The Aura of Warriors Ground

Our guy Splash Fro breaks down the power of Dub Nation to make their stadium the hardest place to play in basketball, and how to do it the right way.

The San Francisco 49ers’ first regular season game at Levi’s Stadium was played on September 14, 2014 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Levi’s Stadium glistened in the Santa Clara sun. Everything was clean, shiny, and smelled good. Even the bathroom lines felt short. Yet despite all this newness, something was off. All the touches of a new arena were welcomed coming from the 53 year old Candlestick Park, but it didn’t feel like our stadium. It felt like we were visiting someone else’s new stadium.

Over the years the energy would pick up as the team and Niner Faithful would make new memories in the South Bay. Game days and especially tailgate parties are leaps and bounds better now than the first few years.

Fast forward a few years and Chase Center, operating since September 2019, and its own iteration of Warriors Ground is still finding its voice. Gone is the feeling of visiting someone else’s fancy new home. By now the recon is done. You know your favorite spots to eat and drink - pregame, during the game and post game. You know where your favorite ushers and bartenders are stationed. You’re sending holiday cards to nearby seat holders. Buoyed by the 2022 championship run, the Mission Bay variant of Warriors Ground got a crash course on what’s needed to become the mythical Warriors Ground the NBA expects.

With that in mind, I present the Warriors Ground Manifesto - a declaration of values and principles that guide the Warriors Ground experience.

Warriors Ground Manifesto Values

I. Participation over People Watching

There’s a minimum participation threshold for Warrior games and it varies per person. For some it’s getting on the Jumbotron - Dance Cam, Kiss Cam, whatever gets your 15 seconds. For others, it’s the various photo ops around the arena. Don’t be afraid to put on the playoff shirt, particularly if you’re in the lower bowl. Arrive early to watch Steph’s warm-up. Lemme see you going wild in the background of Warriors Postgame Live at the Gatehouse. This is a participation event. Don’t be shy.

Participation doesn’t end once the final buzzer sounds. If you’re planning to leave early to beat traffic, you’ll most likely get stuck in it anyway so why not keep the party rockin. Venture into Thrive City for all the post-game shenanigans. Follow the crowd for your chance on live TV at the Gatehouse. The band should be playing on the steps. During the playoffs, a DJ should be out there replicating the old Plaza parties. Most of the restaurants stay open after games, You can sleep when you get home.

II. Hoops knowledge over Player knowledge

Bay Area NBA fans are some of the most knowledgeable fans in the league. You could hear the crowd’s anticipation as the “Elevator Doors” play developed, freeing Klay for an open look or when the opposing big drops off Steph too much during the split action and we know he’s gonna get an open look. We respect the game’s history too and wouldn’t dare refer to the greats as plumbers & firemen.

III Loyalty over Team Hopping

For many years, the Warriors had been plagued with poor draft choices and watching players reach their potentials after leaving Golden State (i.e. Chris Webber). GSW wasn’t a free agent destination until the likes of David Lee and Andre Iguodala signed. After decades of turmoil, the Warriors are amongst the NBA’s elite. There’s something special about homegrown talent and maintaining that championship core.

Warriors Ground Manifesto Principles

I. Act Like Grown Ups…Until it's Time not to

Pregaming at Oakland made me regress to my high school days sneaking a drink in before the game. Not to mention all the post game contraband in the BMW Lounge. GSW is now the highest valued NBA franchise at $8.8B. Keeping that status requires Dub Nation to grow up (a lil). Instead of consuming your vice of choice along the Bart bridge, you’re now invited to enjoy one of Thrive City’s latest eateries for your pre-game experience. You don’t need to sneak around as much and the move to SF has upped Dub Nation’s discretion. You’ll still find me pregaming at Splash Sports Bar, but more sloppy interviews on live TV.

II. Keep the same energy even when behind

Before the 2016 Western Conference Finals Game 5 tipped off, the boisterous Golden State crowd was chanting “See You Sunday!” - Sunday being a reference to the scheduled day for Game 7 (if needed). At the time, the series was OKC 3 - GSW 1 and Game 6 Klay would splash two days later.

III. Behold the power of the most menacing cheer in the NBA

The cheers on Warriors Ground are pretty basic with only the classic Warriors chant separating itself due to its notoriety. If I were a Warrior hater, I’d hate that Warriors chant the same way I disdain those Sacramento cowbells. Did you know there are subtleties in terms of when you use it and what message is conveyed? It’s situationally diverse.

Arena bids Night Night - In its early days, the Warriors chant was used when the crowd knew the game was in the bag. Whenever you would expect Steph to bust a Night Night, that’s when Dub Nation would start the Warriors chant. It’s taunting the opposing team.

DEFCON3 - The Warriors chant took an arrogant turn during those deadly 3rd quarters. The audacity of Dub Nation to signal the game’s over with another quarter to play. Remind you of anyone?

Ref You Suck followed by Warriors chant - We know we’re not getting the calls, but we’re gonna beat you despite the biased calls.

Warriors Chant when coming from behind

Hosting this year’s All Star Weekend felt like a passing of the torch. While paying homage to the 47 years the Golden State Warriors held it down at the Oakland Arena, it also foretold the NBA’s future in San Francisco.