Let’s not be modest. This 2015-16 Golden State Warriors team is quickly reshaping the way we watch and play basketball.

There have always been these once-in-a-generation teams, beginning with Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics who taught fans the importance of team play and fundamental defense, spanning all the way to the most recent of Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs who redefined the value of playing within a system next to the ageless wonder, Tim Duncan. This game has always had a wealth of historic players with the innate ability of changing the game around them for a handful of years, such as a Jerry West or Karl Malone. But then a perfect marriage of team and superstar player(s) form, and that’s when the game goes through one of those forever changes.

After Russell’s reign with Boston, we quickly saw the enormous talent of Wilt Chamberlain and his 100-point game with the Philadelphia 76ers. A few years later, the Milwaukee Bucks graced us with the presence of the first real versatile point guard in Oscar Robertson, as he averaged no less than a jaw-dropping triple-double during the 1961-62 season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, formerly known as Lew Alcindor, was the next to dominate with the Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, as most of his records still make everyone else who competed in the league look irrelevant when compared side by side. The legends of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson took the game to new heights in the 1980s, as their combination of intense rivalry and spreading the wealth amongst their teammates gave audiences everywhere a reason to watch. After that, the great Michael Jordan amazed by not only dominating guard-play for an entire decade, but also leading his beloved Chicago Bulls to a three-peat, twice.

This new-age Golden State squad, coached by the unsung names of Steve Kerr and Luke Walton, will be the next team that changes basketball for everyone. Starting any season 20-0 is mind-boggling in itself, but the Warriors are only beginning to hit their stride. After winning the championship last year, Golden State has quickly gone from having a potential dynasty to already cementing one.

After this 2015-16 NBA season expires, the NBA will be much different than years past. A new age of basketball will begin, and even though we’ve already been witness to some of the changes, more will be underway relatively soon.

We saw gradual evidence in the recent past with the emergence of physical specimens such LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but now we have reached a new plateau. We currently have basketball specimens, thanks in large part to superstars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Curry’s offensive abilities are borderline out-of-this-world, and Green’s do-it-all mentality on the court is only a short glimpse into what the future holds for big-men in the NBA.

Special players have the ability to change a generation, but special teams can help mold the future. We saw Larry and Magic’s concentration on teamwork pave the way in the 70s and 80s. MJ’s grit and determination in the late 80s and early 90s with Phil Jackson and Chicago gave way to the amazing individual talents of players such as Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers gave new meaning to everything before him, and now we have the talents of Curry, Green and the Warriors. They are the next pairing to change basketball forever, but the future is yet to be written.

If you watch college and international basketball right now you already know the future of the NBA still has enormous untapped potential, but that looking glass is an ever evolving thing. What’s next for the league? Truly, nobody really knows, but you best believe that the pace, skill and versatility of the game will continue to skyrocket.

Currently, we are experiencing a brand new “Golden” age of basketball. Enjoy it.
Samuel Martell is Oklahoma City’s beat writer at www.RantSports.com. To stay connected, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘like’ him on Facebook, or ‘add’ him to your network on Google.