The 1980-81 Golden State Warriors experienced a challenging season, finishing with a record of 39-43. Despite showing moments of promise, the team was unable to secure a playoff spot in the competitive Western Conference. This season marked a period of transition and rebuilding for the franchise, which had previously enjoyed success in the 1970s.
Key players for the Warriors included Purvis Short, who emerged as a significant scoring threat, and Joe Barry Carroll, a rookie center who was drafted first overall in the 1980 NBA Draft. Carroll contributed solidly in his debut season, averaging 18.9 points per game, and showed potential as a cornerstone for the team’s future. However, the Warriors struggled with consistency on both ends of the court, particularly on defense.
Head coach Al Attles, a long-time figure in the organization, faced challenges in molding a cohesive unit from a roster that was still trying to find its identity after several roster changes. The Warriors’ inability to string together consistent winning streaks ultimately cost them a playoff berth, as they finished ninth in the Western Conference standings.
Despite the disappointing season, the Warriors laid some groundwork for future improvements. The performances of Carroll and Short offered glimpses of potential that the team hoped to build on in subsequent seasons. The 1980-81 campaign, while not successful in terms of wins and losses, was a step in the ongoing process of reshaping the team for future success.
- Regular Season Record: 39-43
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Golden State Warriors Roster and Stats for 1980-81 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| World B. Free | 65 | 24.1 | 2.4 | 5.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 16.1 | |||||||
| Bernard King | 81 | 21.9 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 33.3 | |||||||
| Joe Barry Carroll | 82 | 18.9 | 9.3 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Purvis Short | 79 | 16.1 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 18.8 | |||||||
| Larry Smith | 82 | 9.6 | 12.1 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Joe Hassett | 24 | 9.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 39.4 | |||||||
| John Lucas | 66 | 8.4 | 2.3 | 7.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 18.2 | |||||||
| Sonny Parker | 73 | 6.5 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Rudy White | 4 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lorenzo Romar | 53 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 33.3 | |||||||
| Rickey Brown | 45 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Phil Chenier | 9 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33.3 | |||||||
| Billy Reid | 59 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bill Mayfield | 7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Clifford Ray | 66 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tom Abernethy | 10 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| John Mengelt | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Golden State Warriors 1980-81 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1980-81 season for the Golden State Warriors.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 1980 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 121-101 | |
| Oct 11, 1980 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 104-91 | |
| Oct 15, 1980 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 95-92 | |
| Oct 18, 1980 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 108-101 | |
| Oct 19, 1980 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 125-107 | |
| Oct 21, 1980 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 116-111 | |
| Oct 23, 1980 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 128-109 | |
| Oct 25, 1980 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 86-79 | |
| Oct 28, 1980 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 119-102 | |
| Oct 29, 1980 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 115-109 | |
| Oct 31, 1980 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 120-104 | |
| Nov 01, 1980 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 123-108 | |
| Nov 05, 1980 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 106-98 | |
| Nov 07, 1980 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 122-113 | |
| Nov 08, 1980 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 118-111 | |
| Nov 12, 1980 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 111-101 | |
| Nov 15, 1980 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 119-108 | |
| Nov 18, 1980 | @ Washington Bullets | W 103-97 | |
| Nov 19, 1980 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 110-101 | |
| Nov 21, 1980 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-106 | |
| Nov 22, 1980 | @ New York Knicks | W 116-110 | |
| Nov 27, 1980 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 128-119 | |
| Nov 29, 1980 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 113-108 | |
| Nov 30, 1980 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 120-100 | |
| Dec 03, 1980 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 131-108 | |
| Dec 05, 1980 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 119-114 | |
| Dec 06, 1980 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 119-103 | |
| Dec 07, 1980 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 106-88 | |
| Dec 10, 1980 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 108-103 | |
| Dec 13, 1980 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 99-97 | |
| Dec 14, 1980 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 122-113 | |
| Dec 17, 1980 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-113 | |
| Dec 19, 1980 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 126-111 | |
| Dec 20, 1980 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 101-98 | |
| Dec 23, 1980 | @ Houston Rockets | W 114-99 | |
| Dec 25, 1980 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-114 | |
| Dec 26, 1980 | @ Utah Jazz | W 110-109 | |
| Dec 27, 1980 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 104-98 | |
| Dec 30, 1980 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 106-104 | |
| Jan 02, 1981 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 121-106 | |
| Jan 03, 1981 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 119-105 | |
| Jan 07, 1981 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 111-109 | |
| Jan 10, 1981 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 105-103 | |
| Jan 11, 1981 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 106-98 | |
| Jan 14, 1981 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 110-107 | |
| Jan 16, 1981 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 111-110 | |
| Jan 21, 1981 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 105-98 | |
| Jan 23, 1981 | @ Utah Jazz | W 103-101 | |
| Jan 24, 1981 | vs. New York Knicks | W 117-110 | |
| Jan 27, 1981 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 118-101 | |
| Jan 28, 1981 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 108-102 | |
| Jan 29, 1981 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 117-112 | |
| Feb 04, 1981 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 115-100 | |
| Feb 06, 1981 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 116-110 | |
| Feb 07, 1981 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 135-125 | |
| Feb 08, 1981 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 107-101 | |
| Feb 10, 1981 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 116-108 | |
| Feb 13, 1981 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 110-106 | |
| Feb 14, 1981 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 108-90 | |
| Feb 15, 1981 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 134-132 | |
| Feb 17, 1981 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 118-109 | |
| Feb 18, 1981 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 103-100 | |
| Feb 20, 1981 | vs. San Diego Clippers | L 115-114 | |
| Feb 22, 1981 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 104-96 | |
| Feb 24, 1981 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 131-126 | |
| Feb 27, 1981 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 137-130 | |
| Feb 28, 1981 | @ Kansas City Kings | W 110-101 | |
| Mar 04, 1981 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 107-105 | |
| Mar 06, 1981 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 115-109 | |
| Mar 07, 1981 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 106-103 | |
| Mar 08, 1981 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 120-112 | |
| Mar 11, 1981 | @ Houston Rockets | L 109-92 | |
| Mar 12, 1981 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 120-118 | |
| Mar 15, 1981 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 114-112 | |
| Mar 18, 1981 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 118-117 | |
| Mar 19, 1981 | @ San Diego Clippers | L 139-113 | |
| Mar 21, 1981 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 114-105 | |
| Mar 22, 1981 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-118 | |
| Mar 24, 1981 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 110-103 | |
| Mar 25, 1981 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 120-114 | |
| Mar 28, 1981 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 142-139 | |
| Mar 29, 1981 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 96-92 |