The Victory Machine

The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty

By: Ethan Sherwood Strauss

Narrated by: Ethan Sherwood Strauss

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's 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.

Critic reviews

"While Strauss clearly loves the sport, he also treats the N.B.A. as a reflection of the 'Darwinian contest' prized by American society...[he] offers insights into how power gets played out in personalities--the motivations, insecurities, and over-all vibe of people who are often insulated from judgment."—The New Yorker

"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

What Ethan Strauss does best is to dispense with the niceties and to cut to the core. He's done it again with The Victory Machine, an unvarnished inside account of the Golden State Warriors, from the driven, resolute owner who bought them to the capricious, conflicted superstar who ultimately left them. A must-read for NBA fans.—Jackie MacMullan, senior ESPN writer and Hall of Fame basketball commentator

"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

"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

awesome

lovrd it. great insight into my favorite team hope to see more from this author.

Really enjoyed!

The book shows us deep inside how the organization works, since before Joe Lacob acquired the franchise to the dynasty days.

The funniest part is the conversation he had with Iguodala while Kevon Looney was giggling on the side!

Great read for anyone who is even semi interested in the sports world

Ethan does a great job with this book providing insider information, unique perspectives, and a comprehensive look at the nba ecosystems.

Fascinating!

I like sports books, especially basketball books, & this book opened my eyes to some of the “behind the scenes” events that impact the business of the game. (Why DON’T GMs make as much as coaches???) I have new respect for the individuals who pulled together the original OKC Thunder & made it work. The author narrates & there were times he tried to mimic other people’s voices—failed attempts, mostly—but I found it amusing & endearing & not at all annoying. I loved this book for the subject, the content & the scrutiny which I found to be nonjudgmental. Good job!

Great Book

Really enjoyed the book, and Ethan did a great job narrating it for the audio book. It really digs deep in to the organization and gives some tidbits even the most hardcore NBA fans wont be familiar with. I would say this book caters more to the hardcore NBA fan though, or at least someone really in to the league or the Warriors dynasty in particular.

Beside that audience, I could see people who enjoy business and the rise and fall of dynasties in any sport. The Sneaker Wars chapter is great and gives a deeper look in to how big brands like Nike control such a huge part of what goes on in the NBA (NCAA too) and I love hearing stories about people that may not be widely known but have SO much influence and power.

Just an overall great book. I recommend Ethan’s podcast, and he also went on several other podcasts to promote the book and talks about what it’s about and what he was trying to achieve by writing it. If you’re on the fence, I’d say give one of those pods (or a couple) that he goes on to talk about the book because he really gives an accurate representation of what the book is in the interviews.

That’s a big reason of why I ended up buying it. I knew I’d like the subject matter. I wasn’t interested in reading a book about how awesome of a team they were, how awesome the players/GM/owners/coach is/were, etc. If you’re a basketball fan you know most of that stuff already. And there are other books on the Warriors dynasty I’m sure that you can go get.

Obviously the story of the Warriors is still being written (well it will be once we get the next off season and then next seasons) and they’re in a very interesting position moving forward. But there’s more than enough fascinating material here.

It really flew by. I listened to it all in one sitting without even planning to. It was like the perfect length. I do wish it was slightly longer but I don’t think it needed to be. He hit on everything I wanted and more. The story of the sale of the team to current ownership and getting to know more about those guys was fascinating in particular along with the sneaker stuff.

I look forward to Ethan writing another book on whatever topic he takes on next however many years from now. And no I was not paid or given a free copy of the book for this review.