The Dubs' New Digs
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G O O D S P O R T The Dubs’ New Digs A look inside the Golden State Warriors’ state-of-the-art San Francisco arena By Kimberley Lovato • Illustration by James Clapham When the Golden State Warriors (along with new addition D’Angelo Rus- on the court, the arena offers conces- lost to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA sell), but Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, sions from more than a dozen beloved Finals in June, it wasn’t just the end of and Shaun Livingston have all departed, Bay Area mainstays, including Oak- the 2018-19 season; it was the end of an and Klay Thompson will miss much of land’s Bakesale Betty and San Francisco’s era for Bay Area basketball. The Dubs, as this upcoming season with a knee injury. Old Skool Café (a youth-run, jazz-themed they’re known locally, are moving across Still, fans—the team estimates that supper club). Surrounding the stadium the Bay Bridge, from Oakland’s Oracle almost 70 percent of the nearly sold-out is an 11-acre entertainment, dining, and Arena to a glitzy new home in San Fran- season tickets are renewals from Oracle retail complex, Thrive City, headlined cisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. Arena—have plenty to look forward to. by a food hall from James Beard Award– The 18,064-seat, privately funded, Chase Center is tailor-made for basket- winning chef Michael Mina. $1.4 billion Chase Center will see its first ball: The arena is not convertible for The new arena offers an improved regular-season action on October 24, hockey play, preserving sight lines; the experience for the team, too. Unlike in when the Dubs host the newly power- concourses are enclosed to eliminate dis- Oakland, the practice facilities are adja- ful Los Angeles Clippers. For some, the tractions; and the ceilings are relatively cent to the locker room, and there’s a relocation is bittersweet. The Warriors low, to help re-create the raucous envi- lounge and a barber shop for the players. had called Oakland home since 1971, fos- ronment of the old, so-called “Roaracle” “These added benefits can separate tering a loyal, diverse following. What’s Arena. “A lot of arenas are taller, but this one team from another,” says Warriors more, the team, which has played in the design keeps fans close to the action,” says head coach Steve Kerr. “Our players are, last five NBA Finals (winning three Warriors President and COO Rick Welts. obviously, the ones who win games and, championships), won’t be bringing the “Players are energized by this, too.” ultimately, championships. Anything same dynastic roster to SF. Steph Curry For those more concerned with the we can do to gain a competitive advan- and Draymond Green are still here product on their plates than the players tage is a positive.” 36 36_HEMI1019_DivSport2.indd 36 05/09/2019 10:39.