Longtime Golden State Warriors Fan Soaks in Magical Run
By Eric He
It has been 40 years since the Golden State Warriors captured a championship, and the gap between celebrations has spanned generations of fans.
While many fans have caught on in recent years or in the past decade, there remains a fair contingent of Warriors faithful who witnessed that 1975 championship team and have remained part of Dub Nation, despite decades of watching the team come up short.
One such fan is Anthony B. Gonzales, a 54-year-old East Bay resident who has followed the Warriors since he was a young boy. In a time when not many games were televised, Gonzales caught on by listening to Bill King call games on the radio, and has been hooked ever since.
Gonzales was good enough to answer a few questions for Blue Man Hoop comparing the two championship teams:
How would you describe the 1975 team?
They were a team led on the floor by a superstar in Rick Barry, along with future superstar in Jamaal Wilkes, and they were surrounded by a valuable group of role players. They were led by Coach Al Attles who got the most out of his roster.
What were some of you favorite memories, players, moments, etc. from that team?
My favorite moment was watching them sweep the Bullets for the championship. Washington had pretty much owned the Warriors during the regular season that year and the Warriors weren’t given a chance to beat the Bullets and their powerful lineup that was led by two future Hall Of Famers (Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes) and All-Star Phil Chenier. My favorite player was Barry because it was fun to watch the many ways he could score and I really enjoyed watching George Johnson and his shot blocking ability. I also enjoyed watching Wilkes and his smooth jump shot!
Did you ever think you would have to wait 40 years for the next one?
No, I felt that Run TMC, given the chance to stick together, with some additional talent added to that roster would have had a chance at an NBA title.
Describe the struggles as a fan for the past four decades and why you have remained loyal?
Even though the Warriors have struggled over the years, they have always been an exciting team to watch, regardless of the win and loss records. Who could ever forget Sleepy Floyd‘s fourth quarter performance against the Lakers or Purvis Short‘s beautiful rainbow jumper. I have always been and always will be a Warriors fan and I have never struggled with my loyalty to this team and never will.
How would describe this current team?
This current Warrior team reminds me of the old saying that there is no “I” in team. They seem to really enjoy playing with one another and buying into Coach Kerr’s philosophy. Everyone contributed when their number was called. I like their up-tempo offense that is fed off of their defensive play. They hustle on every play and it has paid off in numerous games this season. There were games that seemed to be headed for a loss but their hustle and never give up attitude ultimately paid off in the end
Compare and contrast the two championship squads. Which one has been more enjoyable?
I think that both teams are similar. They both used a deep bench and the players seemed to have bought into the coach’s game plan. They both were high scoring teams that won their championships. Both teams defenses led to scoring opportunities. There seems to be more talent all around on the current roster than there was on 1974-75 roster.
I believe that the ’74-’75 team would have been even more of a high scoring team than they were if there had been a three-point shot during their championship run. Even though the ’74-’75 championship was their first in the Bay Area, I would have to say that after the 40-year wait that this 2014-15 Championship run has been more enjoyable because now I’m a middle-aged man that got to share this experience with my son (Jon, pictured above).
What was your reaction when the clock hit zero last night, and how did you celebrate?
I couldn’t wait to scream out of my front door and let all the neighbors know that the wait was finally over! “WAARRRRIOOORRRSSS”