1975 Finals: A Cinderella Rout, Warriors Sweep the Bullets 4-0

The 1975 Finals is long remembered as one of the most underestimated upsets in NBA history. In the regular season Washington piled up 60 wins behind Unseld and Hayes and was widely picked; Golden State managed only 48 wins, with 31-year-old Rick Barry as the lone star and a roster so thin it had no second option.

The result was a blowout: the Warriors won four straight. Barry was the scoring arrow, the secondary playmaker and, when needed, the wing stopper switching onto guards. He poured in nearly 30 a game on efficient shooting and repeatedly broke young defenders with experience. When the final horn sounded, the Warriors hugged in a pile—the trophy was Barry cashing in a whole career of accumulated know-how.

That MVP meant "vindication": Barry had been a scoring champion as a rookie but was dogged by a no-ring reputation and league-hop baggage. The 1975 crown freed him from the "stat-padder" label for good.

Related Reading

• 1975 NBA Finals MVP: Rick Barry (Golden State Warriors)
• Rick Barry: The 1975 Warriors Sweep and That "Weird" Free-Throw Form
• The Honor Roll: Scoring Title, Finals MVP and the Hall of Fame
• Historical Standing: Why Barry Is the "Most Underrated Scoring King"
• The "Granny" Free Throw: Barry’s Famous Oddity and 90% Touch