Sights and sounds from the Warriors’ home opener and championship celebration

The Warriors tipped off for the 2018-19 season Tuesday night by celebrating last year’s NBA title before beating the Thunder.|
XXXX YYYYYY<BR>BY PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

OAKLAND

The Golden State Warriors formally launched their campaign to win a third consecutive NBA championship, and fourth in five years, with a 108-100 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

Before taking that modest step forward, though, they offered a backward glance. The pregame hoops-la at Oracle Arena was a celebration of the 2017-18 season, including a ring ceremony and the unveiling of the 2018 banner in the rafters.

More than anything, opening night was a tribute to Oracle, the Warriors' home court (though it had other names) for the past 40 years. This will be their final season in Oakland; they are building a new arena near the waterfront in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco.

The Warriors are solid favorites to win it all again in 2018-19, but the air around them is growing thicker with uncertainty. Superstar Kevin Durant can opt out of his contract after this season. Three-point marksman Klay Thompson is scheduled to be a free agent in 2019, too. Maybe the atmosphere at the new Chase Center won't be as electric as Oracle Arena.

Warriors championship ring ceremony in progress at Oracle Arena. More about the game here: http://pd2go.net/dNZer4

Posted by Press Democrat on Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Those are issues for another day, though. Tuesday was about the latest Warriors championship - and the campaign for the next one.

Click through the gallery above to see photos from the pregame ceremony and the game against the Thunder.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor