PD Editorial: Golden age for Bay Area sports

Five years ago, the San Francisco Giants surprised the baseball world by rolling through the National League playoffs and laying claim to its first World Series title since moving West in 1958, beating the powerful Texas Rangers team in five games.

Two years later, they did it again, sweeping a heavily favored Detroit Tigers team in four. And then, just for good measure, Bruce Bochy and company did it again last fall, jumping on the back of workhorse pitcher Madison Bumgarner who put on one of the greatest postseason pitching performances in sports history - 21 innings pitched, two wins, one save, 0.43 ERA - in carrying the team to its third World Series in five years.

If that wasn’t enough, the sports gods handed the Bay Area another trophy on Tuesday, thanks to the immortal perimeter shooting of Stephen Curry, indominitable defense of Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green and the single-minded, selfless dedication of others to the idea that, even in an era dominated by superstars, basketball remains a team sport.

The Warriors spent a season proving that, winning a remarkable 67 regular season games, a franchise record, and rolling through the playoffs and the NBA Finals with a 16-5 record, including defeating a Cleveland Cavaliers team led by the legendary four-time MVP LeBron James.

By any measure, this has been a golden age for Bay Area sports.

That’s particularly true when one also considers the 49ers’ narrow loss to the Baltimore Ravens (34-31) in the 2013 Super Bowl and the postseason play of the Oakland A’s (2012-14) and the San Jose Sharks (2010 to 2014, including a loss in the conference finals in 2011).

Bay Area sports fans have had plenty to cheer about.

One would have to go back to the years spanning from 1972 to 1976 when the Warriors (1975), the Oakland A’s (1972-74) and the Oakland Raiders (1976) all won championships to find a comparable period of local success in the modern era of professional sports.

But of all the things that stood out about the Golden State Warriors’ victory this week one thing is clear: Once won’t be enough.

With first-year coach Steve Kerr and a host of young and hungry players, expect this team to be back to defend its title next year and to show this was no fluke.

Congratulations Warriors on your first NBA championship in 40 years. As with the Giants in 2010, it was worth the wait.