Every now and then we are fortunate enough to witness a normally uptight, focused star get lost in the moment and let loose. We saw Stephen Curry do this against the Knicks at MSG last week. The young phenom went off without his partner in crime, David Lee, and rocked The Garden. The moment that will remain tattooed in basketball fans souls forever can be broken down like this:
"The Warriors down two, 4 minutes to go here at the Garden"
"Stephen Curry launches for three..."
"BINGO!!!!"
(Curry lets loose, summons his inner Mark Jackson, and finally gets lost in the moment. Yelling, looking up to the sky, arms flailing. We just witnessed one of those special, unforgettable moments in sports)
"The Knicks crowd is stunned"
"He is in a zone right now, all by himself"
"49 and counting..."
Madison Square Garden, the mecca of basketball became Stephen Curry's canvas. His torrid shooting led to what will be remembered as one of the greatest performances ever at MSG, the pinnacle of basketball. Is this the peak of Curry's career or is this just his coming out party? I believe the latter. As a lifelong Warrior fan, I have been ecstatic (2007 We Believe), experienced the low of lows (basically every other year post Run TMC) and been bewildered (Udoh over Monroe. Mullin's infamous jersey retiring ceremony. Patrick O'Bryant. Ike Diougu. Anthony Randolph. Andris Biedrin's never ending contract. Releasing Linsanity). Here is a condensed list of the distraught Bay Area basketball fans have gone through in the past two decades:
-Not trusting owners, coaching, GM's, front office, basically anybody.
-Trading our most entertaining player for an injury prone (to say the least) center.
-Having no cap flexibility because of Richard Jefferson and Andris "just typing his name raises my blood pressure" Biedrins.
-Prior to this year having some of, if not the, most loyal fans in the NBA, who have nothing to cheer for. Other than wins over the Kings and "Free coupons if the Dubs reach 100 points." Oh, and jersey retirement ceremonies. Hey, wait a second...
-Remember I said their is no trust between the fans and front office? Well, on Chris Mullin's jersey retirement night, the fans were exasperated with the ownership and like an enraged riot, finally had enough. Boo's reigned down from the stands.
-Hearing months of Chris Paul and Dwight Howard rumors.
-Hearing "PLAYOFFS, PLAYOFFS, PLAYOFFS" rhetoric for a whole summer/half season.
These are my Vietnam flashbacks. (My fingers are trembling with disgust and anger). (Deep breath). (Deep breath). (Curry at MSG). (Okay, i'm good). The highlight of the most recent decade, aside from 2007, has been new jerseys and a new logo. Then, after the decade of doom, the good news began to pour in:
-The Warriors have sold to Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, the two men who outbid Mr. Oracle, Larry Ellison. Selling for a record $450 million.
-Trading Monta "Blackhole" Ellis for an elite big man. Andrew Bogut becoming the first legit center the Warriors have had since, well, Wilt Chamberlain.
-Signing Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry (6th, 7th men) for a combined $8.5 million this season.
-Landing Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green in the draft. Oh, and unsigned rookie Kent Bazemore.
-Announcing the team will be relocating to San Francisco in 2017. Becoming a major market team and becoming a destination for big time free agents and players. Not to mention, the most futuristic and quite frankly, awesome arena in the league.
-David Lee becoming the first All-Star in 15 years for the Warriors franchise. (Still bitter about the Curry snub).
-The Warriors in serious contention and currently the 6 seed in the western conference playoff race.
-Stephen Curry dropping 54 at MSG in New York.
Only Warriors fans can truly appreciate trading Monta Ellis, signing 2 undervalued free agents, moving to SF, and Steph Curry scoring 54 at the Garden! If you know what it means to be a Warriors fan, you know the suffering, heartache and unshakable loyalty we have all gone through. The seasons of lost hope and hope for a few lottery balls to bounce our way. The panic when Curry or Bogut hit the floor. But, you also know what it means to be among the best fans in the NBA, cheer your heart out at ORACLE Arena and represent DUB NATION! The few, the proud, Warriors fans.
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