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Warriors Coach Calls For Game 5 Fan Boycott

Brock Keeling — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 10:24:40 GMT

Tonight the Golden State Warriors take on the L.A. Clippers in Game 5 of the playoffs. In light of Don Sterling's racist comments, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson has recommended fans of both teams to boycott tonight's game.

At a Monday presser, the Warriors coach responding to a question about Sterling's remarks, saying: “I believe if it was me, I wouldn’t come to the game. I believe the fans, the loudest statement that they can make as fans is to not show up to the game.”

During Sunday's Game 4, Clippers team players removed their shooting shirt and tossed them at center, as well as turing their shirts inside out, in protest.

Tipoff happens at 7:30. Will you be watching?

In related news, this visor happened. Fabulous.

Previously: Warriors Players Respond To Donald Sterling Racism Controversy [Update]

Warriors Players Respond To Donald Sterling Racism Controversy [Update]

Brock Keeling — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 11:40:31 GMT

Donald Sterling, real estate mogul and owner of the LA Clippers, came under over the weekend after a recording was released on Friday, allegedly capturing the billionaire during one of his racist screeds. (Hear the entire recording at Deadspin.)

Although the team has yet to make an official statement, several Warriors players have spoken out. A day before Game 4 of the playoffs, Stephen Curry, via sports writer Marcus Thompson, had this to say during a meeting with the media on Saturday:

Curry: "I think it's a terrible & disgusting view of AAs and one that should never be tolerated in NBA. Shouldn't be allowed to own a team."
— Marcus Thompson (@ThompsonScribe) April 26, 2014

According to Golden State of Mind, "Stephen Curry's remarks were probably the most forceful in demanding action, but both Andre Iguodala and Jermaine O'Neal had thoughtful points as well in response to other issues that have come up in response to the controversy."

Former Warrior Baron Davis, who used to play for Sterling, says he wasn't too surprised:

That's the way it is...He is honest about what he believes in..Been going on for a long time, Hats off 2 the Team.. 4 playin above it all.
— Baron Davis (@Baron_Davis) April 26, 2014

Sterling's alleged remarks also drew responses from LeBron James Snoop Dogg, and even President Obama.

Both Jesse Jackson and Keith Olbermann called for a player boycott of all games until the NBA does something. SFist's sports columnist e.Chang had this to say about the boycott and the Clippers' response: "The Clippers organization, somewhat understandably, have been weak in their response, but calls for some sort of player protest or boycott have been growing, including for the Warriors players to join in solidarity. I can't see that happening, but I truly hope they refuse to take the court, at least for thirty very uncomfortable minutes just so we can watch the league, the networks, and advertisers squirm."

The Warriors and Clippers are in the first round of the western conference playoffs, with the Clippers in the lead 2-1. NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Sterling will not be in attendance at today's game. Tip off is at 12:30.

Update: In a silent protest at the start of Game 4 today at Oracle Arena, the Clippers dumped their shooting shirts at center court:

The Clippers took off their shooting shirts and dumped them at center court. pic.twitter.com/Nod5QWsWJy
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 27, 2014

...and turned their warm-up gear inside out:

#Clippers run out onto court, huddle up and remove their team issued gear, now all wearing red climalites inside out pic.twitter.com/JhhnUg3zpg
— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) April 27, 2014

Meanwhile, in the stands:

Good thing the Clippers owner isn't here to witness that. #DubNation #BeatLA pic.twitter.com/3quh433cma
— Jeremy Gordon (@JeremySF) April 27, 2014

[LAist]
[Golden State of Mind]
[Deadspin]

The Warriors: 2007-2008 Season Preview- Part One

Jon — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:39:37 GMT

What a difference a year makes. Come opening night of 2006, most of Warrior Nation was just hoping that the newly unretired and rehired Don Nelson could somehow resuscitate the franchise from its 12-year playoff coma. A .500 season was all anybody really hoped for; few dared dream the impossible dream of postseason play.

After starting fast and then fading, the Warriors pulled off a master stroke of highway robbery on January 17 when they unloaded franchise goats Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and Ike Diogu to some rubes in overalls and straw hats in Indianapolis for starters Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. After some gettin'-to-know-you time, the club finished the season ablaze, going 16-4 down the stretch to pluck the eighth and final playoff spot from the Los Angeles Clippers.

And then there was the opening round series with Dallas. Ahhggghhh, sweet playoff upset. The Warriors absolutely owned the Mavs, and oh it felt so good. 2006-2007 season: Mission accomplished.

Photo from USA Today

The Warriors: Count It

chris — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:00:32 GMT

Even after last night's unsatisfying loss to the Utah Jazz in the SLC, we're calling it right now -- cancel your reservations at the midtown Manhattan Day's Inn, cuz' ain't gonna' be no Warriors representative at this year's NBA Lottery. After 12 years, THE STREAK IS OVER -- your Golden State Warriors will make the playoffs this year as the number eight seed in the Western Conference.

Unlike Monte Poole or Tim Kawakami, there is no "will they or won't they" coming from SFist. This is a done deal. Their season-long fever has broken just in time, and the Warriors are playing the kind of ball they need to play, when they need to play it -- like late in the game, like late in the season.

Though now tied with the Clippers after Tuesday night's action, for almost one whole week now, your Golden State Warriors have been proud owners of the number eight playoff spot in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (give that line a little Cosell when you read it). And they're gold Jerry, gold!

Really, the Warriors should be about five games out of the playoffs right now, but for once, fate is on their side. Just as the Warriors have started to play well, going 6-2 in the last 8 games, the rest of the Western Conference midpackers have completely collapsed. The Clippers have lost 14 of their last 21 games; the Timberwolves 15 of 21; the Kings 12 of 19; the Sonics 14 of 23; the Hornets 8 of their last 11. Fine, if nobody else wants it, the Warriors are more than happy to snatch up el ocho. No, not that ocho pasado, not until the second round of the playoffs, that is.

This year's Warriors are proving themselves when it counts -- during the playoff push. Poster image from GoldenStateofMind.com.

Also for once, the Warriors have been helping themselves with timely, critical victories, including wins over the Clippers, Timberwolves, and most recently, Sunday's playoff-caliber gutcheck win on the road over Seattle. Even their defense is coming around.

The Warriors: Timing is Everything

chris — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Over the last 12 years, nobody has really accused the Warriors of having their act together. They've burned through a litany of coaches, a couple of really bad GMs, and more than one first round draft choice with nothing to show for them but more new coaches, front office suits, and first round draft choices.

Another hallmark of the modern-day Warriors' mean mean stride has been their fast starts, awful middles, and decent finishes. Even in their worst years, the Warriors managed to finish the season on an uptick, perpetually giving false hope for the next season – even if that hope was just a Lottery pick.

This year had all the looks of more of the same, but a funny thing happened on the way to the cellar: the bottom fell out of the middle of the Western Conference.

Look out Western Conference, there's a new sheriff in town (actually an eighth-seed deputy hopeful, but who's counting). Photo from espn.com.

With the Clippers’ loss to San Antonio Tuesday night, your Golden State Warriors are just 0.5 games, that’s one-half of one game, out of the playoffs. Oh, it’s on, baby!

Yes, the Warriors stumbled through their traditional January and February fog, going 10-19 between January 1 and March 4 to fall as many as nine games below .500 and as many as four games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. But the good news is they have not been alone. Minnesota and Denver, two teams that were several games above .500 going into January have fallen on hard times and are struggling. The Clippers, Kings, and Hornets have surged, but got off to such bad starts that their improved play has only moved them into the fringes of the playoff discussion. Portland lurks yet in hopeful mediocrity.

So the Warriors have not exactly shined the last couple of months, but they haven't had to. They've done an adequate job bailing water and keeping the ship somewhat afloat with duct tape, wishful thinking, and good intentions -- and that February trade sure didn't hurt. Now they find themselves in prime position to capture that last playoff spot. Hell, with the Lakers in freefall, even the six spot is a legitimate possibility.

The Warriors: Signs of Life

chris — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 09:02:38 GMT

You can exhale Warriors fans, there is hope. The universe works in mysterious ways, and yesterday, it worked for the Warriors.

Just when the flagging team needed it, on a day when they could only suit up seven players in a loss to the Clippers (as predicted by our LAist comrades), the Warriors announced that they had pulled off an almost unbelievable eight-player trade with the Indiana Pacers. And there is more good news. Some how, some way, VP of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin convinced his Indiana counterpart, Larry Bird, to take Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy. That's right! The Warriors unloaded both baby Duns and Man-o-War in one fell swoop. And it keeps getting better. In return, Mullin snagged Al Harrington to help bolster the frontcourt lineup and guard Stephen Jackson to, uh, help with the police lineup. Both teams also threw in a couple of redshirts to level out the financials and collective bargaining requirements, but even the redshirts are looking good.

This was a critical move at a critical time for the franchise. Clinging precariously to the thin, crumbly ledge of respectability, and with a playoff position in sight, the players and the fans needed to see some sign of life from the front office. Some indication that the suits are trying to win just as hard as the talent. Yesterday, the suits came through.

SFist has given Mullin and GM Rod Higgins a lot of grief over the past two years -- and rightly so. But today, Mullin and crew deserve many huzzahs. From the Warriors perspective, this trade is almost too good to be true. Not because of the players the team received in the deal, but for the albatrosses it unloaded. Athletically, financially, and psychologically, this trade is a legitimate turning point for the franchise. There is no doubt that this move gives the team a future lease on life.

Fresh faces and fresh hope for Warriors fans. Photo from Warriors official website.

The Warriors: Opening night

chris — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:00:52 GMT

Dujuan Wagner, Adonal Foyle, and Zarko Cabarkapa are riding the pine in suits tonight. For the opposition Lakers, Kobe won't play, and Phil Jackson, Kwame Brown, and Aaron McKie, and Chris Mihm may not even make the trip. JRich is probable, maybe, hopefully.

Another meaningless preseason game? Nope, it's opening night tonight for the Warriors at the Oracle. Here's everything you need to know, from the Warriors perspective, and from ours.

The Warriors hope to start the long road back to respectability tonight in the tip-off to the 2006-2007 season. Photo from espn.com.

The Warriors went 0-4 against the Fake's last year, so this is the perfect opportunity to get the season started off on the right foot, and it's a great chance to start making a dent in one of the areas of improvement that we identified for the team. But uh-oh, we've got the Lakers winning the Pacific Division over the Suns and Clippers this year, and last night, without their main man, the Fakers took down the Dry Heat with a come-from-behind victory. Damn those Fakers, damn them all to hell!

Oh yeah, the first 10,000 fans through the turnstiles get a free Warriors schedule magnet! That's almost worth paying $6 for BART, $75 for a ticket, and $9 for a beer. A free Warriors schedule magnet -- good to see the team is already putting all that Oracle money back into the team and the community. Supposedly, shitty nosebleeds are still available, if you're interested. The Google appears rife with them.

But since The Warriors are on TV more than 70 times this year, including tonight on FSN Bay Area, and you can also hear the game on KNBR 680 radio, we're going to avoid the traffic, save a little money, load up on free food, enjoy quick bathroom access, and not have to worry about a designated driver while we watch the Goldies hammer the Fakers from the spacious comfort of our recliner. Tip-off is at 7:30. See you there.

Balls to the Wall

Jon — Tue, 23 May 2006 13:46:05 GMT

Unfortunately, the Warriors don't have much of a chance to do well tonight, as they were only the eighth worst team in the NBA. They have only a 2.2 percent chance of getting the first pick and a 7.85 percent chance of getting in the top three. This hasn't stopped people from already putting up fake draft boards and, Jesus people, get a life. In Warriors-fans-Land, they're thinking that there are only six players in the draft who could be impact players, none of whom are J.J. Reddick. You can pretty much guess who it is who is first on the Warriors list of people to tryout. Says Golden State of Mind: "Is anyone else in Warriors Nation worried about a 'deadly' combo of JJ Reddick, Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Troy Murphy? The whole Western conference would be scared senseless to go up against those 'Big 3' (sarcasm)."

Show starts at 4:30 PM.

The Warriors: The Turning Point

chris — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 11:46:32 GMT

We all acknowledge that as the Warriors feel their way toward the playoffs this year, there will be some stumbles. Well, there are stumbles and then there are the kind of STUMBLES that make you realize this may have been the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

Last Wednesday against the defending NBA champeen San Antonio Spurs, the Warriors were stripped buck naked and exposed as pretenders. The Spurs absolutely had their way with the shell-shocked tribe. Can you say "low bridge"? It's pronounced Spurs 113 Warriors 89.

This was the War-wearies first truly vicious beatdown of the season thus far, and it was the kind of drubbing that can rattle a team just starting to believe. Like the Clippers game last week, this game was supposed to be a benchmark against which the War-heads could mark their progress toward competitive respectability. Nobody really expected them to win the game, but it would have been nice if they hadn't played that way.

It was like watching a lowlight reel of the last five years of Warriors basketball. Matador D, feeble rebounding (Spurs 52, Warriors 27), total lack of frontcourt presence (Spurs 60 points in the paint, Warriors 36), barely a nod to any kind of set offense, poor shot selection, and even poorer shooting (54.9 percent for the Spurs, 37.7 percent for the Warriors). The Warriors have committed themselves to living by the Baron and dying by the Baron this year, and against the Spurs, the Baron was awful (3-12 from the field and a technical foul) and the War-jacks done died. The entire team was impatient, unspirited, and completely overwhelmed. It was a startling flashback to reality.

SFist Chris "The Truthmaker" Contributing

Image from Street Art Gallery

The Golden State Warriors: It's Fun to Have Fun

chris — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 09:11:26 GMT

All that baggage and disappointment disappeared for a few hours this past Sunday afternoon when the second-place Warriors squared off against the first-place Clippers. It was a head-to-head matchup of two good teams, with the outcome anybody's guess. A proving ground for the rest of the season, with respect and confidence as the spoils.

Listening to the pre-game show on KNBR 680 radio, there was a palpable sense of excitement crackling over the air waves. Announcers Tim Roye and Jim Barnett spoke just a little faster and maybe an octave higher. The pregame interviewees sounded overnaturally excited for a game in the middle of November between two traditional dogs.

SFist "Truthmaker" Chris Contributing