Well, well, well. What do we have here? While the rest of the NBA is busy fighting for playoff positioning, our beloved Golden State Warriors are out here winning in an entirely different arena—brand dominance.

Newsweek just dropped their “America’s Most Loved Brands 2025” list, and guess which squad is the ONLY sports franchise to crack the top 500? That’s right, Dub Nation—your Golden State Warriors are officially America’s favorite team, and they’ve got the receipts to prove it.

This isn’t some flimsy popularity contest either. We’re talking 24,000 American consumers submitting over 359,000 brand reviews. The Warriors pulled a 4.5 out of 5-star rating, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with corporate juggernauts like 3M, Cheesecake Factory, and National Geographic. Not bad company for a basketball team, huh?

Remember when Joe Lacob led that ownership group to purchase the Warriors for a “measly” $450 million back in 2010? Fast forward to today—the team’s value has multiplied by 15, making Lacob’s 25% stake worth a cool $2 billion. Talk about a return on investment! Four championships, a record-setting 73-win season, and now this brand recognition? The man’s basically printing money at this point.

But let’s be real—none of this happens without the magic that unfolds on the hardwood night after night. The Warriors brand isn’t just about slick marketing; it’s built on the foundation of revolutionary basketball that’s changed how the game is played forever. And we all know who’s the chief architect of that revolution: Stephen Curry.

The Baby-Faced Assassin has single-handedly reshaped basketball, turning once-ridiculous 30-footers into “good shots” and making defenders guard areas of the court they never thought mattered before. His gravitational pull on defenses, his wizard-like handle, that lightning-quick release—it’s basketball artistry that transcends the sport itself.

When America falls in love with a team, they’re really falling in love with moments: Steph shimmying after an impossible three, Klay going nuclear for 37 in a quarter, Draymond’s defensive brilliance that only true hoop heads appreciate. The Warriors aren’t just winners; they’re entertainers who play a brand of basketball that makes you question physics and probability.

From afterthought to global powerhouse—that’s the Warriors way. While other NBA franchises struggle to connect beyond their local markets, the Dubs have transcended the sport itself. It turns out that winning championships, playing beautiful basketball, and having personalities that resonate with fans is a pretty solid business strategy.

So the next time someone tries to tell you that the Warriors dynasty is fading, just point them to this Newsweek recognition. The brand is stronger than ever, America has officially fallen in love with the Blue and Gold, and as long as Chef Curry’s cooking, that love affair isn’t ending anytime soon.

Strength in Numbers? More like Strength in Brand Value.