The Golden State Warriors now live in San Francisco, but for many of the players and coaches who have brought championships to the Bay in recent years, the connection was with Oakland – the city where the team played for 47 years and recently five consecutive players had. NBA Finals in Oracle Arena – Staying Stronger Than Ever Before The roots were clear when the Warriors staff discussed what it means for them to put on their new “Oakland Forever” jerseys – with Oakland fitted over their chests – starting during Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s fire,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said in a video conference with reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers victory Monday night. “You know, I’m rocking with Oakland; it’s my second home. The soul of our team comes from Oakland. It’s just what it is. The soul of this organization is built in Oakland; it’s just the reality. “
The jerseys, which the “We Believe” Warriors announced during a playoff game in 2007, are blue with Oakland in gold letters with an orange outline. They are part of the City Edition collection that Nike compiles throughout the league each year.
“I love the jerseys,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think they look very pretty, and the fact that they say Oakland on them is just amazing. I will forever have five years of incredible memories of playing at Oracle and practicing every day in Oakland in our facility, in the East Bay. .
‘The guys were right: Oakland will forever be a big part of our identity and our roots. We are a Bay Area team. Clearly, the team played in San Francisco before they played in Oakland, which is why we are very proud to represent the entire Bay. But Oakland will always have a special place in our hearts. ‘
The Warriors moved into their new home, Chase Center in San Francisco, ahead of the 2019-20 season. While staff members understand the relocation, given the huge revenue potential in the sparkling new building that cost more than $ 1 billion to build, it was difficult for many to leave the East Bay because of their affinity with the community they made home to.
For Warriors star Stephen Curry, the jerseys are a reminder of his NBA start. The Warriors took the Davidson product with the seventh pick in the NBA Series in 2009, making him the last player on the current rankings to wear the ‘We Believe’ jersey during his first season in the league.
“They were on fire,” Curry said Monday night in this case, referring to what the units consist of. “But it was the old stuff; they were heavy as hell. It was the one thing I remember; you wore it, versus how they make it now, it’s night and day. But the look, it’s just like that. classic.When you think of the old school, you think of this franchise, Oakland, the expression of who we were, those jerseys are front and center, front.
The Warriors wore the white version of the “We Believe” jerseys during the last game of the regular season at Oracle Arena during the 2018-19 season, but this will be the first time the group can wear a jersey on which Oakland stand on it.
“Last time we wore them, the last game in the regular season in ’19 at Oracle, it was just a great moment to bring those back,” Curry said. “To have Oakland over the chest now, of course, is clear. We have very good memories there on the side of the [Bay] Bridge. Be reverent for that era of Warrior basketball. And this, of course, is special to me because of my new year; I was the only one in this team who wore them, so it’s quite special. ‘