Winter is Coming in June
As we’re getting to the culmination of the two biggest events of the Summer -- the NBA Finals and the season finale of Game of Thrones -- we thought it would be fun to do a little player to character comparison.
Golden State, the team with the best record in the NBA, truly is a team of Warriors. They would fit in just fine in Westeros, as you’ll see with our character analysis.
No disrespect to the Cavs or their fans, but we’re in the heart of #WarriorNation, so in this story the Warriors represent the (mostly) good characters. The Cavs represent the Cleveland White Walkers - bad ass dudes you don’t want to mess with but you hope can be beaten in the end.
If you don’t believe that analogy, then you’ve never been to Cleveland when Winter really does come. And you can’t say there’s not a striking resemblance here to the super confident “Come at Me Bro” leadership style. I think I saw that White Walker throw snow up in the air like LeBron does with chalk.
(Warning: There may be some mild Game of Thrones spoilers - just the character descriptions, no plot details)
The Warriors of Westeros
Now back to the Warriors. Let’s start at the very top with Bob Myers, the Warriors GM, who won Executive of the Year for putting together this amazing franchise. Bob’s GoT character would be Tywin Lannister, who was also a mastermind known for putting together armies of generals, commanders, and soldiers.
Next, we have Coach Steve Kerr, who was runner-up as Coach of the Year. Coach Kerr’s GoT character is Daenerys Targaryen. They are both natural-born leaders, and both look sweet and innocent on the outside. But they are also both fire-breathing dragons on the inside. Kerr was one of the leading coaches in technical fouls this year, and Dany literally has dragon blood. Oh, and they’re both blonde!
The floor leader and league MVP, Stephen Curry, is Jon Snow. They’re both fearless leaders with excellent skills and are willing to give everything they have for their comrades. They’re so confident that they can sometimes be a little reckless at times, but that style always seems to work for them in the end. They also come from bad ass families - the Starks and Curries have excellent pedigree (Ned Stark & Dell Curry).
The second in command for the Warriors is Klay Thompson, who would be Jaime Lannister. They’re both masterfully skillful at what they do. Sometimes they struggle (Klay with his shot and Jaime with his missing hand), but they alway give it their all, and sometimes they shine like no other (37 points in a quarter!). They also have their own legendary dads -- Mychal Thompson and Tywin Lannister.
The heart and soul of the team is Draymond Green, who is like Tyrion Lannister. He’s smart, brash, not afraid to talk serious trash. They also never back down, even when facing a larger opponent. You’ll typically see Draymond having to battle giant Centers and Power Forwards. Tyrion, on the other hand, is just smaller than everyone but still finds a way to outwit and win.
Next up, we’ve got Harrison Barnes, the “Senator.” Have you ever seen him in an interview? He’s so well-spoken, he could easily run for office some day. His GoT character is Peter Baelish, who also is a smooth talker who always seems to make the right strategic move.
The final starter is Andrew Bogut, who would be Sandor Clegane or “The Hound.” Both of them are huge, strong, and take no crap from anyone. They are also super loyal and protective to anyone who’d be lucky to on their side.
The first person off the bench is Andre Iguadola, who is GoT character Bronn. Both are smart, strong, and skilled in battle. These are guys you want on your side when the going gets tough. They have experience and will get the job done.
Next up is Shaun Livingston. He may not like being compared to a female character, but we have him as Arya, who is badder than most of the male GoT characters. They’re both feisty, quick, agile, fearless, ruthless, and will pick you apart (Shaun with his jumper and Aryan with Needle).
The back-up center is Festus Ezeli who also might not like our comparison to Brienne of Tarth. They’re both big and imposing, protectors (one of the rim and the other of the Stark family), and very smart (Festus graduated high school at 14 and almost became a doctor).
Then we have Leandro Barbosa, the “Brazilian Blur” as he’s affectionately called. We liken him to Oberyn Martell - skilled, smooth, fearless.
Next up is David Lee. He’s a former All-Star with a lot of experience, but willing to come off the bench and do whatever it takes for his team. His GoT character is Jorah Mormont, who’s also an experienced fighter with tremendous loyalty. You want this guy on your team.
And finally, we have Marreese Speights, who we liken to Grey Worm. Both are fearless fighters, willing to protect and serve when called upon. And of course, you can't overlook that they're both bald. Coincidence? I think not!
Let the NBA Game of Thrones begin, and let’s hope that the Westeros Warriors can find a way to contain and take down the Cleveland White Walkers!