Golden State Warriors' all-time starting 5

Golden State Warriors, formerly known as the Philadelphia Warriors, are tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the fourth spot in terms of most franchises to win NBA Championships. With the top three being - Boston Celtics (17), Los Angeles Lakers (16) and the Chicago Bulls (6).

Obviously, neither of these teams can catch up with the Celtics or the Lakers, two of the most successful franchises in NBA history but either team could displace the Bulls from the third spot with a couple more championships. And right now, the Warriors seem like they could win those pair of championships much before the Spurs can.

Having said that, Golden State hasn't had a lot to cheer in the year prior to their Finals appearance in 2015. In fact, the 2015 Finals appearance was the first since they had last won the title in 1976. On the flip side, however, under new ownership and how their 2017 offseason has gone, the Warriors are primed for a long ride at the top.

The Philadelphia Warriors were one of the original teams the NBA (or BAA) began with. Therefore, this is quite a prestigious franchise and today we have a look at their all-time starting five:

#5 Center - Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain is considered among the greatest NBA centers of all time and with the Warriors not having any other center as prolific as him, this was a no-brainer. He played six years for the team from 1959 to 1965, before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers (the new name of the Syracuse Nationals).

A majority of his individual achievements came while with the Warriors in Philadelphia. In six seasons for the team, he played 429 games with averages of 41.5 points and 25.1 rebounds.

In terms of individual honors, Chamberlain has four MVPs to his name which included three consecutive from 1965-68. He is also a two-time NBA Champions, both came with the Lakers, a franchise he played for 1968 to 1973.

#4 Power Forward - Nate Thurmond

Nate Thurmond

A Hall of Famer, Nate Thurmond represented the Warriors for 11 seasons of his 14 year NBA career. Although he did that as a member of the Chicago Bulls, Thurmond was the first player in league history to record a quadruple-double.

Getting back to his Warriors days. He played both power forward and center for the franchise, and in 757 games put up averages of 17.4 points and 16.9 rebounds. His #42 jersey is retired by both the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was a huge reason for the franchise to be relevant through the late 1960's and the early 1970's. Through his 14-year career, Thurmond was selected to seven All-Stars games and seven All-NBA Defensive teams. He passed away on July 16th, 2016 and the Warriors honored him by wearing a patch with #42 on their jerseys last year.

#3 Small Forward - Rick Barry

Rick Barry

Rick Barry was the reason for the franchise's championship in 1975. He was named the Finals MVP when the team swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets that included the game's all-time greats like Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes.

Barry had two stints with the team. He joined the team in 1965, when they were the San Francisco Warriors, however, a contract dispute in 1967 forced him to leave the team and join the ABA. He was in the ABA till 1972, then rejoined the team (now the Golden State Warriors) for another six years.

Over the course of eight seasons with the Warriors (ten in the league), Barry averaged 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 642 games. Barry was named Rookie of the Year (1966) and has been selected to 12 All-Star games and 10 All-NBA teams.

#2 Shooting Guard - Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson was the only one on this list who had some competition at his position. Monta Ellis was tremendous at the shooting guard position for the Warriors from 2005 to 2012 but at the end of the day, Thompson was just more valuable and efficient.

In this era of the NBA, Thompson is the perfect shooting guard. He can shoot the ball efficiently, drive to the hole, he has the mid-range game and probably his most valuable asset is his defense. At 6-foot 7 inches, he's quite long for his position and has good lateral quickness to corner or lockdown the opponents' wings.

A two-time Champion, Thompson has been selected to three All-Star games and to two All-NBA teams. He's arguably the greatest catch and shoot player in the league right now, and easily ranks amongst the greatest pure shooters EVER.

At the time of writing, he has averaged 19.1 points on 45.5% shooting in 476 games for the Warriors.

#1 Point Guard - Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry

Was there ever a doubt here?

The only unanimous MVP in league history, Stephen Curry had no competition for this position especially with the last three years he's had. He's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, three-point shooter the NBA has ever seen.

Add to that, his vision and passing ability, just makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses. His shooting range always attracts defense, opening up the game for his teammates. This is what makes Curry one of the greatest +/- players of this generation. On some night, he might not be knocking it down too well but his mere presence on the court makes an impact like no other player on the team.

Apart from the two-MVPs, Curry has been named to the All-Star games and All-NBA four times. At the time of writing, he has averaged 22.9 points, 6.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds on 47.6% shooting in 586 games.