Everyone talks about Steph, Klay, and Draymond. It makes sense. They’re the holy trinity of the modern NBA. But if you really want to understand how the Bay Area went from a basketball graveyard to a gold-plated empire, you have to talk about David Lee.
He wasn't the guy who hit the circus shots. He wasn't the one yelling in everyone's face on defense. Honestly, for a long time, he was just a "stats guy" on a losing team.
Then everything changed.
When the David Lee Golden State Warriors era kicked off in 2010, the franchise was a mess. They hadn't had an All-Star in 13 years—not since Latrell Sprewell in 1997. Imagine that. Over a decade of irrelevance. Fans were showing up to Oracle Arena mostly out of habit or to see the opposing stars.
Lee changed the vibe. He was a 20-and-10 machine coming off a monster season with the Knicks, and Golden State paid a hefty price to get him, shipping out Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph, and Ronny Turiaf in a sign-and-trade. It was a signal. For the first time in forever, the Warriors were actually trying to be a real basketball team.
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The 2013 All-Star Season and the Culture Shift
People forget how good David Lee was in his prime. In the 2012-13 season, he averaged 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds. He was the first Warrior to make an All-Star team in the 21st century.
Think about that. Before Steph Curry was "STEPH CURRY," David Lee was the guy carrying the banner.
He was a left-handed maestro in the post. He had this weirdly effective mid-range jumper and a knack for finding the ball that you just can't teach. He basically bullied his way into an All-NBA Third Team selection that year.
But it wasn't just the points. It was the fact that a legitimate, sought-after veteran wanted to be in Oakland. He bought into the vision before the vision was even clear. Without Lee’s stability during Curry’s "glass ankle" years, the front office might have panicked. They might have traded the future for a quick fix. Lee gave them permission to grow.
The Injury That Changed NBA History
Sports are cruel. In late 2014, Lee was the established veteran leader. Then, he tweaked his left hamstring during the final preseason game. It seemed like a minor setback at the time.
It wasn't.
Steve Kerr, in his first year as coach, had to figure something out. He put a young, loud, undersized forward named Draymond Green into the starting lineup. We all know what happened next. The Warriors didn't just win; they exploded.
By the time Lee was healthy, the "Death Lineup" was already taking shape. Draymond’s defensive versatility unlocked a style of play that Lee, for all his offensive brilliance, just couldn't replicate. David Lee became the odd man out.
Imagine being an All-Star one year and a benchwarmer the next while your team becomes the greatest show on earth. That’s a ego-shattering reality. Most guys would have pouted. Most guys would have requested a trade by December.
Lee didn't.
Winning the Ring and the Final Act
The 2015 Finals against Cleveland were a dogfight. The Warriors were down 2-1. They looked rattled. LeBron was imposing his will, and the Warriors' small-ball approach was hitting a wall.
Kerr looked down his bench and saw the vet.
Lee played 13 minutes in Game 3 and 15 minutes in Game 4. He wasn't the MVP, but he was the "stabilizing force" General Manager Bob Myers always called him. He grabbed boards, he set hard screens, and he hit those veteran buckets that calmed the nerves of a young roster. He finished that series as an NBA Champion.
Why the David Lee Golden State Warriors Story Matters Today
If you look at the stats from his final year in Oakland—7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds—it looks like a decline. But that’s why box scores lie.
The David Lee Golden State Warriors partnership ended in the summer of 2015 when he was traded to the Celtics for Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb. It was a salary cap move, sure. But it was also a "thank you" move. The Warriors sent him somewhere he could actually play, rather than burying him on the bench behind an emerging dynasty.
Lee retired in 2017 after stops in Dallas and San Antonio, but his DNA is still all over the Warriors' culture. He taught those guys how to be professionals when the team was still losing to the Kings on a Tuesday night in February.
He was the bridge.
Practical Takeaways from the David Lee Era
If you’re a fan looking back at this era, or a student of the game, there are three things to remember about why this worked:
- Talent attracts talent: Lee was the "proof of concept" that let other veterans (like Andre Iguodala) know it was okay to sign with Golden State.
- Grace in transition: The way Lee handled losing his spot to Draymond Green is the blueprint for locker room chemistry. If he had been a locker room cancer, that 2015 title might not have happened.
- The importance of the post: While the Warriors became a 3-point juggernaut, Lee’s ability to score in the paint provided the early balance that allowed the "Splash Brothers" to eventually find their rhythm.
If you want to dive deeper into that era, go back and watch the 2013 playoff series against the Nuggets. You’ll see a version of David Lee that was absolutely relentless, playing through a torn hip flexor just to give his team a chance. That’s the guy Warriors fans should remember.
To truly appreciate the current Golden State dynasty, start tracking the "bridge players" of other franchises—the veterans who provide stability right before a team hits its peak. You’ll find that every great champion has a David Lee in their history books.
Next Steps:
Go watch the highlights of David Lee’s 20-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against the Warriors (ironically, while he was still on the Knicks). It’s the perfect showcase of the skill set he brought to the Bay.