Warriors dynasty puts them near (or at?) top of Bay Area sports history

When the Golden State Warriors won their fourth championship in eight years Thursday by beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, they solidified their position as the greatest professional sports dynasty in Bay Area history. Or second-greatest.

I'm not sure.

The Warriors' feat – winning titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 – is further enhanced by the fact that they also reached the NBA Finals in 2016 and 2019. Six Finals appearances in eight years is remarkable.

There are four elite dynasties in Bay Area professional team sports history and all are worthy of being among the great dynasties of their eras. Only one (or two?) are the greatest.

The Fab Four, in reverse order:

4. 2010-2014 San Francisco Giants. The even-year champions won three titles in five years, mesmerizing their fans and convincing many that there was some sort of magic. Buster Posey. Tim Lincecum. Matt Cain. Bruce Bochy. The greatest era in Giants history featured spectacular postseasons, but their highest regular-season win total in that era was 94. And they missed the postseason in 2011 and 2013. They rank fourth, but what a dream era for Giants fans.

3. 1971-1975 Oakland A's. The "Swingin' A's" won three World Series in the middle years of this period and also won division titles in 1971 and 1975. With an amazing collection of talent – Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Sal Bando, Rollie Fingers and a bunch of scrappy, talented teammates – they were the underappreciated even in their era. Unfortunately, the A's had a dreadful owner (sound familiar, A's fans?) and averaged about 12,000 fans per game (the dynasty Giants averaged 40,000). The lack of area-wide passion for the team hurts their standing, as does the fact that they never won more than 94 games in a championship season. Still, three titles and five division championships in a five-year period is amazing.

1b. 1981-94 San Francisco 49ers. The glory days of the 49ers, with five Super Bowls in 14 seasons, including four in the 1980s. This is the traditional gold standard of Bay Area sports eras, with a flood of Hall of Famers (Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Bill Walsh), dramatic wins ("The Catch" against the Cowboys, the Montana-to-John Taylor Super Bowl) and an awkward, but successful transition from Montana to Steve Young at quarterback for the final championship. If you weren't around then, it's hard to imagine how one sports team could so dominate a region's passion. But it did.

1a. 2015-2022 Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have been the heartbeat of the NBA's best team for more than a decade (they rank second, third and fourth among current NBA players for length of time with one team). This year's performance elevates by Curry likely vaults him into the top 10 players in NBA history. Thompson is a beloved free spirit. Green is the heartbeat of the team. The rebirth of Andrew Wiggins solidified the franchise's reputation as an elite developer and refiner of talent. The Warriors have a veteran core and a group young stars (Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman), which means this could continue for a while. The five titles by the 49ers is within reach.

The Warriors' run of success is the greatest, but the dynasty 49ers' hold on the region was more intense. Let's call it a tie and see if the Warriors can run it back next season and make it five titles in nine years.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.