Warrior Love

As I watched Ronny Turiaf fade off of Roger Mason Jr. so he could take the game
winning shot, I thought to myself, God damnit. Why do the Warriors always seem to do
this? Why can’t we just finish off a good win, any win for that matter. Stephen
Jackson seemed to feel the same way as he simply just shrugged and furnished a
confused look at Turiaf for leaving the man who has hit numerous game winning shots
for the Spurs open to do what he does best. As Monta Ellis scrambled across the
floor and threw up a terrible shot with plenty of time left, I knew the truth: the
Golden State Warriors suck. Yet, it wasn’t before long that I realized that is
exactly why I love them.

I have moved continuously throughout my entire life, and though changing schools and
losing friends had a profound impact on me, one of the most troubling things about
moving was trying to root for for a home town team when you don’t have a home town.
The Marlins, Orioles, Dolphins, Chargers, Padres, A’s, Heat, 49ers and Cubs are all
among the myriad of teams that have received my love throughout the years. Now that
I live in the greater LA region, I am beginning to feel the tugs of the Lakers and
Dodgers, and their fans whom I have befriended. Everything should point me to them.
The championships, the all-stars, the amazing plays, hell, Kobe himself really.
Nonetheless, in some respects, this is what draws me away. Last year, when the
Lakers lost in the Finals, most Laker fans I know were just upset. In LA, it’s not
exciting to win the title, it’s expected. It’s the same thing being a Yankee’s fan.
There isn’t the same passion when your team wins a big game, you already knew it was
going to happen. The Warriors are grimy, they’re castaways, they aren’t supposed to
win…and most times they don’t.  But when they do, it is something special. It is
excitement you can feel, a love you earned. Relationships fall on hard times, but
the ones that pull through can be powerful . That’s why when the Warriors upset the
Mavericks in the first round, no one really cared that they were knocked out in the
second. They defied the odds. For that one moment, they were not trapped in
mediocrity but thriving as centers of the basketball universe. And even though I
have moved yet again, this is why I haven’t abandoned the Golden State Warriors.
This is why I will always love them. Because they suck.

Some new uniforms wouldn’t hurt though.

Even Snoop Knows.