NBA teams
Marc Stein, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Klay Thompson: Warriors will try to set NBA single-season wins record

NBA, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs

TORONTO -- The Golden State Warriors need a 25-5 finish after the All-Star Game to break the NBA's all-time single-season record of 72 wins.

And at least one Warrior says they will indeed be going for it.

"Oh, we will," Warriors guard Klay Thompson told ESPN Radio on Friday.

In an interview that will air in full on Saturday night's "Meet The All-Stars" show on ESPN Radio at 5:30 p.m., Thompson acknowledged that the Warriors, who are 48-4, will likely rest some of their players as the season winds down.

"We'll probably rest guys down the stretch," Thompson said. "But we're so deep of a team that we should have a chance to win every night.

"Just to be in the conversation of 'You guys can do it' is crazy. It's great. I would have never imagined this. Growing up, I always thought that record was untouchable. Obviously we're playing for more than just 73 wins -- we're playing for a championship -- but if it's right there for us, we might as well try and take it."

Both Thompson and teammate Draymond Green, however, made it clear that even surpassing the Chicago Bulls' record 72 wins from the 1995-96 season would feel somewhat hollow if the Warriors don't also repeat as NBA champions.

"It wouldn't matter," Green told ESPN Radio. "I don't think anyone will care. It'll be talked about initially, like, 'Oh, they broke the record.' But it'll fade away so quick.

"I think it's one of those things where obviously we don't talk about it at all. It'll come up every now and then, but it's more so, 'Man, could you imagine if that happened?' But it's never like, 'Hey, let's focus on getting 72.' Our focus is always to get better each and every time we step on the floor. And I think if we do that, we get to 72. But if we win 72 or 73 games or 74 and we don't win a championship, nobody will ever care about the 70-whatever wins in the regular season. Everybody cares about the Bulls because they won a championship while winning 72. So it's more important to win the championship than winning 72 games."

Said Thompson: "73 wins doesn't mean a thing without the ring."

The Warriors entered the All-Star break with the best record in NBA history after 52 games and have won one major admirer here at All-Star Weekend: West coach Gregg Popovich from the rival San Antonio Spurs.

"I've spent more time thinking about Golden State than I have any other team I've ever thought about in my whole career," Popovich told ESPN Radio on Friday. "Because they are really fun. I'd go buy a ticket and go watch them play. And when I see them move the ball, I get very envious. When I see them shoot uncontested shots more than anybody else in the league, it's inspiring. It's just great basketball.

"So I'm actually enjoying them very much. You try to solve them, but they're in a sense unsolvable because it's a particular mix of talent that they have. It's not just that Steph [Curry] can make shots or that Klay can make shots or that Draymond Green is versatile. Everybody on the court can pass, catch and shoot. And they all get it."

"They're for real," Popovich added. "They're talented. But they're also very, very smart."

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