The unveiling of the 2014-15 NBA Championship Banner and Ring Ceremony are two of the top reasons to look forward to Warriors Opening Night at Oracle Arena on Tuesday, October 27.
Opening Night
Warriors vs. PelicansTuesday, October 277:30 p.m.Oracle Arena
Arena Doors Open at 5:30 p.m.
Pregame Celebration Starts at 7:15 p.m.
The three preseason home games were nice appetizers, but it’s safe to say that Dub Nation is ready for the main course. And while every Opening Night is special in its own right, the one taking place on Warriors Ground on Tuesday will carry a little extra credence because the Warriors are CHAMPIONS.
All of Dub Nation has basked in the glow of the previous four words for the previous four months, and the ongoing celebration that spanned a steakhouse in Cleveland to the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt and all across the globe has all led to the spectacle that will occur on Tuesday at Oracle Arena. Here are some reasons to look forward to Warriors Opening Night …
1. The Banner Unveiling
Prior to the game’s tipoff, the Warriors will formally unveil the 2014-15 NBA Championship banner as part of the pregame festivities. The banner will forever symbolize the teamwork, camaraderie and overall excellence that brought home the franchise’s fourth-ever NBA title.
2. The Ring Ceremony
If the banner unveiling isn’t enough, there’s also the bling! NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will be on hand, and along with Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, will distribute diamond-clad Championship rings, crafted by Jason of Beverly Hills, to last season’s players and coaches.
3. Being Back on Warriors Ground
Yes, the Warriors have had three home games this preseason, two at Oracle Arena, and all of them have drawn sellout crowds. But let’s be honest, the atmosphere on Warriors Ground is so much more lively when the results actually matter. That buzz co-created by the players and the best fans in the NBA, that excitement, that electricity, that high-five to the complete stranger next to you that’s no longer a stranger … that’s what Warriors Ground is all about.
4. Free T-Shirt
It’s a proven fact that goes back hundreds of years – everybody loves a free T-shirt. And for those lucky enough to attend Opening Night on Warriors Ground on Tuesday, they’ll all receive one of these fancy tops pictured below, courtesy of our friends at City National Bank. Nearly 20,000 fans cheering at the top of their lungs while sporting this commemorative championship T-shirt … yes, that’s an environment you’ll want to be part of.
5. Welcoming an Old Friend
It’s hard to believe that Alvin Gentry was only with the Warriors for one season. Now the head coach of the Warriors’ Opening Night opponent – the New Orleans Pelicans – Gentry spent the 2014-15 Championship season as the associate head coach on Steve Kerr’s staff and is planning on participating in the championship celebration – a much deserved honor for a man who endeared himself to players, fellow coaches, fans, Warriors staff members, security guards, custodians, delivery people, food servers and pretty much anyone else he came across.
6. The Splash Brothers
How can the Splash Brothers top a season that included a championship, 67 regular season wins, starting in the All-Star Game, an MVP award for Stephen Curry, an incendiary 37-point quarter for Klay Thompson, and combining to break their own NBA record for most 3-pointers by a pair of teammates (525)? That’s certainly a tall task, and that obviously won’t be fully determined on Tuesday, but just knowing that’s possible with the duo’s game continuing to mature should be quite thrilling for Dub Nation.
Generations and even lifetimes can go by without ever seeing your favorite team win a league championship. Thankfully, that no longer applies to those members of Dub Nation under 40 years old. The fact is, we never know when another moment like this will happen again, which will make the Championship Celebration on Opening Night that much more special.