Lifelong Warriors fan hopeful about team's finals chances
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- For Warriors fans, this trip to the NBA Finals is the culmination of another wild ride, but that can also be said of the Warriors' bizarre path to dynasty status.
"I tried it last Saturday, but they were out of stock," said Gordon Jeong, visiting Chase Center to pick up a '22 Finals Warriors cap. "So I had to make a special trip. I called first, just to make sure they had it. Because I'm from Oakland, where the Warriors used to be."
Jeong is a longtime fan.
"Well, I've been following them since the old Rick Barry days," Jeong says of his fandom. "I wasn't around for Wilt Chamberlain. I'm not that old."
But he is old enough to know that the Warriors' days of yore looked very different from today's dynasty, and getting here was a long and winding journey.
"Back then, people were going to the Warriors games just to see the other team," he laughed. I mean, it took them 40 years. We went through Run TMC, We Believe. But I'm glad they did it with Strength in Numbers. They finally hired the right coach."
Like many seasoned fans, he's still a little wistful for the old home.
"I just miss that," he said of Oracle Arena. "There were more seats than in this place."
But Jeong is still on board, from Oakland. His allegiance has not waned. Nor has his confidence.
"I put $100 down in Vegas," he said of the potentially lucrative bet. "I did it in October, 2021. I just said 'the Warriors are gonna win the championship'. Right now, I'm only four wins away, and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed."
The Warriors are warning people to be cautious if looking for tickets, as they're already becoming scarce. On the resale market, they're now starting at around $750.