Home of the Warriors

Basketball is one sport I love to watch, especially live. Back in the days, I watched a lot of collegiate and professional games in the Philippines. Whenever his schedule would  permit, my father would take me to the Araneta Coliseum, even of weekday nights, to watch the local pros in action. He would purchase our tickets from a couple of his "regular" scalpers, and we would always have good seats.

Back, here, the NBA games have never been so popular as it is today. With the reliable veterans and rising superstars from the collegiate leagues spread out in different teams, the NBA has seen a tremendous growth in the last few years. As a result, watching a live game has become more expensive and is beginning to get out reach for the avid fan. And if you want to see the Lakers or Celtics play, you'd have to cough up a little more (probably, much more).

The Golden State Warriors is my team, and the pride of the Bay Area. Since their last playoff appearance 6 years ago, the Warriors has had a so-so performance, until this season. Currently, they are in second place in the Pacific division behind the LA Clippers. Whenever, we have an opportunity, we love to drive up to Oracle Arena to watch our Warriors do their thing. On Wednesday, we did just that.

Sometime during the holiday, my employer, Kaiser Permanente (a big supporter of the Warriors), sent out an email announcing discounted tickets to 4 Warriors games scheduled around the holidays. Not to pass up on a good deal, I checked the website and took note of where I wanted to be at. I set my eyes on a Sixers game on December 28th -- 4 tickets at the Lower Level. The procrastinator in me caused me dearly. The next day, all Lower Level tickets were sold out, and the next best game available was the Clippers on January 2nd. Of course, it also cost 50% more.

For fear of missing out again, I clicked on "Buy Now", and purchased 4. The extra ticket was for my son's BFF (also an avid Warrior fan). He was available for the Sixers game, but wasn't sure if he was for the Clippers. Better to have it than not. As it turned out, he wasn't available because his family had visitors from out of town that week, so I had a spare ticket. We invited my son's other friend (and classmate) instead.

Since there was so much demand for these tickets, the website didn't allow me to choose my seats. All it did was to determine what section I wanted, get my order and payment, and it would choose the "best" seats for me. I did get a confirmation on my order, but didn't tell me anything more. All I wished was that we had decent seats and that we sat together.

On game day, we arrives early to get our tickets from Will Call. Parking wasn't a problem, and we had enough time to grab a bite to eat before the game started. The seats we got weren't bad, for the money I paid. That night was "Warriors Whiteout" night. Each fan was given a white t-shirt to wear during the game. If you didn't, your face will be displayed on the large screen atop center court, with the phrase "put your white shirt on". Also taped on each seat was a small white Warriors cardboard banner.

The experience of watching an NBA game at a coliseum is truly amazing. Nothing beats the energy and excitement of the fans after every basket. The thunderous applause and cheers for a well-executed play, or even the "oohs" and "aahs" of a missed jumper seemed like a synchronized reaction. It was fun to people-watch, too. And the noise it quite pleasant to the ear. As the Warriors continued to clobber the Clippers throughout the game, the intensity was relentless. At the final buzzer, the home team received a well-deserve standing ovation from a very appreciative Warrior crowd.

We all enjoyed the game, despite the blowout. Like any fan, we bought our share of souvenirs, and promised to get some more online. We look forward to watching a few more games, especially if the Warriors go on to the playoffs. Fingers crossed. It's going to be pricey, but, it'll surely be fun.

Let's Go Warriors !!!