Warriors

#GSWRoadie: Sights & Sounds From #NBAAllStar Toronto – Day One Media Row

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Alan Draper
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Sports Editor
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SHERATON HOTEL, TORONTO, ON — The 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto, Canada, “tipped off” yesterday with the Golden State Warriors three representatives, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green visiting “media row” for various appearances on TV and radio.

First off, the weather change from 85-degree Phoenix to zero-degree-Celsius Toronto was drastic, although the “roadie” to the Midwest (Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago) proved to be valuable — thick socks, leggings, extra layers for the torso, a scarf for the neck and face, and a beanie for the ears and head were all necessary equipment.

My flight was a red-eye and I was lucky enough to have a whole row to myself, plus customs was a breeze since the plane arrived first at the airport. The Kevlar-wearing, U.N.-peacekeeper-looking customs agent even had some good things to say about the Warriors, upon his mini-interrogation of the purpose of my visit.

He asked me to name someone other than Curry as my favorite player and the choice was easy. Seems not only does President Barack Obama enjoy Draymond, but so do Canadians (“Canadiens”?).

From Pearson International Airport, where signage for the NBA was everywhere…

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…I took the “UP” (Union Pearson) Express. On the way to picking up my media credential from Air Canada Centre, I managed to stumble upon Union Station, the hub of not only Toronto’s public transportation but also their underground “PATH” that connects various major buildings and hotels downtown.

There, it appeared Under Armour was on a mission to dominate the visuals, with Curry leading the way (these sightings are also on our Snapchat summary video):

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Back at the Sheraton, Curry was late but first of the Big Three to arrive, saying hello to Minnesota Timberwolves phenom Andrew Wiggins, who happened to be passing by at that moment, then heading over to meet with NBATV’s David Aldridge at their set on the second floor of the Sheraton Hotel.

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The media circuit not only included Aldridge, but also Sekou Smith and his crew at Hangtime Blogs, downstairs with Russillo & Kanell of ESPN, then back upstairs to Xirius XM radio and a whole host of other booths.

Here’s a nice video montage from Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPn2yAeA3ec&w=560&h=315]

Next up was Green. According to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, Green was so appreciative of his first experience as an #NBAAllStar that he told his rep, “I’ll do everything,” in terms of all the interview requests.

Here’s Draymond downstairs to “R&K”:

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Then later back upstairs with NBA TV:

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Then with Xirius:

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Last up was Thompson, here with NBA TV:

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Here’s a nice summary from the Warriors’ own Laurence Scott:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRMMpRUAeoY&w=560&h=315]

Day Two (Friday) will consist of morning media scrums. After an NBA Cares event, later in the evening Green is expected to attend the Celebrity Game, where “arch-three-point-rival” and comedian Kevin Hart will be coaching one of the teams. Thompson will simultaneously make an appearance at “Centre Court” (previously known as “Jam Session”).

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Alan Draper

Alan is a vastly experienced sports and gambling writer who is the Chief Editor of The Sports Daily.
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Alan Draper

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Alan is a vastly experienced sports and gambling writer who is the Chief Editor of The Sports Daily.
View All Posts By Alan Draper
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