Oracle.

As I try to write about Oracle, it’s kind of hard to even find the right words to say where figure out where to begin. I’ve been a Warriors fan since I can remember and I’ve had so many memories surrounding the Warriors. Last night, CJ brought me to the Warriors’ last regular home season game at Oracle and, as we walked through the arena, so many memories hit me all at once. Have you ever seen in movies where the scene is constantly shifting from past and present day? That’s basically what I was seeing throughout the night, especially because the Warriors busted out the We Believe Era jerseys. It was honestly weird to see different players in familiar jerseys with familiar numbers. J-Rich was swapped out for Draymond. BD swapped for Looney. Pietrus for Bell. Capt. Jack for Lee. Etc Etc. It was just weird. Regardless of who’s wearing the jerseys and whether we were winning or losing, there was always love for the Warriors. 

I remember all of the games growing up where I would just be sitting in Club 200 with my family. Tickets were super cheap back in those days. The first one that comes to mind is on January 4, 2008 against the Charlotte Hornets. We were going to the game for my 10th birthday and honestly, the biggest reason that I remember this game is because Thunder signed my Monta Ellis jersey and my mom was HOT. I just got that jersey and they thought that Thunder signed it without asking. Truth is, I wanted him to sign something but didn’t have anything to give him to sign. So, I kind of just let him sign whatever I had on and was too shy back then to tell my mom that I basically told him to sign it lol. She still doesn’t know that I told him to sign it. RIP Thunder. 

Thinking about it now, I’ve been blessed to see so many different parts of the Warriors Organization. First, from the fan’s perspective, it’s been amazing to go from losing so many games to being the favorite’s to win the chip. Regardless of our record, we would always fill the arena and give the players everything we had. I often returned home after games not even being able to talk. We lost those games too lmao. Clearly, I don’t need to speak on how the Warriors are doing now though. We’ve been spoiled with amazing basketball the past few years and I’m going to enjoy this for as long as I can because of all those days we sat at Oracle just hoping to win. The cool thing for me though is that I have been everywhere in the arena. I’ve sat in the literal last row at the top of the arena and I’ve been on the court. I’ve been in the tunnels and in the suites. In the media room and the locker room. Each place in Oracle has given me so many memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. 

Aside from the games, my mom and I would always go to random places just to meet the players. One time, we had to buy a whole cake from Lucky’s just to get a chance to meet Ronnie Turiaf. Other times, we waited in long lines to get a player’s autograph. Whether that was Monta Ellis, Al Attles, Anthony Morrow, or Anthony Randolph, we were always hyped to meet a player and get their autograph. Other than that, my mom would sometimes take me to the Warriors office in downtown Oakland and I really thought that place was magical. It felt like I was in on some secret that nobody else knew. Like, “Wait, their practice facility is at the top of the hotel? Does anyone even know about this?” To me, it just seemed like some secret headquarters and I felt cool enough to walk through those halls. If we were lucky, we’d hear practice going on when we picked up our ticket. If we were even luckier, we might get to peek our heads in the door. It was all so mysterious and magical to me. 

Although I’ve gotten a little older, I don’t really feel like I’ve grown up when it comes to the Warriors. Last night at the game, I still felt like that little kid walking into Oracle for the first time. Speechless yet not speechless at all. So much built up excitement with no way to express that energy until tip off. Leading up to this game though, I’ve had the blessing of being able to be involved with the Warriors with photography. I’ve been able to help out on some projects with the Warriors, go on shoots, and talk to players personally. In these moments, everything feels normal. Be a nice person, take pictures, and be present. Looking back on it though, I’m not even sure where the time has gone. I’ve gone from being a simple fan to being able to create with some of the greatest athletes of our time and one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Although I can’t say I played a significant role, I have been able to make even the smallest of contributions towards our team. Strength in Numbers. It all adds up. 

This isn’t meant to be an inspirational blog or anything like that. It’s simply me reminiscing and putting thoughts down. Last night was pretty emotional and that’s because of all of the memories that so many of us fans have shared in that building. I didn’t know what to do with these thoughts, so here they are. 

To Live and Prosper

- JSquared.