Twedia Day, as the Golden State Warriors have called it for the last 4 years is about connecting the team, not only with the media, but with the community who relies on that media to interact with players. The progression of social media sites like Twitter and Instagram have helped some, but most of what goes on with the team is still somewhat surrounded in mystery.
Going into my first Media Day as a member of the horde of writers, photographers and reporters who attend the annual event, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I can definitely say there were many things I wouldn’t have thought to hear or see.
Kent Bazemore talked about how he tries to make it out to Walnut Creek on cheat days just to get some Chick-fil-A. Festus Ezeli told a story about a fan who constantly messaged him for things on Kik messsenger before the big man figured out how to use the program. Harrison Barnes was asked by beat writer Marcus Thompson II if he “salivates,” to which Barnes responded with a quizzical look, looking to Andrew Bogut for support.
Many of the things you don’t get to see on TV or read in newspapers are almost as worthwhile as the live interviews for the cameras. A single story can’t cover all the things that happen in the two-hour span. With 15-20 NBA players roaming around at any give time, it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s going on.
So much so that as crowds of people surround stars like David Lee and Stephen Curry, others often sit on the side talking to just one or two reporters. You’d be surprised by some of the stuff that gets said and is never published.
One particularly interesting exchange came between CSN Bay Area’s Henry Wofford and Jermaine O’Neal, who’ve known each other going back O’Neal’s days with the Indiana Pacers. At the time, Wofford worked for the local NBC affiliate.
With the mics and cameras out of the way, O’Neal leaned back in his folding chair, relaxed, and talked about how much things have changed for him in a little over a decade. Wofford suggested that O’Neal is one of those guys that’s perfect to come in and teach a young team like the Warriors about the league, the way Jarrett Jack was last year.
Now in his 18th NBA season, “J.O.” has seen just about everything since entering the league right out of high school. He knows how much can change in an instant, whether it’s injuries or an incident like the one the Pacers had in Auburn Hills in 2004.
He’s married with two kids, is six times an All-Star, and was named the NBA’s most improved player in 2002, his sixth year in the league. Speaking openly with Wofford, you could feel the presence in his voice that likely will carry over to the Warriors’ locker room.
Media Day opened up the chance for me to see things like that for the first time. I’ve seen interviews, I’ve read articles, tried to interpret quotes, but I’ve never gotten to see players acting natural, just being themselves.
So as great as it is that Steph did an interview with Jim Barnett or Brent Barry, or that the team took some silly photos of Bazemore, those things that not everyone gets to see caught my attention most. Maybe I’m just weird like that.
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