Favorite games of Warriors’ broadcaster?
Voice of the Warriors Fitzgerald reveals ‘hidden gems’ among team’s games
Play-by-play announcer Bob Fitzgerald decided he would handle the game like any other when the Warriors were preparing to play against the Brooklyn Nets without any fans at Chase Center.
“With people hanging out at home, this is going to be a couple of hours of diversion and joy,” Fitzgerald said. “So I was looking forward to calling the game with the same kind of enthusiasm and energy, and really trying to give people a two-to-threehour window to get away from the real world.”
That game never happened, of course.
Now, with no idea when sports will return, NBC Sports Bay Area will fill its air with classic games. Fitzgerald, in his 22nd season as the Warriors’ play-by-play broadcaster, has called many of those games.
There are obvious ones to rebroadcast: Klay Thompson’s 37-point third quarter against the Kings in 2015, his 60-point game against the Pacers in 2016, Stephen Curry making 13 3-pointers against the Pelicans that same year, and many more.
Fitzgerald called them all, but, he says: “I think of the hidden gems.” Here are some of his fa
vorite gems.
NOV. 4, 2019: THE WARRIORS’ FIRST WIN AT CHASE CENTER >> The Warriors entered the game with a 1-5 record, and had yet to win a game at the new Chase Center in four tries. A week earlier, Curry broke a bone in his left hand, an injury that would sideline him for 58 games.
“You’ve got (Damian) Lillard and (CJ) McCollum and these are the two Western Conference finals teams the year before and the Warriors are just so different and so banged up in such a rough way,” Fitzgerald said.
Rookie Eric Paschall, starting at power forward for an injured Draymond Green, led the Warriors to a 127-118 win with 34 points — including 17 in the first quarter — on 11-of19 shooting.
“The idea of it was exciting,” Fitzgerald said. “They needed a win, they beat Portland. It was the coming-out game for Eric Paschall — who I think is going to be one of the real bright spots of the season, just discovering him at the 41st pick and seeing him have a 30-point night.” APRIL 10, 2016: WARRIORS TIE THE BULLS WITH 72 WINS >> The Warriors’ 92-86 win in San Antonio not only tied the Chicago Bulls’ then-record of 72 regular-season wins, but it also served as Golden State’s first regularseason win in San Antonio in more than 19 years.
“Seventy-three was Memphis at home to set the all-time record. But the 72nd win, to do it in San Antonio, where that had been a house of horrors for the Warriors,” Fitzgerald said. “I thought it was so cool to tie the Bulls with 72 wins in the place that had typified most of the Warriors’ struggles.”
DEC. 11, 2015: WARRIORS WIN 24TH IN A ROW >> Golden State’s 124-119 win in double overtime in Boston capped the greatest win streak to start a season in league history. Curry made a pair of free throws and Andre Iguodala grabbed a key rebound at the end of the second overtime to keep the streak alive, all while head coach Steve Kerr was absent with a back injury.
“The 24th win in a row in Boston to me will always be special. Because it’s the greatest start ever, they won all these games on the road,” Fitzgerald said. “They started the season 240! And they did it without their head coach!”
DEC. 2, 2015: STEPH SPOILS DELL’S NIGHT >> On a night when the Hornets honored Dell Curry, the franchise’s career scoring leader, with “Dell Curry Night,” his oldest son, Stephen, stole the spotlight by scoring 40 points in three quarters as the Warriors cruised to a 116-99 win over the Hornets.
Curry scored 28 points in the pivotal third quarter, including his team’s final 24.
“I think of Steph on Dell’s night in Charlotte,” Fitzgerald said. “And his kid rolls out 24 straight points to end that third quarter. You can’t write Hollywood scripts like that.” DEC. 3, 2013: WARRIORS RALLY TO BEAT RAPTORS >> The Warriors came back from 27 points down in the second half — and 18 points down at the start of the fourth quarter — to beat the Toronto Raptors 112-103.
Thompson and Curry combined to make six 3-pointers in the final period.
“It was so loud and the fans were such a presence that the Raptors just totally unraveled,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s where I was like, you know what, they talk about crowds, to me, the Warriors fans have always been the only proactive crowd.
“Most sports fans wait for something great and then they react to it. Warriors fans at Oracle are able to be proactive and almost cheer something into existence.”
DEC. 6, 2000: KOBE BRYANT VS. ANTAWN JAMISON >> Three days after scoring 51 points in a loss to the Seattle SuperSonics, Warriors forward Antawn Jamison dueled a 22-yearold Kobe Byrant as both scored 51 points in an overtime thriller.
The Warriors, who would win just 17 games all season, won 125-122 to defeat the NBA’s defending champions.
“It was a win, it was a win over the Lakers,” Fitzgerald said.
“You never see two dudes go for 50 in the same game. Those kinds of games are just awesome.”