Home>>Lacob: 'This has been a remarkable journey'

Lacob: 'This has been a remarkable journey'

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Tags:

  1. Mark Jackson3:25
  2. Bay Area1:00, 2:06, 2:58
  3. AT&T park4:28
  4. Warriors1:13
  5. NBA game1:33
  6. NBA franchise0:15
  7. NBA team1:38
  8. basketball team1:12
  9. incredibly positive0:35
  10. privately financing3:43
Tue, 22 May 2012|

The Warriors announce their plan to move to San Francisco for the 2017 season.

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Transcript

Well thank you very much a mud and thank you mr. mayor. This has been a remarkable journey for us we bought this team eighteen months ago. And as it as was stated we did pay the highest price ever paid for an NBA franchise David. -- And of course David just call me the tire kicker I don't think he's doing that anymore. But we have had all of last say five months of interaction with the mayor of San -- Ed and his staff which is a fantastic staff led by -- and it's been a wonderful five months it's been incredibly positive it's been. It's just what can do attitude about this entire project and we hope that the next five years which it will take. There be many challenges but this next five years of these great relationship we had over the last five months. And so as the mayor said we have just celebrated the -- borders fiftieth season in the Bay Area. And now with this announcement we embark on the next fifty years. And with the cost of this arena and they take -- fifty years to pare back. So it's it's been a Bears basketball team that is the Warriors were very very long time that we hope to be here obviously for a very very long time right here on this site. In this beautiful city. Now we've put a lot of time and effort into this search and the last eighteen months we've looked everywhere. That would decide what is the best thing for our fans where we go what's gonna be the best for fans to experience -- ever had an NBA game how can we make this the best possible. NBA venue and NBA team. In the NBA and we decided on this site. It was not an easy decision. We looked at a number of sites and you know we are faced with a pretty tight timeline or lease expires this has been reported in 2017. So we have five years and it takes probably all of that is going to be a tight timeline as we've discussed takes all of that to get this done. In terms of just getting the permits and and all that and -- building the arena. Weeks -- all the options the Bay Area including Oakland and I think we should take that on. Right here right now. We're very very appreciative to the home that we've had in Oakland for the last forty years or so they've been great fans it's been great community and but what people don't understand is that in fact our fan base is really 5050. It is and we don't release this information all the time but it's 505050%. Of the west they. 50% in the east -- So we are the various basketball teams the way we look at it we have to find the best site that serve the majority of our fans for the very long term and provide that experience. And we settled at the end of the day. On this site right here in this beautiful city. So when we leave you with four main points as to why. First we intend to build the most spectacular. Arena. In the country in all Bay Area residents not to San Francisco and all Bay Area residents to be proud. And architecturally significant building. On Trulli and iconic -- It doesn't get any better than this we intend to do everything in our power. That a team as well that matches the standard of what this arena is going to be. Both now but we over the course of the next five years winning and let's not forget this winning where's Mark Jackson. Winning remains our number one priority and this -- Is about winning. Just like the team on the court it's about winning for our fans and winning for the experience that we up -- to have enjoying coming to this to the games at the Serena. Too. Very important to understand that we're privately financing the Serena. We think that's very very important. Look we we know that in California particularly in San Francisco Oakland all these communities are challenged. By a lot of different economic. Issues. We can go through those we all know what they are we knew that we could have tried to get some public financing has been done in other places around the country is beautiful new arena that we've all gone and seen. -- Orlando and others but it would be very difficult to do we -- the right thing to do in fact was that we can get the right deal on a parcel of land a great piece. We were coming here we'll build this arena so I want everyone to understand that it can be done. And it will be done it is going to happen you're going to be here in 2017. And our neighbors to the south the Giants and you see it from here AT&T park have proven they're privately financed venues -- stadium in their case. Can be done very very well and work for everybody. The third point. Like to make is that we thought it was also very important everything you as merely describe that can be accessible via public transportation. Very accessible. Not just for your games but from conventions and concerts and all the other events that are going to be here because this isn't just an arena for basketball. That's what 5060 events for basketball mark. I'm not sure the exact number but I think it's. 57 or something. But also for all the other events that are here and in fact this is more than just an arena that's really the final point. This is -- entertainment venues some multifaceted venue that we're gonna attempt to put here in fact we're going to be here. Which involves. Not only their arena. But a public public spaces that we can all be proud of and also of course retail. And restaurants and -- Steve of course and a bar sports bars all kinds of things that are going to be the site to be very exciting it's gonna change just like the Giants changed. The down market there are a little further we changed this part of the -- Darryl for the city forever so once again to merely think you've heard. Really going to Gregory aggressively after us and bringing us here and to everyone else has helped make this -- happen thank you.

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