There is a common goal in sports, and that is to win. There are some leagues that have a good amount of levity, such as the MLB and NHL. As for the NFL and NBA, there is just one team that stands out above the rest, and they have a lot in common.

The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Rams both stand above the other teams in their respective leagues, and the California franchises have much more to share than geographic qualities.

Both the Rams and Warriors are making resurgences to the top after recent struggles. Before winning the championship in 2015, the Warriors hadn’t been past the second round of the playoffs since the 1975 season (via basketball-reference.com). Prior to their recent NFL dominance, the Rams had not had a winning season since 2003 (via. pro-football-reference.com).

While both of those similarities could be seen as mere coincidences to force a comparison between the two, there is more. Each team has drafted three all-pro talents to be cornerstones of the franchise. For starters, each team drafted their franchise players in the back half of the top 10 picks: the Rams chose Todd Gurley with the tenth pick in 2015 and with the seventh selection of the 2009 NBA Draft, Stephen Curry was chosen by the Warriors.

Along with drafting offensive weapons, each team selected future winners of the defensive player of the year award when the Rams selected Aaron Donald in 2014 and the Warriors used a draft pick in 2012 for Draymond Green. As for each powerhouse’s under-appreciated sidekick, Jared Goff and Klay Thompson were both high-upside first-round draft picks in their respective drafts. Goff was selected with the first overall pick in 2016.

As both teams have succeeded in the draft, they were fortunate enough to have cap flexibility. That flexibility has allowed each team to make offseason moves to increase prior success. the Warriors signing perennial all-star Kevin Durant after a 73-9 season, winning consecutive championships for the first time in franchise history, then signing one of the best big men in the league in Demarcus Cousins.

As for the Rams, they traded for the young and skilled cornerback Marcus Peters, acquired Brandin Cooks from the Patriots and signed Ndamukong Suh in the offseason after taking an 11-5 record to win the NFC West for the first time since 2001.

The Rams and Warriors each have highly talented players with big names. Both rosters contain a veteran presence and great coaching that impacts the team directly. Both Sean McVay and Steve Kerr are considered among the top coaches in their respective leagues. As for a veteran presence, the Warriors have Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and formerly David West before losing him to retirement at the end of the 2018 season. The Rams have high-skilled veteran Aqib Talib, Sam Shields and Lamarcus Joyner.