The Golden State Warriors are in the midst of one of the most dominant stretches in NBA history. They rolled over the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, a resounding sweep that put a giant capital “D” on their Dynasty.
But it faced an unprecedented and really strange obstacle that nobody knew about. Now retired big man David West alluded to some problems internally last season, but nobody knew exactly what had happened. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, that would be potentially lethal meningitis.
The issue was at its most critical in March 2018, where an outside food handler contracted the infection. The scare became reached critical mass and lead to some very stringent precautions. Amick reports that practices were moved, the dining room was closed off completely, and outside doctors were needed to calm down players and team personnel. The Warriors lost ten of their final 17 regular season games last season, with the meningitis scare potentially playing a part.
For those who do not know, meningitis is nothing to scoff at. The infection causes inflammation of the membranes around the brain and requires immediate antibiotic treatment. Without it, potentially fatal complications are possible.
But you would not be able to tell that the Warriors dealt with a very serious medical scare by looking at how last season ended. A third championship in four seasons and the decimation of the Cavaliers’ dynasty over the Eastern Conference.
