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The Victory Machine

The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty

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The Victory Machine

Written by: Ethan Sherwood Strauss
Narrated by: Ethan Sherwood Strauss
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About this listen

How money, guts, and greed built the Warriors dynasty - and then took it apart

The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA for the better part of a decade. Since the arrival of owner Joe Lacob, they won more championships and sold more merchandise than any other franchise in the sport. And in 2019, they opened the doors on a lavish new stadium.

Yet all this success contained some of the seeds of decline. Ethan Sherwood Strauss' clear-eyed exposé reveals the team's culture, its financial ambitions and struggles, and the price that its players and managers have paid for all their winning. From Lacob's unlikely acquisition of the team to Kevin Durant's controversial departure, Strauss shows how the smallest moments can define success or failure for years.

And, looking ahead, Strauss ponders whether this organization can rebuild after its abrupt fall from the top, and how a relentless business wears down its players and executives. The Victory Machine is a defining book on the modern NBA: it not only rewrites the story of the Warriors, but shows how the Darwinian business of pro basketball really works.

©2020 Ethan Sherwood Strauss (P)2020 Hachette Audio
Basketball United States Warrior Business Winning Machine
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What the critics say

"The Victory Machine isn't a romantic look at the Golden State Warriors dynasty, but it gets to the human core of success and asks the reader to question everything he or she knew about sports." (Bomani Jones, cohost of High Noon)

"Strauss skillfully captures a team peaking as change is taking place all around them, and pulls the curtain aside on the often unsavory realities of what it means to succeed in the NBA." (Library Journal)

"The Victory Machine is The Breaks of the Game of its era. Strauss pulls the curtain back to reveal the ambitions, insecurities, and riches that propel one of the most interesting sports leagues in the world. Most sports books are either idea - driven or character-driven - but Strauss has accomplished both. This is a book I'll come back to again and again for its insight and wit." (Kevin Arnovitz, NBA writer, ESPN the Magazine)

What listeners say about The Victory Machine

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Amazing Insight to one of the best teams ever

Ethan does an amazing job in this book. As a Warriors fan, I had no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Great work!

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Great listen.

Big fan of Ethan's writing and podcast, so no surprise I love this. Great reporting and storytelling.

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a different view on sucess

this book looks at the Warriors dynasty through a much different lense than i expected, and was more interesting as a result

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