Warriors 85 – Jazz 78
I think I may work in one of the very few places where I can get away with wearing a David Lee player tee into the office, in meetings and in the field. In fact, I think it might be encouraged. Thank goodness because on game day, I have no second thoughts on going straight to the dedicated section in my closet to figure out what Warriors gear I’ll be wearing that night.
Today was not typical. I had to run out and do some research and that entailed eating 2 Sonic meals in the span of 2 and a half hours.. and no, the research was not to to find out how quickly I could make myself sick.
But nonetheless it was a welcomed distraction to make the day go by quicker because tonight’s game would not only be one of the Warrior’s biggest early tests of the season, but it was also with my near and dear Christin S.
The Commute
So after scarfing down a Sonic burger we headed back to San Francisco so I could meet up with Christin. We met up at Union Square kitty corner to Niketown and this time went down to to the Powell BART station. We had to wait a few minutes but the excitement to get to the game was already brewing.
All week and looking even further back to when Christin picked a game to come with, she’s been excited. Christin also wasn’t just excited because it was a Warriors game, but she picked this one specifically to kick off her birthday weekend. Immediately because of that, this game was even more special than it already was.
At first glance you wouldn’t think that she’s into hoops, but on the BART ride she was able to remind me of all these things I forgot I knew about her and her connection with basketball. Not only did Christin used to play hoops, she even idolized Shaq growing up. Her number in middle school and high school was 32 because of him. I always wanted mine to be 5 for Jason Kidd, but I was never able to get it, with the exception of summer and rec leagues. And outside of playing basketball, because it feels like forever ago, Christin was also the Account Manager for our NBA client at one point.
The rest of the ride was spent catching up.
Christin holds a high place in the pecking order of my friends as we both forged our friendship early on at my agency. We both had moved to San Francisco around the same time and we also started at Goodby around the same time as well.
I remember the first day I ever met Christin really clearly. She was sent out to do some interviews at Union Square about the WNBA and I was assigned to help her pull a final video together. As we both sat there editing video I some how was able to point out a guy that she interviewed that I knew she was attracted to just based off the interview she had with him. No one else could point it out or see what I saw, but somehow I did. That’s the relationship I’ve had with Chirstin from day one.
With some people you just feel an immediate bond with. Like you’ve known them forever. Christin and I had this and we were always able to retain it. We are not the type of friends that hang out all the time or even twice a month. But immediately we were the type of friends that no matter how long you go without seeing them or how far away they might be, there’s comfort in catching up and just seeing them because of that security that comes from the special connection you share.
3 years later, we’re on BART headed to the Warriors game and things have changed… a lot. We’ve seen each other though romances and heartbreak. She’s no longer at Goodby but still in San Francisco and she has since been in 3 different apartments.
And through the 3 life packed years one thing hasn’t changed… our bond.
We were talking about her recent breakup and how she’s doing readjusting to the single life. At one point she said, “You’ll never guess who asked me out and I’m going on date with on Wednsday.” In no less than 3 seconds I blurted out a name of a guy I know of but don’t know personally and she sat there with her jaw dropped and gave me shocked looked because I was right. I can’t tell you how I knew or even how I even came to the conclusion of who it was, but that’s what I’m talking about. I may not have seen Christin for a couple months since, but we’re still in stride with one another.
The Game
Christin and I just beat the sunset as we got off BART. Walking across the land bridge we ran into the drummer that has been doing his thing every game since the start of the regular season.
The guy is pretty good and I have to respect the hustle. I dropped a couple bucks for him and we continued on our way. The weather has been spotty lately so the clouds fortified the sky. The sun was dropping quickly and by the time we actually reached Oracle the color of the sky had shifted to a deep purple and provided a unique backdrop for the arena.
We headed inside and headed to my section and fond memories of basketball and the NBA came rushing back to Christin. Her eyes lit up and she didn’t say anything but I could tell she was impressed. We got to our seats with food and drink in hand and we talked more basketball, relationships and career.
Christin and I have gone through similar things at similar times, but the one thing she was late on was a break up. Almost a year to the day of the fall of my last relationship, here I sit with Christin fresh off a breakup. We talk a lot about this and how sometimes no matter how great of a person you are with, sometimes it’s just not meant to be. Everything has to click and everything has to be right. And if you can’t fix it you need to change it.
The funny thing is that this all isn’t dissimilar to the Warriors. For the past 16 years we’ve (us fans) had a relationship with ownership that would keep us fans at bay from time to time. I believe they wanted something special with us. I believe that they occasionally tried by bringing in talent which ultimately only lead us to one playoff appearance during that time… but after the big season, things became clear. They weren’t taking care of players or us. They made bad decisions and they ended up acting cold. And why did we stick with them? Because we had ‘children’ we cared about, because they had their moments of promise. But in the end, it wasn’t enough. And in the end they left whether they liked it or not, because we demanded something else.
We needed something else… anything else. And this year we start a new relationship, with a relatively ‘new’ team, and a brand spanking new logo.
This is a season of change. This is a year of change. Not just for the Warriors, but for me, for Christin and so many other people I know. Big things are brewing right now, and as hard as that change is and was, change can be good. And for all of our sakes, I hope it’s great. And if it’s not, I’ll keep things changing until it works. Complacency is a killer and for 16 years that’s all us dub fans got.
And moving forward that’s what Christin is also battling within herself just as I am. We know that in order to be the best versions of ourselves we must most often times do things that make us uncomfortable and that rattle us.
The new owners definitely have rattled us.
Christin and I were watching a team tonight that I don’t remember seeing. Here we are after tonights game at 4-1. Unbelievable… I take that back… believable. Why? Because all the things that we used to settle with and expect from the Warriors, we no longer have to.
After crashing from the high of the playoffs 3 years ago, there was new life at Oracle after beating the Jazz. I look over at Christin and see the same new life in her.
We had a great time tonight on the eve of her birthday weekend. And I had a great time just being with her. There are very few people that I think really get me in this life and Christin is one of them. I will never forget how she’s been there for me over the few years that I’ve known her, and nothing makes me happier than being able to be there for her at any capacity as she goes through some rebuilding and discovery.
I have no doubt she will bounce back quickly as she’s one of the strongest women I know. The only thing I doubt is that she’ll have a hard time getting back into the ‘game’.
As the Warriors pulled out the W against a very good Utah squad, I couldn’t help but look over at her and make the connection that the Warriors are her team, and she may not even realize it.
Just as Christin and I almost lived in parallel for the past few years. She and our Warriors now do. They’re both embarking on a new journey although some key players that have been around them for the past few years are now gone. But the good news is that they both still have people that they can count on. People that can help them rally when they’re 30 points down and fans that will show up for them no matter who or what challenges them.
I just hope they know and remember they have me. Because I will be loyal to them for life.
Because for all the good times they’ve given me, and all the times they’ve lifted me up, I owe them that. I owe the Warriors that… I owe Christin that.
- Nam
More photos from tonight’s game:
