SAN ANTONIO -- Inspiration for the current iteration of the Warriors hung high above Steve Kerr on Monday afternoon.
Suspended above the AT&T Center floor were various championship banners detailing the San Antonio Spurs' sustained success. Over the past 20 years, Spurs general manager RC Buford and coach Gregg Popovich have helped build one of the NBA's most successful franchises, becoming a model for the league.
At the moment, the Warriors are on a perceived stopgap toward achieving that goal, having made the playoffs for the last seven years, reached the last five NBA Finals and won three titles. Even under their current climate -- without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson -- the Warriors have built a structure to continue their success for years to come, a future Kerr has seen firsthand in San Antonio.
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"Their model just had an amazing run of consistency," the Warriors coach said. "We patterned a lot of what we do after them."
The Spurs' stretch of dominance began 21 years ago, when they drafted 6-foot-11 big man Tim Duncan. They teaming the 21-year-old with Hall of Famer David Robinson, forming the "Twin Towers" and winning the 1999 NBA title one year later. Over the next 19 years, they never missed the playoffs, winning four more championships to become the only team in NBA history to claim a title in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, all under Popovich.
Kerr has seen San Antonio's culture up close, having played five years with the Spurs and won two titles as a player. In 2003, he hit four 3-pointers in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals to help the Spurs reach their third NBA Finals under Popovich. When Kerr's son, Nick, graduated from Cal, his first job was with the Spurs, bringing their relationship full circle.
"Pop has made such an influence on my life, my coaching, and I've learned so much from him," Kerr said. "So not only the sets that we run on the floor but just the way we try to treat our players or handle our business. I learned a lot from my time here."
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The Warriors are on their way to building similar long-term success. Their quest started in 2009, when they drafted Curry, providing them a franchise cornerstone of their own. One year later, Joe Lacob and a group of investors purchased the team.
Five years later, the Warriors claimed the fourth league title in franchise history, then won a league-record 73 regular-season games, attracting former league MVP Kevin Durant to join the roster. Over the next three years, the franchise won two more titles, finishing with the best five-year run in NBA history along the way, becoming a juggernaut in its own unique way.
"You have to make your own model," Kerr said. "I think we're very proud of what we've accomplished here, what we've established over the last, I would say seven, eight years since Joe bought the team. Your identity is forever evolving and being established."
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Even in a down year, the Warriors could emulate the Spurs. Entering Tuesday's game, Golden State has the league's second-worst record, leaving the team armed with the potential of acquiring a top-10 pick in next year's draft to pair with an All-Star cast -- a scenario similar to San Antonio's when it drafted Duncan.
Going forward, Kerr and the Warriors wouldn't mind having a similar experience.
"I learned a lot from my time here, and who wouldn't want to be like them?" Kerr said. "They've been the best."