Who will rid me of this meddlesome team?

On the fame of the Lakers (eternal) and Warriors (conditional, dying).

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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Stained glass window depicting Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, England

Sometimes I wonder when the world will fall out of love with the Golden State Warriors.

The Los Angeles Lakers: that’s a long-term love affair; in every era I’ve been on the internet, the Lakers have been a dominant figure in the discourse, on the lips of so many fans both casual and hardcore. The Dallas Cowboys of the NBA, though more often good than not (unlike the Cowboys, which as a non-NFL follower I have perceived as largely mediocre since the ‘90s, whether that’s accurate or not). The Lakers will be a hot topic after LeBron James goes away, after LeBron James Jr. goes away. Their fandom and haterdom are immense, global and without peer. The Lakers will always be here.

The Warriors, though: this is a newer phenomenon.