The Warriors' current NBA Finals run has been years in the making.
Having missed the playoffs in back-to-back years prior to the 2021-22 season, Golden State's triumphant return to the Finals certainly hasn't been easy.
In speaking with reporters at Media Day on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's Game 1 matchup between the Warriors and Boston Celtics at Chase Center, Steph Curry revealed what provided both he and the Warriors with the fuel needed for their return to championship form this season.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"It was just the confidence in knowing who we are and that Klay [Thompson] was coming back, but I got a lot of juice from the last 20 games last year," Curry said. "We had a crazy up-and-down year just trying to stay afloat and then got to a point where we found our rotation and we finished 15-5, had those two tough losses in the Play-In Tournament and you could feel like we were close.
"Close to being in that conversation where you're a serious contender to come out of the West. Whatever that means, time will tell, but like, I got a lot of juice from that finish. Obviously I was playing well, figuring [it] out, building our chemistry and re-forming the identity of who we are and how we play."
The Warriors went on an impressive 15-5 run to close out the 2020-21 regular season, which landed them in the NBA's Play-In Tournament. After losing to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, the Warriors were denied a return to the playoffs, which eventually would provide Curry and the Dubs with the motivation they needed heading into last summer.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"But that was the gas in the tank for the whole summer and the start of this year, knowing that we're going to be a problem this year and we've got four more wins to make it all worth it, but it's a good feeling," Curry added.
RELATED: Kerr provides positive updates on injured Warriors before Game 1
Playing for their sixth championship in eight seasons, the Warriors' current run is a testament to the Hall of Fame core of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, and their ability to adapt to an infusion of youth on the roster and overcome a slew of injuries.
Curry and the Warriors are just four wins away from hoisting their fourth Larry O'Brien Trophy and will have to empty the tank in order to take down the Celtics.