The Golden State Warriors reside in San Francisco now, but for many of the players and coaches who brought championships to the Bay Area in recent years, the connection to Oakland, the city where the team played for 47 years and recently went to five in a row. NBA Finals at Oracle Arena: Still stronger than ever. Those roots became clear when Warriors staff discussed what it meant for them to wear their new “Oakland Forever” shirts (with Oakland emblazoned on their chests) that will debut during Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
“This is fire,” Warriors striker Draymond Green said during a video conference with reporters after Monday night’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. “You know, I rock with Oakland; this is my second home. The soul of our team comes from Oakland. That’s what it is. The soul of this organization is built in Oakland; this is just the reality “.
The shirts, which the “We Believe” Warriors made famous during a 2007 playoff, are blue with golden letters from Oakland with an orange outline. They are part of the City Edition collection that Nike gathers every year throughout the league.
“I love the shirts,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think they’re very beautiful and the fact that they say Oakland is amazing there. I will forever have five years of incredible memories of playing Oracle and practicing in Oakland every day at our facilities, East Bay.
“These guys are right: Oakland will forever be a big part of our identity and our roots. We are a team in the Bay Area. Viously, obviously, the team played in San Francisco before playing in Oakland, and that’s why we’re so proud to represent the whole bay. But Oakland will always have a special place in our hearts. “
The Warriors moved into their new home, the San Francisco Chase Center, before the 2019-20 season. Although staff members understood the relocation, given the huge revenue possibilities of the dreaded new building that cost more than $ 1 billion to build, it was difficult for many to leave East Bay due to the their affinity for the community they grew up in.
For Warriors star Stephen Curry, the shirts are a reminder of his start in the NBA. The Warriors took the Davidson product with the seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, making him the last player on the current roster to wear the “We Believe” shirt during his starting season at the League.
“They were fire,” Curry said Monday night, in this case referring to what those unions were made of. “But that was the old material; they were very heavy. That was the only thing I remember; you put them on, compared to how they’re made now, it’s night and day. But the look is so classic. When you think of the old school, think about this franchise, Oakland, the expression of who we were, these t-shirts are front and center, in front of the mind.
The Warriors wore the white version of the “We Believe” T-shirts during the last game of the regular season at the Oracle Arena during the 2018-19 season, but this will be the first time the group can wear a T-shirt that in actually says Oakland.
“The last time we wore them, the last game of the regular season of 19 at Oracle, was just a great time to get them back,” Curry said. “Viously, obviously having Oakland across the chest is special now. We have a lot of good memories there on this side of the [Bay] Bridge. Respect the era of warrior basketball. And it’s obviously special to me because it’s my debut year; I was the only one on this team who wore them, so it’s pretty special. “