Warriors too good to be just America’s Team

When the Cowboys became bloated with their own Texas-size self-importance and did some bad-boy things, the term became ironic. Maybe not if you live in Los Angeles or Cleveland, but if you're in Sheboygan, Wis., or Sioux Falls, S.D., you're either on the Warriors' bandwagon or running alongside it, ready to make the leap. Maybe there was more street fighting on the court back then, but if the NBA of Charles' day was as tough as he and Dennis Rodman remember it being, they wouldn't be around to wax bombastic about it. Thursday night's victory over the Clippers might have been the hottest Game 13-of-82 in NBA history. If the Warriors' lack Barkley Era back-alley toughness, they make up for it with stuff fans love: Speed, daring, teamwork, defense, likable players and individual greatness within a team concept.