Golden State Warriors and Their Fans Have Created a Monster

The NBA Playoffs have a history of creating unexpected storylines, but the one introduced in the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans’ playoff series is new to the playoff scene.

Pelicans coach, Monty Williams, seemed to have a problem with the decibel level created by Warriors fans in the Pelicans’ Game One loss.

"“I’m not so sure that the decibel level is legal there, and I’m serious,” Williams said before Game 2 of the first-round series Monday. “They’ve done studies on that. Being on the competition committee, there’s got to be something to that because it does get a little out of hand."

Whether Williams’ comments were said tongue in cheek, as the coach later hinted, could be debated, but the frenzy created by the Warriors’ raucous crowd could not.

The atmosphere created in Oracle Arena by more than 19,000 crazed Warriors fans is starting to take on a life of its own.

Sure, Warriors fans have always been loyal and long been considered some of the most enthusiastic fans in the NBA. But the bar was raised, during the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

This is when Oracle Arena was transformed into “Roaracle.”

America was introduced to “DubNation” during that playoff series. The sea of flowing yellow “We Believe” shirts worn by screaming fans became the energetic backdrop of one of the biggest upsets in NBA Playoff history.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who was working as an analyst for TNT during that playoff series, recalled the thunderous noise level created during that series.

"This is a great place to play. I’ve felt that way the last 20 years… Probably the loudest game I ever did when I worked with TNT was Game 6 of the playoff series against Dallas, I guess it was ’07. It’s a loud building; it’s fun, especially if you’re the home team."

Loud, vociferous crowds are the staples of all great home fields.

The Seattle Seahawks’ “12th Man” has created a house of horrors for their opponents at Century Link Field, and Yankee Stadium’s “Roll Call” has become legendary.

It’s those dedicated fans that have made those venues “Terror Domes” for opponents, and a safe haven for their beloved teams.

“It was unbelievable,” center Andrew Bogut said afterward. “At one point it got to where we couldn’t even hear the whistle. That’s what we want. We love that from our fans and the atmosphere they provide. We wouldn’t want to play anywhere else in the world.”

The energy that is created in these stadiums can’t be measured or calculated by pure numbers. But they can be seen in that extra bit of energy a player may show in the closing minutes of a crucial game.

The Warriors and Pelicans were tied at 71 entering the fourth quarter of Game Two when the momentum took a dramatic shift in Golden State’s direction.

The Pelicans seemed to be running on fumes, and Anthony Davis, who had 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting through the first three quarters, was clearly running out of gas.

Thanks to fatigue and strong defense played by Draymond Green, Davis missed all five fourth quarter shots and was limited to six points from the free throw line.