Golden State Warriors: “We Still Believe”
During the 2007 NBA playoffs, one arena stood out amongst the rest. The home of one of the most loyal fan bases in the league was transformed into an energy driven tidal wave. And the energy of the crowd had the arena rocking like a California quake.
The Golden State Warriors and their fans were the talk of the NBA. Their loyalty and passion had been on display for decades, despite years of losing. And under the spotlight of the NBA playoffs, they were finally getting their due.
This was a Warriors team that was viewed nationally as little more than a feel good story, but not a serious threat to a Dallas Mavericks team coming off a dominant 67-15 regular season.
The prevailing thought in league circles was that the Mavericks would dismantle the Warriors with soon to be league MVP, Dirk Nowitzki, dominating the matchup.
The Warriors and their loyal fans not only embraced the “Us versus the World” mentality, it motivated one loyal fan to start his own private campaign.
Alameda resident and long time season ticket holder, Paul Wong, used between $6,000 and $7,000 of his own money to print up thousands of yellow placards displaying the phrase “We Believe,” and passed them out at a late season game. That simple two word phrase was the perfect encapsulation of the fans’ feelings for their team.
The Warriors and the Mavericks split the first two games in Dallas and were heading towards a pivotal game three matchup in Oracle Arena.
The groundswell of support for the “We Believe” movement did not go unnoticed by the Warriors’ organization, who jumped on board with Wong and distributed 20,000 yellow “We Believe” t-shirts before their game three matchup with the Mavericks.
When television cameras panned around the arena the visual display of 20,000 hollering fans all draped in yellow shirts, jumped off the screen.
The growing electricity being generated by the crowd in Oracle, broadcast nationally, could be felt in living rooms across the country.
The Warriors versus Mavericks matchup overwhelmingly became the most discussed playoff series of 2007.
With an eight seed upsetting a one seed for the first time in NBA history, not only was history being made, the atmosphere being created by the Warriors’ home crowd had taken on its own narrative.
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The raucous crowd and kinetic vibe created during that playoff series helped fuel the Warriors to one of the greatest upsets in NBA history, and would seem to be almost impossible to duplicate.
“I think it’s going to take it to a whole different level,” Wong said.
Non-believers may think trying to recreate the energy and atmosphere of 2007 is a lost cause, but Paul Wong is a believer.
The passionate Warriors fan, passed out 250 blue and gold “We Believe Championship” placards to last Thursdays game against the Portland Trailblazers.
Wong said this in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News:
"“I believe what the coaching staff and the players are feeling, just like back in ’07, our job as fans is to believe.”"
The David versus Goliath mantra was the prevailing story line during the “We Believe” playoff run, however, the 2015 Warriors have shown to be more Goliath than David.
They are no longer the hunters in the playoff jungle, they have become the hunted.
The Warriors have little worry about their fans taking winning for granted. They know “Dub Nation” has shown unwavering support over the years, but now it’s time to reward this great fan base with a “We Believe Championship.”