I write to you from isolation on a beautiful 79 degree day in Oakland, California. For the first time in this two year pandemic, I tested positive for COVID-19. Obviously that prohibits me from celebrating in this Warriors Championship parade with friends and family. I am vaccinated and boosted. I’m fortunate to have the means to test immediately after experiencing symptoms and was able to self isolate and communicate to those who I may have exposed. It’s a shitty feeling knowing I might have put folks at risk of infection in what’s still a scary time for public health.
Luckily, my symptoms have been mild. My fever maxed out at 100.7F and I’ve gone back down to normal a normal body temperature. I hope to be somewhat productive in my isolation so here are four thoughts from the day so far.
1. WARRRRRRIORRRRRSSSSSS
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala each carried their own Larry O’Brien Championship trophy down Market Street and through the Warriors parade. Each player was critical in the journey to each of the four championships.
As much as possible in this NBA Finals, a fully healthy team took on a fully healthy team and the better team won a best of seven series. The chess match was in full effect and Steve Kerr’s adjustments after being down 2-1 in the series thwarted Boston’s hot start. Boston, I felt, outplayed the Warriors through three games. But the beauty of a seven game series is the necessity to continue that excellence. And with additional games, the more talent team will typically win. There was beauty in the team dynamic of Golden State - if one player had an off night, someone else stepped up throughout the playoffs.
There was beauty in the obvious stories — Steph winning his first Finals MVP, Klay winning on the biggest stage after two years of devastating injury, Andrew Wiggins postering MVP Luka Dončić with the biggest Warriors dunk since Baron Davis on Andrei Kirilenko.
There was beauty behind the scenes - Gary Payton II is an NBA Champion after asking to interview for a video coordinator role before the season because he felt his chances of making the team were that slim. Oakland native and the first NBA player of Mexican heritage, Juan Toscano-Anderson, is an NBA Champion after being homeless three times.
It’s hard to root against this group and it’s hard not to hope that this is the middle, not the end of a dynastic run.
2. THE BAY
A close friend texted me about the Warriors Game 4 viewing party at Chase Center. He described the crowd as loud, where diverse families represented the true soul of the Warriors fanbase. He contrasted it to the corporate types that fill in Chase Arena’s expensive and luxurious seats which command exorbitant prices - often well out of reach for the Bay Area’s working class.
When I watched coverage of the parade today, I saw a remarkably diverse crowd lining Market Street in San Francisco. Mistah F.A.B. joined the NBC affiliate, able to interview none other than Draymond Green and Steph Curry as their busses rolled by. I saw Filipino aunties showing off their Warriors gear. Chase Center ushers walked and were interviewed as part of the parade. The Warriors Senior Dance team paraded in dance and a woman declined to continue an interview with a local news anchor so she could continue her routine.
The 49ers and Raiders will always have a rivalry for fans old enough to remember. Same with the Giants and A’s. The Warriors wearing “THE BAY” on their jersey’s isn’t just fluff. They may play in a glitzy building in San Francisco, but the Warriors unify every city in this market in a way that the other team’s can’t.
3. THE FRONT OFFICE
Some NBA fans might be irked by Joe Lacob’s strategy of spending deep into the luxury tax. That displeasure is misplaced. Owners of professional sports teams are rich beyond comprehension. They have no responsibility to win for their fanbase — only a fiduciary responsibility to their business partners.
One, two, three, four — isn’t that what you guys do? - Joe Lacob
I did chuckle at Lacob’s opening joke at the pre parade ceremony today. There’s such a unique and awkward juxtaposition between NBA players who are the epitome of cool and culture, and the suit wearing owners who cut the checks. This is not a knock on Lacob who has created a deeply successful organization with a culture rooted in winning. That’s a clear goal that’s easier said than done. Winners recognize winners. Competitors recognize competitors. At the end of the day, even if Joe Lacob counting to four isn’t as cool as Steph doing it, every player on this team respects the winning culture he’s created.
There’s a give and take with becoming a dynasty. Ticket prices skyrocket and the most loyal fans are often priced out. During the parade Warriors President Brandon Schneider alluded to the fact that watch parties and Thrive City are accessible and inclusive to a wider group than the limited 18,000 seats inside Chase Center. The subtext being we know tickets are expensive as hell. Chase Center is a money printer. Concerts, WWE events and more create additional bankroll for Lacob and the ownership group. And so far, they’re more than willing to reinvest that capital into a a winning culture than line their own pockets. It’s as if Lacob runs the organization with a responsibility to win and, as Lacob said today, winning is good for business.
4. POINT BREAK
On another note, I watched Point Break for the first time because I thought it could be a cool surfing movie. I finished the movie realizing it was essentially the original storyline for The Fast and the Furious. If you aren’t familiar: An FBI agent goes undercover, infiltrating a group of robbers who also happen to share hobbies in surfing or street racing. After embedding himself too closely, the agent develops a romantic interest with a woman in the crew and blurs the line between law enforcement and accomplice. Some people die, but everyone seems to move on pretty quickly after a lot of yelling. A climactic reveal forces the agent to choose sides, and the fate of the group’s leader is left in an FBI agent’s hands. This is the storyline for both films.
So far in isolation I’ve watched Rush Hour, Friday, and Point Break. Hopefully get to watch some more movies and maybe even write a little more too. I’d be interested in any recommendations of 1980s, 1990s, or early 2000s films you might enjoy.