Golden State Warriors: Chase Center previewed in impressive tour

The Golden State Warriors new Chase Center, seen through the eyes of journalists, isn’t very shy about who it’s built to entertain.

There’s no way you didn’t know that the Golden State Warriors were moving from Oakland to San Francisco this season. Well, maybe you didn’t know if you don’t follow basketball. But if you don’t follow basketball, it’s a little odd that you’re reading this.

Since Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the Warriors back in 2010, they’ve had their sights set on moving the team back to San Francisco, where they played for almost a decade in the ’60s and early ’70s.

But it’s not the free-spirited lifestyle that dominated their original time there that has them coming back to the city by the bay. And no, they’re not here for the fog and the perpetual 68-degree weather either.

They’re here for money — all of it to be exact.

Everyone knows that San Francisco is at the center of the tech industry. And if you didn’t know, now you do. Welcome to the club. Companies from Twitter & Dropbox to Lyft & Airbnb are all headquartered in the city.

Cloud-based software company Salesforce has such a big presence here, that they just completed a gigantic skyscraper that reshapes the entire skyline. Long story short, San Francisco is the tech hub of the world. And tech is what runs the world right now.

There are thousands of young coders and programmers currently crammed into the city making an exuberant amount of cash. And that’s more or less how we got the Chase Center. Yes, in a sense, it is the House that the Hamptons Five built.

But it’s also all about the Benjamins.

On Monday, August 26, 2019, the stadium opened its doors for the first time to the media. They were able to be everyone’s eyes and ears before fans get to pack the seats at the official opening on September 6th for a Metallica concert.

And let me tell you, they were seeing green.

The press were treated to a tour of the facilities where they got up close and personal with the court, the suites, and the eateries. Do I see a chicken sandwich? Don’t let Popeyes see this post.

And it’s not just dope inside the arena, the outside festivities are an experience in and of itself. Scott Davis, one of the many journalists in attendance, breaks it down.

"“The complex features two entrances, a giant outdoor video board, an outdoor plaza with restaurants and shops, two offices rented by Uber, a public park, and luxurious suites. There is already a 44,000-person waiting list for season tickets.”"

More from Golden State Warriors

• Warriors unlikely to draft Anthony Edwards due to character concerns
• Warriors: September minicamp mimics NBA bubble
• Warriors: Eric Paschall named to NBA All-Rookie first team
• Warriors reportedly eyeing a wing in the 2020 NBA Draft
• Warriors: Is the team destined to trade its No. 2 overall draft pick?

If you’ve ever been to Oracle Arena, you’d know that there is absolutely nothing to do outside of the stadium. Everything is focused on what’s inside — the most important thing — the game.

Sure, there could have been some fancier food options, maybe an outdoor venue to keep fans occupied before and after the game, but I don’t know if anyone really cared that there wasn’t much going on.

It’s also really close to the Bart, the Bay Area’s rail system. So that was always a plus. Chase Center has a LOT going on. Enough to rival any other NBA arena.

It will hopefully bring some jobs to the area, as all of those restaurants and bars have no doubt reshaped the Mission Bay neighborhood. The public park is also a nice touch. I’m not sure if I’ve seen that before outside of a stadium.

But the biggest addition to Chase is the outdoor video board. This thing is going to rival Toronto’s ‘Jurassic Park’ with the fans that show up for the big games. And that brings me to my next and probably most important point:

Chase Center isn’t shy about who it’s catering to.

It isn’t for you or for me. Or even the die-hard Dubs fan. We’re still welcome of course, but this place was built with the tech industry in mind. Plain and simple. The only real difference between Oracle and Chase is the ambiance.

It’s made for those people that can drop $40,000 for a single game. It’s just in San Francisco now, so more of those people might be willing to come since it’s closer.

From a basketball standpoint, the goal is still to make the game accessible for everyone in attendance. Thankfully, Chris Bengel of CBS Sports was able to get the scoop on some dimensions.

"“One of the more surprising aspects of the Chase Center is that it’s a bit smaller than Oracle Arena, where the Warriors previously played. Their new home seats 18,000 fans as opposed to the 19,500 seat capacity that the Oracle had. Welt calls the arena being smaller by “thoughtful design.”"

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

That’s definitely a pleasant surprise. Oracle Arena was one of the most intimate venues I’ve ever been in for an NBA game. The nosebleeds felt like mid-level seats.

And to think that Chase Center is even smaller gets me pretty excited. But then I remember that nosebleeds in this place are probably going to really hurt my bank account.

I think that’s why the outdoor festivities — dubbed Thrive City — are such an important part of Chase. The gigantic viewing screen in the heart of a bustling mini-Warriors town surrounding the stadium is bound to reinforce the sense of community that makes this team so special.

Especially if most of it will be free or significantly cheaper than buying tickets. It’s nice that they thought about the people that they’re pricing out, but the acknowledgment with all of that as a consolation prize stings a little bit.

Chase Center is by every definition of the word, an achievement. It’s easily already the best arena in the NBA. Let’s just hope us common folk can get a chance to sit in those seats sometime soon.