March 21st, 2015, and four prophetic words would ultimately become synonymous with the beginnings of the Golden State Warriors dynasty: “We gonna be championship.” 

Spoken to then CSN Bay Area’s Rosalyn Gold-Onwude following a victory over the Utah Jazz, it proved to be a foreshadowing from one of the Warriors’ most important players. Only it didn’t come from Stephen Curry, or Klay Thompson, or the animated Draymond Green. 

It came from Leandro Barbosa, perhaps one of the underrated but invaluable pieces of the Warriors dynasty. 

With Barbosa’s prophetic words in mind, this kicks off a three-part look at the underrated pieces of the Warriors dynasty, spotlighting each title team and a single-player that perhaps was overlooked by others, but not by the Warriors faithful. 

As much as this Golden State dynasty was predicated on the game-changing “Death Lineup” or the greatest five-man lineup assembled with the “Hamptons 5,” it’s those off the bench that can make or break a championship contender. The Warriors are no stranger to this, and those invaluable pieces should be given their due. 

There’s plenty of praise to be given and so many players that should be acknowledged (Shaun Livingston, Marreese Speights, the list goes on). But for this piece, we’re circling in on just one of the many invaluable players on the 2015 Warriors roster: Leandro Barbosa. 

Barbosa signed with the Warriors before the 2014-2015 season, having spent 13 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, and Boston Celtics. His high-scoring years were behind him in Phoenix, and those seasons were accompanied by plenty of high-stakes postseason appearances, going as far as the Western Conference Finals. 

And so while the Warriors likely knew they weren’t signing Barbosa for his scoring output, what he brought to that first championship squad was greater: experience. And not only experience from the regular season, but on the bigger stages. 

The Warriors went 65-17 in the regular season, best in the NBA and ranked second in offensive rating and first in defensive rating. Golden State was the textbook example of a true two-way team, they could outscore and also contain you on the other end. 

Barbosa played 66 games, averaged 14.9 minutes per game, 7.1 points per game and 1.5 assists per game. Numbers that don’t jump off the page via the eye test, but they’re indicative of a player that new head coach Steve Kerr could call on when needed to. 

And that invaluable trait would prove to be a difference-maker for the upcoming postseason. 

No matter the talent of your stars, it takes a team to bring home a championship. “Strength in Numbers” has been the mantra throughout the Golden State Warriors dynasty, and it rang true in hoisting their first championship. 

In those 2015 NBA Playoffs, Barbosa appeared in 21 games, averaged around 10 minutes per game, shot 44 percent from the field, including 81 percent from the free-throw line. He may have not been the Warriors’ leading scorer, but he was an embodiment of the advantage that Golden State had over their opponents: depth and experience all throughout the roster. 

A younger player with high potential can be a volume scorer, but what about on the biggest stage? They just might recoil under the heightened pressure. Barbosa wasn’t asked to put on a Finals MVP performance but was expected to be ready, play his part, and make a play on either end of the floor when needed to. 

In a way, the latter can sometimes make or break a team’s chances of hoisting the trophy. If one player fails to capitalize on their opportunity, the tide of a series can turn. 

Fans remember Stephen Curry’s MVP season and the spectacular shots he hit against the Pelicans in the first round and over Matthew Dellavadova in the Finals. They remember Andre Iguodala cementing the Death Lineup to put away the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

But don’t forget that Golden State came out on top all the way through the Finals because they were, by and large, the better team*. When the stars were on the sideline, it was the depth of the Warriors that helped carry them through. You hold your breath when Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson are forced to the bench for extended periods.

But if you have the luxury of having someone like Leandro Barbosa, an experienced veteran who knows what’s at stake and isn’t fazed, that makes the task a whole lot easier. 

To the underrated player that so accurately foresaw a championship coming, we salute you. “We gonna be championship” became: “We are championship.”