Ex-Grizzlie De’Anthony Melton says Warriors had no business winning 2022 title

Ex-Grizzlie De’Anthony Melton says Warriors had no business winning 2022 title originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – As an opponent in May 2022, De’Anthony Melton had a microscopic view of the Warriors’ last championship team. Now that he is on their payroll, he’s comfortable going public with what many have whispered for 3.5 years.

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“In ‘22, they had no business winning the championship,” Melton, then with the Memphis Grizzlies, said during a guest appearance on the “Dubs Talk” podcast, which debuted Friday. “They had no business there. There were so many teams better than them. But they just fought. They just willed their way. And everybody played, they played their role.”

Melton is not alone in that reaction. Former Golden State general manager Bob Myers admitted nobody saw it coming. Coach Steve Kerr says the ’22 NBA Finals win over the Boston Celtics was a case of coming together at the right time – and having Stephen Curry.

The Warriors entered the 2022 playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, with a 53-29 record. The Grizzlies finished at 56-26 to earn the No. 2 seed and homecourt advantage in the conference semifinals against Golden State.

“We wanted to kill the dynasty so bad,” Melton recalled. “You had to show us. You had to come and really show us. It was like ‘OK, why are y’all so good, why are you so great? We’re not going to lay down, let y’all tell us why, but you got to come out here and get it.

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“We really felt that day in and day out, and game in and game out, we just take it game by game because you never know what could happen. Next thing you know, you could be up 3-2.”

The Grizzlies, young and impetuous, saw the Warriors as old news that should be discarded from the elite.

“Some (Warriors) got families and kids,” Melton said. “They got paid. They were paid up already. We were all young and hungry. It was like ‘Come on with it.’ ”

The teams split the first two games in Memphis before the Warriors swept Games 3 and 4 at Chase Center. A 3-1 lead is considered “commanding,” but the…

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Publish date : 2026-01-02 15:25:00

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