equally adept at shutting down one flank of the pitch as he is scoring world class goals.
Next: David Lee
David Lee – Petr Cech
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, a veteran superstar accepts a reduced role on a team, never complains about said reduced role, and is rewarded with a championship at the end of the season. It would be silly to compare the resumes of David Lee and Petr Cech but they were both leaders and stars on their respective teams that were replaced with younger players who panned out just fine.
Lee was replaced by Draymond Green because of injury and the team instantly become more dynamic and more aggressive. Thibaut Courtois replaced Petr Cech and it was a seamless transition for the Blues as they went from one world class keeper to another.
At the end of the season, both Lee and Cech were lauded by their managers for their professional attitude towards losing their place in the team and both still played their parts in earning their clubs a championships. Both players are likely on their way out of the teams as well but they will always have the championships to remember.
Next: Festus Ezeli
Festus Ezeli – Kurt Zouma
Young, intelligent, supremely athletic, but raw and a bit rough around the edges. Is that Festus Ezeli or Kurt Zouma? Kurt Zouma was a key player for the Blues after Gary Cahill suffered a dip in form in December and Ezeli was just as vital for the Warriors when Andrew Bogut was out of the lineup. Zouma saw his role diminish the closer it came to the title run-in but he has shown this season that he is ready for the spotlight next season and is only getting better as a player.
Festus Ezeli did the same with his performance in the NBA Finals as his athleticism and quickness against Cleveland’s big men earned him a bump up in the rotation ahead of Andrew Bogut. Ezeli had his best game in the final game of the series as he came off the bench to score 10 points and provide some timely rebounds and important free throws.
Next: Marreese Speights
Marreese Speights – Loic Remy
Instant offense off the bench is the game and Marreese Speights/Loic Remy is the name. Mo Buckets, as he is lovingly known by Warriors fans, was the scoring machine that came off the bench for the Golden State Warriors.
He was the spark that helped ignite the second team offense and he even contributed with some timely defensive plays from time to time. He was never the rim protector that Andrew Bogut is and he did most of his damage in the mid-range game instead of the post but he scored a lot and thats what matters.
Loic Remy is the same, he provided the Blues with instant offense from the bench and scored some vital goals for Chelsea FC in the title run-in. He never lost his confidence despite being second choice to Diego Costa and could always be counted on to play a big role in the matches he was called upon. In Costa’s absence, much like Speights with Bogut, Remy was a big-time contributor for the Blues even though he is a different style of center forward than the Brazilian.
Next: Fernando Torres's Top 10 Chelsea FC Goals