Matt Barnes is making it his personal mission to complete the lineage of the Golden State Warriors.
Speaking with the media on the eve of NBA Finals Game 1, Barnes, who is on his second tour of duty in Golden State, shouted out the 2006-07 “We Believe” Warriors team that he was on during his first stint.
“I’m not only playing for my family but playing for that ‘We Believe’ team too,” said the 37-year-old veteran. “I’m the last one standing out of the group. I talk to these guys constantly, and they’re vicariously playing through me and living through me right now. So when we get this ring, it’ll be for all of us.”
Barnes also had an interesting take on who would win in a seven-game series between the two teams, per Arash Markazi of ESPN.
Matt Barnes believes a playoff series with the "We Believe" Warriors and this year's Warriors would go 7 games and come down to a last shot. pic.twitter.com/Hv2Ga4IX1o
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 1, 2017
Of course, that “We Believe” team ripped off an unforgettable run in the 2007 playoffs, upsetting the top-seeded, 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the first round as the No. 8 seed before taking another heavily-favored Utah Jazz team to five hard-fought games in the second round.
Other than Barnes, Monta Ellis is the only player left from that team who is still active. Furthermore, Stephen Jackson and Josh Powell are the only ones with an NBA championship, with both having won them elsewhere. Thus, Barnes, who has never been one to forget where he came from, will be carrying a lot of decade-old hopes and dreams into this year’s Finals with him.
Video via NBA Reddit
