A couple of years ago, the team with which Brandon Smith makes his living flirted with the single-season Canadian Football League record for most victories.

The Calgary Stampeders ultimately fell just short of that mark in 2014 and instead settled for being one of the select number of clubs to win 15 games. The ensuing Grey Cup championship also likely erased any disappointment from failing to match the 1989 Edmonton Eskimos’ 16-2 mark.

Now, Smith is paying close attention to another professional sports team making a bid for history.

The Oakland native is a big fan of the Golden State Warriors, the reigning National Basketball Association champions. Despite a shocking loss to the lowly Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the Warriors sport an impressive 55-6 record and remain on track to top the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 mark.

“The thing is that when you love what you do, it’s not work,” said Smith last week when asked about his favourite hoops team. “It’s all about going out there and enjoying playing the game. I’m pretty sure they don’t have to do much motivation. It’s just going out there and executing.”

When he watches the Warriors, Smith sees a passion with which he is very familiar.

“That’s what we’ve got in Calgary,” he said. “We’ve got people who come out each and every practice and each and every game and just love to be out there. It’s not work — we’re out there because we enjoy who we work with and playing for an organization like the Stamps.”

Smith isn’t the only Bay Area native and Warriors fan in the Stamps locker room. Greg Wilson, a receiver from Danville, Calif., joined Calgary last season while ex-Ticats pass-catcher Bakari Grant, who like Smith is from Oakland, signed with the Red and White last month.

So when the good-natured basketball debates get going, Smith now has some backup.

“There’s no argument — the Warriors’ performance speaks for itself,” said Grant, albeit before Sunday’s upset.

“I gave a lot of people an earful last year when the Warriors won the championship,” said Smith. “Now I get to come back and keep it going. There will be a lot of debate and a lot of discussion.

“Last year, everybody was saying LeBron (James) was the best player hands down. But now, after Steph Curry won a championship, he won the MVP and now he’s coming back even stronger, we can make the argument that Steph Curry is the best basketball player on the planet right now.”

Although the sports are very different, the Oakland natives say there are lessons to be learned from watching the Warriors that can be applied to the football field.

“Absolutely,” said Grant. “Anytime you watch some excelling, whether it’s in sports or accounting, you can learn something. For me, it’s seeing Steph Curry play. When you see him play and shoot the ball the way he does, you just know how much hard work and preparation he puts in.”

Smith draws another parallel between success on the court and on the field.

“There is a correlation,” he said. “In a recent game, on the last possession, there was a defensive play that created the win. We always say that defence wins championships.

“(Warriors guard) Klay Thompson looked a lot like a safety. He dropped back and was able to read the ball when it was up in the air and make a play. Then there’s Steph Curry — his eyes are always up and he’s looking around. He’s aware of everything that’s on the court, just like a defensive back always has to be aware of everything that’s going on on the field. We can’t just look at our man, we have to look at our man and the receiver right next to him. And as a safety, you have to see the whole field. That’s what Steph Curry does when he comes down-court.”

The 2016 Stamps basketball season tips off on this week! Click here to see the schedule and roster.