The 2015-16 Warriors' 73-9 Season
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The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went 73-9, the best regular-season record in NBA history, breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ mark of 72-10. Stephen Curry was named the league’s first unanimous MVP, yet the record-setting season ended without a championship when Golden State lost the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A record like 73 wins is the product of a full season of dominance, but it is also a setup for one of the sport’s most bittersweet stories. The Warriors chased history all year and caught it, only to fall at the final hurdle. Here is how the season unfolded, the individual milestones behind it, and why the ending complicates the record. All figures are through the 2025 season.
The record: 73 wins in a season
Golden State won 73 of 82 games in 2015-16, one more than the 1995-96 Bulls, to set the record for the most victories in an NBA regular season. The Warriors clinched the mark on the final night of the schedule, turning the last game into an event. It was the culmination of a season spent openly pursuing the record, game by game.
The 73-9 line is the single greatest regular-season win total in league history, the number every future juggernaut will be measured against. How it compares to the previous benchmark is worth laying out directly.
The two best regular seasons ever
The table below places the Warriors’ record season alongside the mark it broke.
| Team | Season | Record | Win% | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | 2015-16 | 73-9 | .890 | Lost NBA Finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 1995-96 | 72-10 | .878 | Won championship |
The contrast is the whole story. The Warriors won more games but lost the title; the 1995-96 Bulls’ 72-10 season won fewer games but finished with a ring. Which is the greater season remains one of basketball’s favorite debates.
The 24-0 start and Curry’s MVP
Golden State opened the season 24-0, the best start in NBA history, with head coach Steve Kerr sidelined after back surgery and Luke Walton coaching in his place. The Warriors barely slowed down when Kerr returned, and the fast start put the wins record in play almost immediately.
At the center of it was Stephen Curry, who won the MVP award unanimously, the first player ever to receive every first-place vote. Curry shattered his own record for three-pointers in a season, redefining how the position could be played and giving the record team a signature individual performance to match.
The Finals collapse
The season’s shadow is the ending. Golden State reached the NBA Finals and took a 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, one win from crowning the record season with a title. Then LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led Cleveland to three straight wins, completing the first 3-1 comeback in Finals history and denying the Warriors the championship.
It left the 73-9 team in a unique place: the winningest regular-season team ever, and the only one to follow a record with a Finals defeat. The record stands, but the “what if” is inseparable from it.
Where the season fits
The 73-9 mark is the peak of the best regular-season record in NBA history, and it arrived the same season the league’s record book was being rewritten at the bottom, in the worst-team conversation. Golden State’s dominance also stands in sharp relief against the worst record in NBA history, the opposite pole of what a single NBA season can look like.
Why the 2015-16 Warriors still matter
The Warriors’ record season endures because it captures both the height of regular-season dominance and the cruelty of a playoff loss. It reframed the debate over what makes a season “great,” proving that the most wins does not always mean the best year. For every team that starts hot and dreams of 70 wins, 2015-16 is both the target and the cautionary tale.
The short version: the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went 73-9, the best regular-season record in NBA history, led by unanimous MVP Stephen Curry and a 24-0 start. But they lost the Finals to Cleveland after leading 3-1, so through the 2025 season they hold the wins record without the title the 1995-96 Bulls claimed.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Warriors' record in 2015-16?+
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went 73-9, the best regular-season record in NBA history. That broke the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' mark of 72-10. Despite the record, the Warriors lost the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, so the season did not end in a championship. All figures are through the 2025 season.
Did the 73-9 Warriors win the title?+
No. The 2015-16 Warriors set the wins record at 73-9 but lost the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, blowing a 3-1 series lead. It made them the only team to win a record number of regular-season games and then fall short of the championship, a contrast to the 1995-96 Bulls, who went 72-10 and won the title.
Was Stephen Curry a unanimous MVP?+
Yes. Stephen Curry won the 2015-16 MVP award unanimously, the first time in NBA history a player received every first-place vote. He led the record-breaking Warriors while setting a new single-season record for made three-pointers, one of the defining individual performances of the modern era.
How did the 2015-16 Warriors start the season?+
The Warriors opened 2015-16 with 24 straight wins, an NBA record for the best start to a season. Much of that streak came with head coach Steve Kerr sidelined by back surgery and Luke Walton serving as acting coach. The blazing start put the wins record within reach almost from the opening weeks.
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