It wasn’t enough for the Warriors to give Dub Nation and the Bay Area reason to celebrate, with a surprise announcement at Golden State’s championship parade the ownership made the decision to foot the bill as well.
Joe Lacob has become the model of the Warriors confidence — from saying, when he was officially introduced to fans, that the 1975 championship banner was “lonely” and would receive accompaniment, to telling the rest of the NBA that his team was “lightyears ahead” of theirs. Now, a man heavily responsible for giving winning back to the East Bay, continues to give. He said:
“We recognize that times are hard. This city in particular has had its share of issues over the years, and it has its share of needs, there’s a lot of fundamental needs. … We’d just like to say, this parade, this whole day — all the cost, every dollar — is on us, our gift to the city of Oakland.”
In all, the cost of the day’s festivities — which includes payroll for police and sanitations — could be well into the tens of thousands. The dollar amount was not a focus of this Warriors regime, however, as Lacob’s co-owner Peter Guber added:
“The real thing is, you touch the hearts of people, and you touch the meanings of their life … Look around you, suck it in, this is rarefied air, to be at this place. You may never get back here again, you may get back here many times, but take advantage of it.”
The two have spared no expense in building their organization into a dynasty. Now, they show that fiscal corners will not be cut in giving back to the team’s home of 46 years. This despite the Warriors’ coming move to San Francisco, expected to be made in 2019, and in the face of the Raiders pending relocation move to Las Vegas, which could come in 2020.
While they call Oakland home, though, they expect to keep the party rolling.
And before Lacob and Guber’s public announcement to cover the cost of this, the team’s second parade in three years, the mayor of Oakland, and self-proclaimed “mayor of Dub Nation” Libby Schaaf, acknowledged the team and it players for, not just restoring the winning mentality to the town, but also their work as positive role models. She said:
“This team is just as great off the court as on the court. They inspire our kids every day, and they have been so generous to this community. More than $7 million over the last three seasons have gone to great organizations.”
She continued, before offering Lacob and Guber the key to the city:
“They are the gold standard for community-based sports organizations.”
While the Warriors organization has indeed separated itself from the pack off the court, the separation on the court appears to be widening as well. And whether the ownership group plans on continue this tradition of paying for the party, it plans on making them necessary. Said Guber:
“Same time. Next year. See you.”
