Warriors to mingle with fans at parade
No post-parade speeches are planned on a rally stage this time around
OAKLAND >> Barriers line Broadway. A flame-spouting snail car has seats reserved for Mayor Libby Schaaf and MC Hammer. The Larry O’Brien Championship trophy is ready.
About the only thing missing from today’s Golden State Warriors championship parade is a rally stage on Lake Merritt. What likely won’t be missed are the political speeches that sometimes accompany rallies.
Buses carrying Steph, Klay, Dray, KD and the rest of the back-to-back champions this year will abruptly stop at Oak and 13th streets.
No post-parade speeches, like the ones in 2015 and 2017, are planned.
For those wondering, a spokesman for the team said it is not a matter of money or a fear someone might make some unwanted news at the podium. It is an attempt at something new — dubbed “interactive” — for a franchise winning three championships in four years, with more trophies in sight.
“We are trying to do something different and unique to make it more intimate and less scripted,” said Warriors spokesman Raymond Ridder.
It all kicks off at 11 a.m. Fans are encouraged to take BART or public transit and arrive as early as 6:30 a.m. to claim a spot. The parade begins at 11th and Broadway, hooks right at 20th Street, right again at Harrison Street, left on 19th Street, toward Lake Merritt to Lakeside Drive, which turns into Oak Street.
Earlier reports that large Jumbotron-type screens would be set along the route and fans would be able to ask players questions were untrue, apparently because of a miscommunication between city officials and the team.
The “interactive” theme promoted by the Warriors is this: Each player is encouraged to spend more time off floats mingling with fans, and certain stars will be given megaphones to interact with the estimated 1 million people expected to attend, according to Ridder. At 10:30 a.m., Warriors broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald will interview players and coach Steve Kerr live on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Colette Dumas of Oakland was among the fans saddened that they won’t be able to see the NBA champs together on one stage. One highlight from the podium in 2017 featured forward Draymond Green’s dig at LeBron James.
“I don’t think it’s going to be the same,” said longtime season ticket holder Dumas. “We want to hear the players talk.”
“People are making a big deal they are having speeches at the end, but they are going to be
more interactive with the fans. I’m excited to see how it will work,” said lifelong fan Chris Dobbins, who also sits on the Coliseum authority board. “With all due respect, fans don’t care what (politicians) have to say.”
Asked Monday, Kerr had a good reason for not wanting a rally. “I screwed up last year and didn’t mention Steph Curry’s name,” the coach said. “So I’m kind of happy there is no rally. I can’t make any mistakes this year.
“There’s something about Oakland that is really special,” he said. “We obviously are the Bay Area’s team. But you go through the streets of Oakland and you see everybody’s faces, the joy, the diversity and the passion and the whole community coming together, it’s pretty cool.”
To avoid another dispute over the cost of the festivities, the city and the Warriors agreed in advance on a price. The Warriors will pay up to $1.2 million of the city’s costs to staff police, cleanup crews and fire crews in case of an emergency, according to spokeswoman Karen Boyd.
Ridder said the parade could cost between $2 million and $3 million total, when production costs are added. The team will cover the entire bill. The city will pay anything above the $1.2 million in city costs the Warriors have agreed to. Last year, and after owner Joe Lacob announced on stage he would pay for the parade, the city billed the Warriors more than $1 million, which the team objected to. The dispute ended months later after the city was reimbursed about $787,000.
The parade is expected to last two to three hours. It’s likely to be hot, so bring a lot of water, sunscreen and a head covering.