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Golden State Warriors: Inside Oracle Arena’s Final Opening Night

By Calvin Fong

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 16: t shirts are displayed over chairs for fans prior to the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 16, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 16: t shirts are displayed over chairs for fans prior to the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 16, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors won their first game, but the bigger story is that the famed Oracle Arena has just seen its last Opening Night.  We examine the feelings and emotions inside Oracle throughout the night, and how Oracle got a final Opening Night to remember.

The 47th season for the raucous Oracle Arena got underway Tuesday night, with the last Opening Night it’ll ever see.  The stadium was abuzz, with anticipation and excitement pulsing through the building with all love for the Golden State Warriors and their beloved franchise.

The hype began right off the bat with the ring ceremony and banner unveiling.  The sellout crowd of 19,596 roared as coaches and players received their rings.  Leandro Barbosa was also in attendance and received a warm ovation as fans remembered his contributions to the first championship of the now-dynasty.

With Draymond Green and company lip-syncing to Drake’s Big Rings right before tip-off, it was clear that the Warriors might, understandably, lack focus on this emotional night.

Having lost their last two Opening Nights, the Warriors were known to be prone to complacency and a lack of urgency.  Those traits were usually characterized by isolation plays, no ball movement, and lazy or ill-advised passes.

However, the Warriors broke tradition and started strong against the Thunder, much to the delight of an already hyped-up crowd.  But what seemed at times like an easy blowout quickly changed course.

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After halftime, the Thunder deflated Oracle with a run of their own, storming back to take the lead.  Complacency, a lack of ball movement, and isolations plagued the Warriors yet again.  The Dubs eventually pulled out the win thanks to Steph Curry’s and Kevin Durant’s heroics.

Throughout, fans went nuts seeing Damian Jones go high to finish lobs, and were thrilled to see the growth of Kevon Looney as he recorded his first career double-double.

Through most of the night though, the fans felt like the team–excited for a new season, wanting to celebrate their past championships, and sleep-walked a little through the game at hand.  The stadium did not get much louder than it did during the pre-game ring ceremony.

And while fans ached for a big play or a patented quick-hitting Warriors run, they were left with Klay Thompson missing multiple open 3’s, Paul George having an answer for every big Warriors’ play in the 2nd half, and a lazy, lackluster Warriors offense in the 3rd quarter.

During one of the timeout breaks, Oracle fans were again animated and lively in seeing the organization tread on new ground and break into uncharted territory.  The Warriors’ organization introduced their new senior dance team, the Hardwood Classics,

The group of 50, 60, or 70-year-olds rocked the hardwood court with dance moves even younger generations would have difficulty pulling off.  The crowd throughout the stadium appreciated not only the novelty of having a senior dance crew, but also the acknowledgement that you don’t have to be a skinny 20-year-old with long hair to be a great dancer.

The Warriors may be “lightyears ahead” in more than just their product on the basketball court.

For the most part, it was a night filled with more than just a basketball game.  The night was about celebrating the past, looking forward to the new, and understanding that all good things come to an end.

In an act of irony, Oracle ended the game in the same way it had for a better part of the past 20 years–with fans heading to the exits early.  This time, not out of disgust, but out of a desire to beat traffic and go home for the night.

With half a minute left in the game, the Warriors had just pushed their lead to seven.  And with the game now out of reach, a large portion of fans started to bolt to the doors.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that it was already later than a normal game would end.  Or perhaps it’s because the “richer” Silicon Valley crowd of fans who can afford to go to games nowadays aren’t quite as die-hard as they should be.  Either way, when the last buzzer sounded, there was no deafening roar of celebration.

Instead, Oracle, never a stranger to quiet ovations in the losing years, received just that as it finished its last Opening Night.  It had begun its final journey as home to the Warriors and their loyal fans with a night of high emotions, but with plenty left in store.

Outsiders, national media, and local broadcasters have used words like “levitating,” “rocking,” and “pulsating” when describing the noise level inside Oracle Arena in the past.

Let’s hope that, when the emotion of last year’s title and the complacency of the new season wears off, the Warriors will again give its fans reason to make Oracle levitate, rock, and pulsate.

And to send the rickety old building off with a roar as loud as the one that’s been inside it.

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