PARADE
Antioch resident Percy Despanie was a little disappointed there was no rally this year. The San Francisco native has long been a fan of the team, but the parade, he said, “could have been a lot better.”
“Oakland doesn’t have enough money,” Despanie said. “When they go to San Francisco though, it will be good. We’re gonna have a big parade.”
Oakland on display
The recent upswing of downtown Oakland, its East Bay flavor and its cast of characters – including rapper E-40 – once again was on full display. Cranes from a high-rise project hung high above flying confetti; workers with the best seats available paused construction to gaze below.
Mayor Libby Schaaf, wearing two official championship rings, and MC Hammer shot flames from a Burning Man flamespouting snail car. In front of them, 15 local youths tore down Broadway on brightly-colored “scraper bikes” to honor “Tall Paul,” a West Oakland man who built bicycles for children and died of lung cancer in May.
“He’s gonna always be remembered,” Antonio Moore, 24, said of Paul, whom the kids seemed to revere just as much as MVP Kevin Durant.
Getting to Oakland was no fast break. As of 2:30 p.m., BART reported 266,939 exits near the parade, down 8 percent from the previous year at 289,537. Getting out wasn’t any easier: Aerial shots showed a long-line snaking outside Lake Merritt BART.
Despite the crush of fans, Oakland police reported no arrests, citations or vandalism. The heat, which reached 77 degrees in downtown but felt much hotter, resulted in numerous medical calls, mostly heat-related, city spokeswoman Karen Boyd said.
Unlike clashes over the years during political protests, Oakland native Rahiem Jihad noticed the vibe between the dozens of police officers and the crowd was relaxed. At one point, he saw officers playfully toss back a huge inflatable ball that drifted onto the parade route.
“It’s a time to breathe,” the 36-year-old said. “It’s a time to chill. It’s a time to soak up everyone that’s around you and appreciate them.”
Some fans might feel pangs of nostalgia when it hits them that the team will be making its swan song in comfortable, noisy Oracle Arena during the 2018-19 season. A giant, gold Chase Bank-sponsored basketball reminded East Bay residents the days at Oracle are numbered. Come October 2019, the Warriors will play in the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The thought hung in the back of Germaine Williams’ mind. His friend, Jeremy Allen, put it this way: “Every time an Oakland sports team gets good, they take it away. So it’s just apparent that’s what’s happening.”
Otelima Abraham, 41, was having none of that. As an immigrant from Nigeria, Abraham saw a bigger picture in the Warriors’ success. She said throwing herself into Warriors fandom helped her feel more at home in the U.S. after moving to San Francisco five years ago.
“The Bay Area is the best place to be on earth right now,” said Abraham, who sported a massive blue afro wig. “Everyone here is happy – where else are you going to find that in the world?”