No dynasty without SC Warriors
There is no championship, no “dynasty,” no joyous parade Monday in San Francisco honoring the Golden State Warriors fourth NBA championship, without Santa Cruz.
The Santa Cruz Warriors' contributions to this season's amazing run to yet another title by the GS Warriors can't be ignored – and wasn't when one of the team's enduring “Core 3” players, Klay Thompson (Draymond Green and Stephen Curry are the other two), interviewed on court national TV after the game 6 triumph in Boston, was asked about his difficult road back from devastating injuries – a torn left ACL and right Achilles. Thompson said the road back to playing again in the NBA – and ultimately his fourth championship ring – was made possible by the hard work and progress he made in ... Santa Cruz, where he was temporarily assigned Nov. 29.
The San Francisco team's playoff victories and ultimate victory over the Boston Celtics also would not have been possible without the efforts and play of Jordan Poole, who returned last season from Santa Cruz as the emerging star that often shone brightly during this latest run to the NBA summit. Defensive whiz Gary Payton II played against the Santa Cruz Warriors in his G League stints.
In addition, bench players Juan Toscano-Anderson and Chris Chiozza, among others, have played for the Santa Cruz team. And rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, who both saw playing time in the Finals, spent time this past season in Santa Cruz. Lottery pick James Wiseman didn't even play this season – except for a stint in – where else? Santa Cruz.
But, for all the team's success and local popularity, the Santa Cruz Warriors' future home in Santa Cruz remains undecided.
The team's “temporary” Kaiser Permanente Arena has been in its present location on Front Street in lower downtown Santa Cruz since it opened in 2012.
The city leases the current arena to the Warriors on land owned by the Santa Cruz Seaside Co., in an updated agreement that runs through September 2023. The team and the city have agreed a permanent site/facility is needed, but just where it would be and how it would be financed (likely privately funded) remains in the discussion stage. But the city has plans to build needed affordable housing that would include the current site of the arena, or across the street from the facility. Any such development could also be part of generating revenue for a permanent arena.
It's all rather complicated, as any housing development/ commercial development always is downtown, which is why nothing has yet happened on a final home yet. But Santa Cruz city officials and City Council members, much less the greater community, are mostly supportive of finding a way to ensure the team stays.
They should be. The team has not only been a boon to local merchants, but has been a valuable participant in local goodwill endeavors — all the while providing high visibility for Santa Cruz as a visitor destination.
There are plenty of other communities that would love to provide a home for the G League Warriors, but Santa Cruz is and should remain that vital link to the parent team. A word about Steph Curry. Has there ever been a sports superstar in the greater Bay Area who has attained his popularity? At age 34, after 13 seasons playing roughand-tumble pro basketball, his skills, leadership, humility and insistence on the value of the team over individual accomplishments sets him apart from almost every other major figure in sports today.
There's a reason why even as the Warriors key players age, the next generation is not far behind.
The team's future is bright, with Curry having set the example of what it means to be a Warrior and how to overcome obstacles through hard work and team play.
Holy Cannoli, as Thompson put it after Game 6. Golden State still has its core, can continue to spend, and should continue to find players who want nothing more than a chance to play their beautiful game.
And two more things: They still have Santa Cruz and they still have Steph Curry.