OAKLAND -– In the hours since Monday night, Warriors fans have lived between hope and angst, faith and worry. The skies suddenly darkened after their team lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals at Oracle Arena.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr knows your pain, and he hopes it’s temporary.
“Our fans care desperately, which is great, so that’s a part of it,” Kerr said Wednesday, two hours before Game 2. “The elation of winning doesn’t come without the despair of losing. It’s all part of it. So when you struggle and you get down and, there’s a sense out there that people are anxious or whatever, that’s just being a sports fan. I was that way growing up, following my teams.”
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[POOLE: Gameday: Warriors heavy favorites over Thunder in Game 2]
Kerr, who grew up in Southern California in the 1980s, remembers rooting for the Lakers. Not just the Lakers, mind you, but the “Showtime” Lakers of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.
“I’d get anxious when the Lakers would fall behind in a series and I was hoping Magic and Kareem could turn it around,” Kerr recalled. “That’s the great thing about sports. It’s fun. It’s drama-filled. It’s a challenge. And in the end, it’s a game. It’s fun.”
It’s more fun, though, when you’re winning. The Lakers of the ‘80s made seven trips to the NBA Finals, winning four championships.
Golden State Warriors
Kerr almost certainly would accept the defending champion Warriors experiencing similar success over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, they’ve fallen behind in the conference finals. There is palpable concern within the fan base. That likely won’t change as long as the Warriors are in these playoffs.