I’m guy of modest means. I’m not rich, my family isn’t rich, and with a busy work and school schedule since I was 16, going to Golden State Warriors games isn’t something that I’ve gotten to do a whole lot, despite my passion for the game and the team.
Typically, I’m up near the rafters with $10 dollar tickets to New Orleans Hornets and Phoenix Suns games that someone didn’t want so they were passed on to me. Every once in a while, I’ll splurge on slightly better tickets, but $40-$50 is usually my limit.
Prior to last night, I’d sat in Oracle Arena’s lower bowl just once, for a home loss to the Boston Celtics with tickets that were a Christmas present to my sister (a Celtics fan) as much as they were to me.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had my fair share of fun moments at Oracle. I remember the Rookie Challenge in 2000, a win against the Chicago Bulls in December 2011, and a couple more recent blowouts, but nothing has ever come close to what I experienced last night.
Through our site and it’s many friends, I got the chance to sit as near to courtside as I’ll likely ever be. Row 1A, or the first row of actual non-folding chair seats. And it was a wonderful, usually once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In the closing moments as the Warriors mounted their final comeback, I couldn’t hear the person sitting next to me. As Stephen Curry’s game-winner dropped through with 1.5 seconds to play, I lost track of everything. I didn’t even see Dallas’ final desperation heave.
Having never been to a playoff game, I only knew through rumor and my TV set how loud Oracle could get. I had never experienced that kind of noise so close to the floor. To say it was deafening wouldn’t even be exaggerating.
Just over a week ago, Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said Oracle’s noise level in the Warriors’ epic comeback was to the point where he just couldn’t hear anything else:
“Shoot, I couldn’t hear my defense. I couldn’t hear my guys out there, honestly.”
That isn’t news, but I wasn’t prepared for how much of an experience that game-winner would turn out to be. Around me was the swirling, loud, crazy, raw emotion of basketball. They say it’s “just a game,” but in moments like those, you can see it’s so much more.
But that isn’t the only thing that made my night. It was getting to see, up close, the battles between Dirk Nowitzki and David Lee, who often wrapped himself around the German forward to the point Dirk had to shove him off.
It was seeing Andrew Bogut nod continually nod in the direction of Draymond Green every time he played great perimeter defense, while he sent glares in the direction of teammates letting their men get to the rim.
It was the opportunity to see the frustration on Monta Ellis’ face when he picked up his second foul in the first quarter.
It was seeing Curry, after drawing a chance for a four-point play, get on Klay Thompson for a blown defensive assignment late in the game. Seeing Steph find the balance of leadership and nerves to make the plays he did last night was really fun.
On TV and in the second deck, you don’t get to see the emotion in the game save for its biggest moments. From court-side, the nuances of the game are clear.
I’ve had a fair share of experience with star athletes. From what I hear, most people are nervous around them. For me, that’s never really been an issue. But last night, my body trembled with anticipation and excitement.
I typically have a calm demeanor. I don’t react to big plays at games the way most fans do. I clap, but you probably won’t catch me on TV in a crazy crowd celebration of a Curry alley-oop to Bogut.
Sitting there, so close to the action, is something I wish every true sports fan could experience in their lifetime. It isn’t possible, because sports are a business, too. Without the right hookups, it will be a long time before I can afford those kinds of tickets.
But it’s an experience to behold, perhaps even worth the price of admission if you’ve got the spare change. Maybe it’s just because how much I love the game, but I’ll remember it for as long as I live, and I hope I’ll have the chance to do it again.
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