Golden State Warriors’ Rally Points to a Great Future
The Golden State Warriors held their 2015 NBA Finals Championship parade and rally on Friday, and being there was a great pleasure. I arrived at the rally location at six AM where people have been waiting as early as three AM. Over the next seven or more hours, one of the best celebrations Oakland has ever seen brought around one million fans together.
It was an ocean of blue and yellow spiced with the gray of the team’s championship hats and tees. Everywhere one could see Warriors jerseys of modern and retro players, humorous signs, and sports game bacon-wrapped hot dogs.
Starting at about eight AM, the large stage side monitors displayed a live stream of Comcast Sports Net Bay Area. The channel entertained the waiting masses with the post-game coverage from the game six NBA Finals Championship clincher. The crowd erupted in cheers during moments such as Stephen Curry‘s famous ball handling move in which he shook off Matthew Dellavedova, nailed a three, and glared a menacing scowl.
The screen then showed live coverage of the parade. It was clear that the parade was truly a special moment for both players and fans to soak in the glory of being NBA Champions.
It wasn’t just the players that became world champs; it was the city of Oakland and all of the Dub Nation faithful who suffered painful seasons and finally reveled in the great moment.
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The celebration was in full swing once the fans witnessed Curry still holding onto the NBA Finals trophy while beaming with absolute joy. Once again, Riley Curry stole the show because the camera and us fans couldn’t get enough of her cuteness. Later, she would go on to join Curry on stage at the rally podium in front of her biggest fans.
Andre Iguodala looked equally excited as he interacted with the parade crowds with his Finals MVP trophy in-hand. Being able to reflect on his contributions this year through his appreciative rally speech was a truly special moment for the Warriors organization and fans.
One of the best parts of the parade was when Draymond Green stepped off his float to greet street-side fans throughout the procession.
After the parade, CSN Bay Area treated the rally crowd with delightful “blue carpet” interviews before the rally commenced.
Without a doubt, the most memorable interviews came from Green, his mother Mary Babers-Green, and Marshawn Lynch. Lynch was also a special guest featured in the parade. On camera, it’s clear that Draymond and Marshawn have a tight bond. Lynch referred to Green as “Baby Beast Mode”, and Green’s mother and Lynch talked about where Green’s heartfelt play and work ethic come from.
It was a special moment to see Lynch talk enthusiastically about Green and the city of Oakland, which is Lynch’s hometown. Then one of the biggest crowd eruptions happened after Draymond’s mother said “we started from the bottom, and now we’re here.”
Green loved it, Lynch loved it, and the fans in Oakland loved every moment of the fantastic rally.
One of my favorite parts of the rally was seeing Shaun Livingston speak about his deep appreciation for this NBA Championship. He is one of the many players who truly deserved this because he never thought he’d get a shot after the devastating knee injury early in his career.
However, it was equally exciting to see the entire roster and coaching staff of the Golden State Warriors gather on-stage together. For all of them, it looked like one of the happiest moments of their lives.
The rally was also a great opportunity for the fans to get to know the team beyond their game-time personas. Competition certainly elicits a more serious demeanor, so fans were treated with a relaxed experience from the team.
For example, Head Coach Steve Kerr rocked khaki shorts and a tee. He definitely looked like his Southern California self during his sarcastic rally speech in which he jokingly gave himself credit for teaching each Warrior player their strengths. When it seemed like the joke would end, Kerr pressed onward by saying how he was given a team that couldn’t shoot long range and so on.
However, the everlasting theme of the rally was that the success this season was no accident. The new ownership, coaches, and array of superior player talent was all part of the master plan to turn the Golden State Warriors into a great team.
Yes, this was a great season of 67 regular season wins, brilliant three-point shooting, league-leading offense, and dominating defense. All of this was capped off with an ever so sweet NBA Finals Championship, but the entire world needs to realize something. The Golden State Warriors are the best professional sports team in the world, and this is the start of a dynasty.
In regards to the future outlook of the Warriors, it was exciting to hear from the general manager and Draymond Green that he will all but definitely return to the team. There have been reports that Green might leave in free-agency, but the Warriors’ organization eased the fans’ tensions by expressing that Green’s tenure with Golden State is a priority.
Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and more are all key ingredients that will make the Warriors the best team in the NBA for the foreseeable future.
The greater point is that the Warriors are committed to keeping this team together and building off the success of this season. The team’s CEO, Joseph S. Lacob, confidently stated that Steve Kerr is the best coach in the NBA even after one season.
This Warriors team has the management, the coach, and the players, that will make this franchise a modern-day Lakers or Bulls dynasty. There aren’t better people that could lead the team aside from Steve Kerr with his multiple championships and the new face of the NBA, Stephen Curry.
The Golden State Warriors are on their way to being one of the best franchises ever.
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