By Zach X. ’21

Time to settle the debate. After witnessing two of the greatest teams in the history of basketball, the 2015-16 Warriors and the 2019-20 CSUS Gryphons, I know that I can confidently make an accurate comparison of these two teams. The CSUS Gryphons, led by the esteemed Ned Diamond, finished with a record of 9-16, only losing when their star player, Jake Gutierrez, was unable to play due to his back injury from “carrying the team.” They may have lost 26-83 to Sacred Heart Preparatory, but it was just an off night for the Gryphons, a rare occasion for such an exceptional team. 

On the other hand, the Warriors, led by Steve Kerr, went on a historical 73-9 run in 2015, beating out the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72-10. However, despite this impressive run, the Warriors lost a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. Despite having a phenomenal season, the Warriors just couldn’t get the job done in the postseason. After losing Game 7, Draymond Green had some choice words on social media for Lebron James.

However, I must give credit where credit is due; they had one of the most dominant seasons in the history of the NBA.

Off the court, however, the CSUS Gryphons have a far better record. Warriors players such as Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry have all created tons of controversy surrounding their personal lives. “China Klay” has been seen in memes worldwide, claiming that he “hits threes on and off the court,” but he didn’t hit his rock bottom until he signed with the Chinese company Anta, a shoe company which no one has ever heard of. As for Draymond Green, he is lovingly known as “Donkey from Shrek,” as he bears a close resemblance to the Equus asinus. He also loves kicking people in sensitive areas. Lastly, Stephen Curry has been surrounded by controversy since his wife, Ayesha Curry, claimed that she was not receiving enough attention, and that Steph was constantly getting hit on, making her uncomfortable. Critics have come out saying that this is Steph’s fault, as he needs to be “more annoying and more hateable.”

On the other hand, the CSUS Gryphons have a rich history of being extremely compassionate to people in need. Wilson Conn, the team’s star Small Forward, has been known to volunteer at homeless shelters on the weekends. One particular story stands out, however. One day after coming home from a tough loss to Pinewood, he stopped by Burger King to pick up his normal postgame burger. After coming out of the store, he saw a homeless boy sitting out in front. Knowing who Wilson was, the boy asked for a picture with him, but seeing that the boy clearly needed some food, Wilson decided to give his burger to the kid instead. He told the kid, “Just like this Burger King, you will be a king one day. But instead of being the king of burgers, you’ll be the king of basketball.” That kid grew up to become none other than Zion Williamson.

So, with all that said, let’s settle the debate. Here is a comparison of the starting five from each team. 

POINT GUARDS

SHOOTING GUARDS

SMALL FORWARDS

POWER FORWARDS

CENTER

Clearly, the CSUS Gryphons’ starting lineup is superior to the 2015- 16 Warriors’ lineup. Considering this along with the fact that they are better off the court, the 2019- 20 CSUS Gryphons is most definitely the better team. They will be forever remembered as one of the greatest high school basketball teams Hillsborough has ever seen.