If Damon Bruce’s source is correct, I guess David Stern, Gavin Newsom, David Lee and others attended that press conference down by the water for nothing.
With all the obstacles in front of the Warriors gaining approval for, then financing and building a new arena along the Embarcadero, this news (if true) isn’t entirely surprising. What’s surprising is that the Warriors would throw such an extravagant ceremony for a project that was on such feeble footing. This press conference, which was hosted by Ahmad Rashad and included speeches from two owners, two politicians, two Warriors front office executives, a player and the commissioner of the NBA, happened just 17 days ago.
Or, maybe it isn’t all that surprising. The Warriors’ new regime has shown a willingness to make big promises, including making the playoffs during the 2011-12 season. Here’s what Joe Lacob said to Tim Kawakami after the press conference about whether or not the event was a “poker play” designed to show the Giants they are serious about moving to San Francisco:
“We are out here and in front of everybody today, as Peter turned to me on the stage and said, ‘Man, we gotta do this.’ And that’s the truth. We’re here to do it.”
Here is Lacob, who during his speech said, “So I want everyone to understand that it can be done. And it will be done. It is going to happen. We are going to be here in 2017.”
I guess we’ll see.
Update: according to Adam Lauridsen (who originally broke the story that the Warriors were planning on moving to Piers 30/32), there still may be a pulse.
