NBA's Warriors Add Golden State; Drop San Francisco

On July 16, 1971, the National Basketball Association San Francisco Warriors, add Golden State, and take away San Francisco from their name.

The San Diego Evening Tribune reports that the San Francisco Warriors will play half of their home games on the 1972 schedule in Oakland, with the other half to be played in San Diego. With the team moving out of San Francisco, it was also reported that the team would be changing its name to the "Golden State Warriors," so as to identify with both the cities of Oakland and San Diego.

As it turned out, the Warriors only played six games in San Diego that year, and then switched to playing in Oakland full-time. But they kept the "Golden State" name anyway, making them the only team in the NBA to not include their city or state in their name (although California's state motto was "the Golden State.")

The team would also change their logo, which was supposed to compensate for the confusion some fans had when they asked, "Where do the Golden State Warriors play?" The Warriors' new logo featured the outline of California, and had a blue star positioned on the edge of the state where the Bay Area was located.

As unique as it was, the Warriors weren't the only Oakland sports team to go this route.

One year earlier, the Oakland Seals of the NHL changed their name to the "California Golden Seals." Besides dropping the "Oakland" from their title, the Seals had also moved out of San Francisco.

In 1976, the Seals moved east and became the Cleveland Barons, where they lasted for two seasons before folding.

However, the Golden State might drop from the teams name as the team has proposed to build a 17,000-to-19,000-seat waterfront arena on Piers 30 and 32 in San Francisco on a 13-acre site near the Bay Bridge they hope to finish in time for the 2017-18 NBA season, when the team's lease at the Oracle Arena in Oakland expires

Since being named the Golden State Warriors, the Bay Area’s sole basketball franchise has won one NBA Championship coming in the 1974-1975 season, where the team beat the Washington Bullets in a four-game sweep, with home games being played in Oakland and San Francisco.

Since that 1974-1975 season the Warriors have struggled to get back to the NBA Finals obtaining only one Division Title coming in 1976.

Last years playoff appearance for the Warriors was only their third in the last 20 years, and second in the last two years. However, this year they were unable to reach the second round again falling to the higher seeded Los Angeles Clippers

This off-season the Golden State Warriors have made and have tried to make several more moves to bolster their lineup for the upcoming season including trying to trade for Kevin Love who the Warriors General Manager Bob Myers said is the right piece to put the Warriors over the hump and playing for the Western Conference Championship, similar to what he said last year when the club signed Andre Iguodala.

Golden State Warriors Upset The Dallas Mavericks

On May 3, 2007, the Golden State Warriors completed one of the biggest upsets in sports history with a game-six win, taking the Western Conference Quarterfinals from the NBA Leading Dallas Mavericks.

It all started in April though, the Golden State Warriors were done. After a one-point loss in Washington, where the deciding point came from a technical foul by head coach Don Nelson in the final seconds, the Warriors had lost six in a row. They were nine games under .500 and Nelson was already looking ahead to the next season.



The Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

But in their next game, the team - fresh off of a trade in which they acquired Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. They Warriors into Detroit, one of the best teams in the NBA at the time, and destroyed them, leading by 26 at point.

Golden State won 16 of their final 21 games and nine of their last ten to advance to the postseason for the first time in 13 years.

The Warriors met the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, a team Don Nelson had coached only a few years earlier. The Warriors were the only team to beat the Mavericks three times and had won six of the last seven meetings with them.

But with the Warriors as an eight-seed, and the Mavericks as the best team in basketball, no one gave them much of a chance.

Nevertheless, the upset took place. Backed by a raucous home crowd, the Warriors defeated the Mavericks in just six games. Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Matt Barnes had the series of their lives, while the Mavericks appeared rattled by the Warriors’ unorthodox style.

 Baron Davis and the "We Believe" crowd at Oracle after a Game 6 upset of the Dallas Mavericks.

Nelson went small-ball on the Mavs, playing small forward Al Harrington at center, shooting guard Stephen Jackson at power forward, and Monta Ellis at shooting guard.

In the end, their frenetic style was simply too much for the Mavs. On May 3, the Warriors completed the upset by crushing the Mavericks, 111-86 in Game 6. It was the first time in American sports that a team that won 25 games less than its opponent went on to win the playoff series.

In the second round they faced Jerry Sloan's Utah Jazz, who muscled their way to a five-game series win. It was a one-shot wonder for the Warriors, who lost most of their roster only a few years later. As for the Mavs, they remained competitive, but another early exit in 2008 cost head coach Avery Johnson his job.

The Golden State Warriors once again made the playoffs this year, the second time in as many years, and once again faced an uphill battle against the Los Angeles Clippers.

However this year the Warriors playoff series was almost derailed by the shameful remarks that former Clippers owner Donald Sterling made.

Game 7 of the series between the Warriors and Clippers is tonight at the Staples Center in L.A.

David Robinson Scores 71; Wins NBA Scoring Title

On April 24, 1993, On the final day of the regular season for the NBA, David Robinson, "The Admiral," of the San Antonio Spurs and Shaquille O'Neal, then on the Orlando Magic, were virtually tied as scoring leaders on the season, as their respected teams ended the year on a Sunday.

With Robinson's Spurs on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, his game would conclude just as O'Neal's would begin; fearing that O'Neal would simply aim to outscore him, Robinson's teammates did everything they could to get him the ball.



When it was all said done, Robinson scored a remarkable 71 points -- joining Wilt Chamberlain, David Thompson, and Elgin Baylor as the only players to reach the 70s -- as his Spurs won 112-97. Robinson shot 26-41 from the field, made 18-25 free throws, and even knocked down a three-point shot.

His teammates deferred to him on every possession and even fouled down the stretch just to get him more shot attempts. Shaquille O'Neal needed 68 points to win back the scoring title, but he finished with a quiet 32.

In the final total, Robinson finished with 29.8 points per game, while Shaq ended with a 29.3 average.

 Members of the Orlando Magic cried foul, particularly head coach Brian Hill, who called it a "farce that's bad for basketball." "We certainly wanted Shaquille to win the scoring title," Hill said.

"But we didn't make a mockery of the game like they did in Los Angeles -- I hear the Clippers just let David score whenever he wanted ... We played a game tonight -- it wasn't a mockery."



Spurs coach John Lucas defended the point total, as did Robinson himself. "It is a lot of work going after those points," he said. "The Clippers didn't want me to get it. They were bumping and grinding and double-teaming me. That's the hardest I've ever had to work for some points."

Chicago Bulls Win 72 Games

April 21, 1996, the NBA's Chicago Bulls win, a still NBA record, 72 games.

The Bulls are the only team in NBA history to win 70 games or more in a single season.

Dennis Rodman (left) gives Michael Jordan (right) a fist bump in a Bulls game in 1996. Swing man Scotti Pippen (center) prepares to give Jordan a second first bump.

The Bulls also hold many other records including

·  Hold the record for most consecutive home games won (44 from 1994–95 through 1995–96).

·  Hold the record for most consecutive home games won, start of season, 37 in 1995–96.

·  Hold the record for most road games won and best overall road record in standard 41 road games, 33–8 in 1995–96.

·  Hold the record for the fewest points per game in a season after 1954–55 (81.9 in 1998–99).

·  Hold the record for the fewest points in a game after 1954–55 (49, April 10, 1999).

·  Hold the record for largest margin of victory in a NBA Finals game (42; defeated the Utah Jazz 96–54).

·  Hold the record for fewest points allowed in a NBA Finals game (54 against the Utah Jazz).

·  Highest defensive rebound percentage in a playoff game (.952 against the Golden State Warriors on April 30, 1975).

·  Dennis Rodman, most offensive rebounds in a NBA Finals game (11 twice against the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals).

And share several other NBA records including:

·  Share lowest free throw percentage by two teams in one game (.410 with the Los Angeles Lakers, February 7, 1968).

·  Share record for most personal fouls by two teams in one game (87 with the Portland Trail Blazers, March 16, 1984).

·  Share the No. 2 best overall win–loss home record with 39–2 (with the Cleveland Cavaliers), achieved in both 1995–96 and 1996–97.

·  Shared record: Will Perdue for fewest minutes played by a disqualified player in a playoff game (7 against the New York Knicks, May 14, 1992).

·  Shared record: Two teams with the fewest players to score more than ten points in a playoff game (4 with the Miami Heat, May 24, 1997).

·  Shared record: Highest free throw percentage by one team in a playoff game (1.000 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19, 1992).

The Bulls are also one of the most winningest teams in NBA history earning six NBA Finals Championships, all while Jordan was on the team, for two three-peats from 1991-1993, and 1996-1998.

The Chicago Bulls are the third NBA franchise in Chicago, after the Packers–Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and the Stags (1946–50). The Bulls' founder, Dick Klein, was the only owner to ever play professional basketball (for the Chicago Gears). He served as the Bulls' president and general manager in their first years.

The team started in the 1966–67 NBA season, and posted the best record by an expansion team in NBA history. Coached by Chicagoan and former NBA star Johnny "Red" Kerr, and led by former NBA assist leader Guy Rodgers and forward Bob Boozer, the Bulls qualified for the playoffs.

Air Jordan and Derrick Rose have both won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Bulls, for a total of 6 MVP awards. Jordan has earned five, while Rose, one.

But the awards for Bulls’ players don’t end their, the Bulls have had three Rookies of the Year awarded, including Jordan, Rose and Elton Brand in 2000.

They have had the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1995 with Tony Kukoc and 2005 with Ben Gordon as well as the NBA Coach of the Year in 1967, Johnny “Red” Kerr, 1871, Dick Motta, 1996 Phil Jackson and 2011 Tom Thibodeau.

The main rivalries for the Chicago Bulls are the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz. All of whom became bigger rivalries during Jordan’s era with the Bulls.

The Bulls have retired four jersey’s in franchise history including guard Jerry Sloan’s number 4 jersey. Forward Bob Love’s number 10 jersey. Jordan’s iconic number 23 jersey as well teammates Pippen’s number 33 jersey.

As well jerseys have been retired for head coach Phil Jackson, who led the Bulls to all six Finals Championships, and franchise employees Johnny Kerr and Jerry Krause, the later the NBA Executive of the Year in 1988 and 1996.

As of 2012, the Bulls were estimated to be the third most valuable NBA franchise according to Forbes, with an estimated value of $800 million, earning an estimated $34.2 million in operating income in 2012.

NBA Christmas Special

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Most fans of basketball do one thing on Christmas, sit down and watch the NBA games being aired that day. With such a special day upon us I wanted to go back and look into the history on the NBA playing on Christmas Day.

HISTORY OF NBA ON CHRISTMAS

The first NBA games played on December 25 came in 1947, a year after the NBA's inception, when the New York Knicks beat the Providence Steamrollers at Madison Square Garden 89–75.

In the early days, regional proximity dictated most of the matchups on Christmas Day. Teams would usually play their geographical rivals to cut down on holiday travel and allow them to have more time with their families.

According to Dr. Jack Ramsay, coach of the Portland Trail Blazers from their only championship season of 1976–77 to 1986: "Christmas meant being at home with the family and having a game we always won. That was a perfect Christmas to me.”

Dr. Jack Ramsay has the most coaching victories on Christmas Day, with 11, a record that Phil Jackson tied in 2008.

In the early 1980s, after three straight years of memorable moments involving the New York Knicks, including Bernard King scoring 60 points in 1984, the most ever scored by a player on Christmas Day, and with the advent of television, the NBA scheduled games over the holiday as a showcase featuring the best teams and players.

The Knicks have played the most games on Christmas Day, with 47, and are 22–25 on the holiday. The Knicks' 22 wins are the most by a team on Christmas Day.

Doc Rivers participated as a player with the Knicks in 1992 and as a coach with the Boston Celtics since 2008. Bryant has played 14 games on Christmas Day, the most of any player and more than he has on any other date on the calendar, playing his first in 1996, and most recently in 2011.

FANCY JERSEYS

Many teams and players that have played on this day have worn special uniforms and sneakers. Since 2009, the Knicks wear their third jersey, the green/orange alternate which they first used exclusively for St. Patrick's Day since the 2005–06 season. During the game between the Heat and the Lakers in 2010, players on both teams wore holiday sneakers, including lime-green Nike kicks on Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. LeBron James and Chris Bosh wore holiday-red shoes with garish green laces.

Since the 2008–09 season, teams playing on Christmas Day wear a patch featuring the NBA logo inside a snowflake. For the 2012–13 season games, special edition monochrome uniforms will be used. The uniforms, colloquially known as "Big Color", was designed by Adidas.

This year the NBA will be wearing the new sleeved jerseys made by Adidas, the Adi-zero jersey's which the Warriors debuted last year.

MEMORABLE GAMES

The NBA playing on Christmas Day has featured some of the most memorable games ever played, including Bernard King scoring 60 points for the New York Knicks in 1984, Patrick Ewing helping the Knicks come back to beat the Boston Celtics after trailing by 25 points in 1985, and again beating Michael Jordan and the Bulls on last second jumper in 1986, Scottie Pippen's last second block in 1994, the first showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as opponents in 2004, Phil Jackson becoming the fastest coach to win 1,000 games in 2008, showdowns between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010, and the opening of the 2011–12 season as a result of a lockout.

Rivalries have also been showcased during games played on this day. During the 1990s, each Christmas featured a game involving either the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls, with both teams playing against each other in both the Bulls championship season of 1992–93 and 1994, and would have played each other in 1998, if there had not been a lockout.

The only year during the 1990s in which neither team played on Christmas Day was during the Bulls first championship season in their second three-peat, in 1995–96.

During the 2000s, the NBA showcased the Shaq–Kobe feud. Since 1999, each Christmas has featured games involving either the Celtics or the Lakers, with the two teams playing on the holiday in 2002 and every year since 2008 and facing off against each other during the first of the Lakers' most recent back-to-back championship seasons of 2008–09, the first meeting between the two teams since that year's finals.

Today the Christmas NBA scene is set with five games this year starting at 9 a.m. with the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets. The second game of the day features the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. The third game features the two teams returning from last years NBA Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder face off in Miami against the Heat. The fourth game sees the Houston Rockets take on the Chicago Bulls. With the 2012 NBA Christmas Day finale being set up between the Clippers and Nuggets.

--

 

I hope everyone enjoys their holiday and watches some NBA hoops, which could be historical.