Boo who? An owner proves himself

The coolest holiday of the year for Bay Area sports fans is “Boo Joe Lacob Day,” every March 19.

I celebrated on Monday by casting my memory back six years to the night when longsuffering Warriors fans smacked Lacob in the mug with a verbal cream pie.

Like with many holidays, the origin of Boo Joe Day is somewhat misunderstood.

Yes, Warriors fans booed Lacob because he had just traded fan favorite Monta Ellis. But it goes so much deeper. All the fans knew then about Lacob and co-owner Peter Guber was that they were cocky rich guys plotting to move the Warriors out of frumpy Oakland.

At halftime, Lacob unwisely inserted himself into a ceremony honoring Chris Mullin. Out onto the court strode Joe, the second-year owner of a team that had been ripping off fans for two decades and was planning to leave town ASAP.

As Lacob sauntered to midcourt, the fans rose up and asked, “Who the fudge are YOOOOOOU?”

That boo was two decades of simmering resentment unleashed, a bursting dam. It was from the heart. It was a soul boo. It was awesome reallife theater.

Now you’ll hear it said that those fans must be embarrassed. They surely feel they owe Lacob an apology.

Bullcorn. For sure, Lacob was soon to prove that he was exactly the owner the Warriors needed, that he is smart, knows the game, knows people, and burns to win.

But that night he was Joe Schmoe, a big-talking newbie, dancing in the spotlight without having earned the right to be there.

I bet there’s not a fan who was in the house that night who regrets lending his or her voice to that gospel chorus of boos.

That was a turning point. Joe and the fans soon came to know one another much better. Fans learned that Lacob is a guy who can face the music, and who really cares about the team. Joe saw — felt — the awesome passion and fury of the fans.

In yoga, you take “cleansing breaths.” That was a cleansing boo.