Fox, Brown reflect on Kings possibly ending Warriors dynasty

Fox, Brown reflect on Kings possibly ending Warriors dynasty originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings brought the Golden State Warriors' 2023-24 NBA season to an end Tuesday night, and, perhaps, a storied dynasty that has spanned a decade.

Sacramento's star point guard, De'Aaron Fox, was a sophomore in high school when Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green won their first NBA championship together. With the Kings' 118-94 NBA Play-In Tournament win over the Warriors, Golden State's dynastic trio failed to reach the playoffs for the first time when all three were fully healthy.

With one piece of that puzzle, Thompson, set to hit NBA free agency, potentially ending the Warriors' dynasty isn't something that's lost on Fox, as he told reporters after Sacramento's big victory.

"That's the question, man. I don't know," Fox said Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center. "... I was a sophomore in high school watching them win championships, and then they actually won the championship my first year in the league, and then won a championship my fifth year in the league. So we've been watching this team for a long time, and I think they've been great for the basketball world, obviously -- you see the value of the Warriors skyrocketed in the 2010s.

"But I can't answer your question. I don't know. But man, I've been watching, we've all been watching this team for a long time. If it is the end, it is what it is. I'm glad we were able to beat this team at this moment. But they've definitely had a hell of a run if this is the end."

There's no telling if the Warriors will go on to win more titles with Curry, Draymond and Thompson at the helm. Kings coach Mike Brown, who won three rings as an assistant with Golden State, isn't quite sure if it's the end for the Warriors dynasty.

"You've got three Hall of Famers. I don't know -- those guys still, in my opinion, can play, but the reality of it is, it's not my problem," Brown told reporters after Tuesday's win. "It's not my concern. We're getting ready for New Orleans. But those three guys [Curry, Thompson and Draymond], in my opinion, are special.

"I mean, I was a part of many championships and many good memories with them. And whatever they decide to do at the end of the day, that's what they decide to do. But the only other team I'm looking at right now is the New Orleans Pelicans, and not those guys."

It remains to be seen if the Kings and Warriors will run into each other next postseason for the third year in a row. Sacramento had the upper hand this time around, returning the favor after Golden State knocked it out of the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.

For now, as Brown said, the Kings will focus on their next play-in game against the Pelicans on Friday in New Orleans.

But if it is indeed the end of the Warriors dynasty, the Kings' path to the top of the Western Conference might have gotten that much easier in the years to come.