The 2016 NBA Finals loss was devastating, but it wasn’t the end of the story—it was the beginning of something even bigger.

The Golden State Warriors had just come off a record-breaking 73-9 season, only to suffer the most painful collapse in NBA history. Curry had won his second MVP (this time unanimously), yet critics claimed he wasn’t fit to lead a team to championships.

The Warriors weren’t just looking for redemption—they were looking to destroy everyone in their path.

And that’s when they made the biggest move in modern NBA history: they signed Kevin Durant.

The Kevin Durant Signing: A League-Altering Move

When the 2016 season ended, the biggest free agent in the NBA was Kevin Durant, a 7-foot scoring machine and one of the best players in the world. He had spent nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder but had never won a championship.

Durant had just faced Curry’s Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, blowing a 3-1 lead himself. Now, instead of running it back with OKC, he joined the very team that had eliminated him.

This move shocked the NBA.

• Some called it the greatest power move ever, forming an unstoppable superteam.
• Others called it the weakest move in NBA history, claiming Durant took the easy way out.

But for the Warriors, it was simple: they had just added one of the greatest scorers ever to a team that had already won 73 games.

2016-17: The Most Dominant Team Ever?

With Durant now in the lineup, Golden State became an unstoppable force.

• They cruised through the regular season, winning 67 games.
• Curry, now sharing the spotlight with Durant, adjusted his game, focusing more on playmaking and movement without the ball.
• They swept through the Western Conference Playoffs, going 12-0, the best start in NBA playoff history.

In the Finals, they faced a familiar foe—LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This time, there was no collapse.

• The Warriors won the series 4-1, with Durant winning Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points per game.
• Curry, while no longer the only superstar, still dominated, averaging 26.8 points and 9.4 assists in the series.
• The Warriors finished the playoffs 16-1, the best postseason record in NBA history.

The message was clear: this was the most dominant team basketball had ever seen.
The league wasn’t ready for what was about to happen.

2017-18: Back-to-Back Titles

After their first championship with Durant, nothing changed—except the league had lost all hope of stopping them.

Once again, the Warriors coasted through the season, and once again, they met LeBron and the Cavs in the Finals.

This time, they didn’t even give Cleveland a chance.

• They swept the Cavs 4-0, the first Finals sweep since 2007.
• Curry averaged 27.5 points, including a record-breaking 9 three-pointers in Game 2.
• Durant won another Finals MVP, but Curry’s impact was undeniable—his gravity on the court made the entire system work.

Curry now had three NBA championships, and his legacy was cemented.

2018-19: Injuries, Heartbreak, and the End of an Era

Going into the 2018-19 season, the Warriors looked unbeatable—and just to make things even crazier, they added another All-Star, signing DeMarcus Cousins.

But this season was different. Tension was brewing.

• Durant and Draymond Green had a public feud, leading to rumors that Durant wanted to leave after the season.
• Curry, now the true heart of the team, had to balance egos, injuries, and pressure while keeping the Warriors together.

Despite the drama, they made it back to the NBA Finals. But this time, things went horribly wrong.

• Durant tore his Achilles in Game 5, effectively ending his time with the Warriors.
• Klay Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6.
• The Warriors, battered and broken, lost the Finals to the Toronto Raptors, led by Kawhi Leonard.

It was the end of an era.

Durant left for the Brooklyn Nets, ending the Warriors' superteam run. The dynasty had fallen apart, and for the first time in years, Golden State was no longer the most feared team in the NBA.
But the dynasty wasn’t over yet.

What’s Next?

In Part 6, we’ll explore how Curry rebuilt the Warriors from the ground up, proving once again that he wasn’t just a great shooter—he was a true leader and one of the greatest players of all time.

The dynasty wasn’t dead. It was just on pause. And in 2022, Curry would remind the world exactly who he was.