OAKLAND, Calif. — The parade is only on Friday, but the Golden State Warriors are already looking ahead to what could be a promising future.

And with their young core under contract and MVP Stephen Curry just entering his prime, the Warriors believe their first NBA championship in 40 years could be the start of many more.

“There’s potential for us to build this long-term,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said Thursday.

The Warriors rolled to a franchise-record 67 wins during the regular season before dispatching New Orleans, Memphis and Houston in the Western Conference playoffs. They won their first title since 1975 on Tuesday night when they finished off LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the NBA finals.

The victory capped off a 2014-15 campaign that wasn’t just a drought-breaker – it was historic.

The Warriors totaled 83 wins in all, the third-highest ever. Only the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Chicago Bulls won more, and Kerr played on both of those teams.

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“It’s ironic, but the unexpected thing is everything went exactly as we hoped. That never happens,” Kerr said.

Along with hearing from President Barack Obama, Kerr has received congratulations from former teammates and coaches. Some even teased him for winning as a rookie coach.

“It’s that easy huh?” Kerr said former Spurs teammate Tim Duncan texted.

General Manager Bob Myers, the NBA executive of the year, is hoping to capitalize on the roster flexibility he has masterfully orchestrated and give the Warriors a chance to hang more championship banners soon.

Nearly every key contributor – Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, Shaun Livingston and Festus Ezeli – is locked up through at least next season.

Draymond Green is a rare exception. The versatile forward is set to become a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors can match any offer he receives.

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Green expects to be back and the team intends to pay whatever salary he commands.

“I always said, ‘Players that help you win and certainly win at the level we won at, you want to keep,'” Myers said. “And we’ll do everything we can to keep him. Thankfully, the rules are in our favor.”

Myers said it’s too early to tell what will happen this offseason but he feels good about the team’s ability to remain a contender.

“When you have the success that we had, you’d like to keep it together as much as possible,” Myers said.

CAVALIERS: Coach David Blatt says he has developed a bond with superstar LeBron James that might be “more than what meets the eye.”

The Blatt-James relationship has been under scrutiny all season, and Blatt said Thursday the chance to coach the four-time MVP has been a fantastic experience that he looks forward to continuing.

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CLIPPERS: From skyscrapers to beaches, the Los Angeles Clippers hit the town to unveil their new logos and uniforms.

The Clippers handed out thousands of red T-shirts on Thursday to publicize the latest step in a thorough rebranding of the long-struggling franchise.

They’re hoping to build on their evolution into an NBA title contender with a new look and attitude.

GRIZZLIES: Forward Jeff Green exercised his player option keeping him with Memphis for the 2015-16 season.

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Green averaged 16 points and 4.2 rebounds in 78 games this season with Boston and Memphis. He shot a team-best 39.8 percent from 3-point range for Memphis after the All-Star break.


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