Sports

Curry Set for His NBA Finals Moment Against LeBron, Cavs

Published

9 years ago

June 4, 2015

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry smiles during NBA basketball practice, Wednesday, June 3, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry was early in his career, a long way from even thinking about the NBA Finals.

His Golden State Warriors were in Cleveland, where LeBron James powered one of the best teams in the league. Curry thinks the Warriors lost the game (they did, one of their 56 losses his rookie season) but certainly remembers the chat.

James, already the best player in the game, pulled Curry aside leaving the court and told him to focus on his own effort, ignore any distractions around him, make sure he was always prepared.

“There is going to be a time when it’s all going to work out because you’ll be ready for that moment,” Curry said Wednesday of James’ message.

And now, it might happen against James.

The next chat between the superstars could be Thursday night at center court, before Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Curry is now the NBA’s MVP and the Warriors, no longer the lowly laughingstock from his rookie season, won a league-best 67 games during the regular season. They have lost three times at Oracle Arena all season, but that doesn’t faze James as he tries to end Cleveland’s 51-year pro sports title drought in his first season back there.

“I’ve been in so many loud arenas. This is going to be one of them,” he said. “I’ve played in OKC in the (2012) finals to start off the series. I’ve played in Boston. I’ve played in Detroit when they were in their heyday. I’ve played in Chicago in 2011 to open up the Eastern Conference finals. I’ve played in San Antonio.

“So I’ve been in some very loud buildings and this, obviously, I know tomorrow is going to be one of them. But I don’t add too much pressure on it. You just go out and you just try to play.”

He has done that superbly in this postseason, averaging 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the Eastern Conference playoffs. He has played better basketball — he brought up the 2009 East finals loss against Orlando, a month before Curry was drafted — but the steady hand he has provided with Kevin Love out and Kyrie Irving hurting has made James as good as he’s ever been.

“For me as leader of the team, it’s my job to lead the guys and to perform well,” James said. “At the end of the day, win, lose or draw, that’s all I can ask out of myself and ask out of my guys, and we’ll do that.”

His finals experience — he’s the first to play in five straight finals since Bill Russell’s Celtics of the 1960s — is one advantage for the Cavs against a Warriors team with no players who have played for the championship. Warriors rookie coach Steve Kerr, who won five titles as a player, says he and assistant Luke Walton have talked to the team about what to expect now.

“But what I really found as a player was once you get out on the floor, you just start playing and everything returns to normal,” Kerr said. “It’s still just a basketball game. But you’ve got to get to that point and the best way to do that is to try to ignore the chaos as much as you can.”

For Curry, keeping things normal Wednesday meant a haircut and some sun by his pool. And he knows James will be prepared, just as he once instructed Curry.

“He’s a gamer,” Curry said. “You know he’s going to ready for big moments.”

Other things to watch in the NBA Finals:

KYRIE’S CONDITION: Irving, who missed two games in the East finals with knee and foot injuries, plans to play, while realizing he won’t be at his best.

“It’s an adjustment, but it’s what it is at this point,” he said. “But I’m just going to go out there and will myself to play.”

CLEVELAND CONNECTION: Kerr played 3 1/2 seasons in Cleveland and will try to join Phil Jackson, whose Lakers beat the Nets in 2002, as the only coaches to beat a team they played for in the finals. He understands why it hasn’t been a desired destination for players, saying “let’s face it, it’s cold,” but said he enjoyed the experience.

“I used to go to Indians games and Browns games, and you felt the passion of the sports community there,” he said. “The fans loved all their teams. So I’m really happy for the city of Cleveland, for them to be in the finals.”

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Though also in his first year as an NBA coach, David Blatt has reminded reporters all season that he’s no rookie after his long, successful career overseas. The coach of 2014 Euroleague champion Maccabi Tel Aviv repeated that message Wednesday, saying he didn’t “find this at all imposing.”

“So it’s thrilling and it’s exciting, and it’s joyful to be in this situation,” he added. “Is it all unusual or uncomfortable for me? No. I’ve been in situations like this before many times.”

KLAY’S OK: Klay Thompson wasn’t cleared to play until Tuesday after suffering a concussion in Game 5 of the West finals, but never feared missing the opener.

“I had some nagging headaches that night, but when I got some good sleep and some good rest I was all right,” he said. “So I really knew that Game 1 was never in jeopardy.”

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

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Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

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California Black Media

Several Black Californians Are Playing Key Roles in LA 28 Olympics Planning

From politicians and businesspeople to athletes and community leaders, a number of Black Californians are contributing to the thought leadership that is shaping the planning of LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: IOC Member Hong Zhang, IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, LA28 President Casey Wasserman, James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood, IOC President Thomas Bach, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the President of the Los Angeles City Council (IOC/Greg Martin)

By Lila Brown, California Black Media

At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

“The 2028 Games present an incredible opportunity to unite our city and lift up every corner of Los Angeles,” said Bass during a historic event at Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 13, when the Olympic and Paralympic flags were unveiled and installed.

The event marked the return of the Olympic flag to L.A. since 1984, when the city hosted the Olympics for the second time. It was the first time the Paralympic flag was raised in California’s largest city.

“From creating jobs to supporting small businesses, we are committed to ensuring that these Games benefit all Angelenos — not just for the summer of 2028, but for decades to come,” Bass added.

Nearly two months after the Olympic flag handover from Paris to Los Angeles, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles.

Bach toured several of the city’s newest world-class sporting venues, including the SoFi Stadium and the recently opened Intuit Dome, both located in Inglewood. At the stadiums, he was joined by two other Los Angeles County Black mayors, whose cities will be key to hosting LA28 events: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

SoFi Stadium, known as the home of NFL teams the LA Rams and LA Chargers, will host swimming competitions during the LA28 Games, with a temporary pool set to make it the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, boasting 38,000 seats. Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest state-of-the-art venue and home to the LA Clippers, will host the Olympic basketball tournament in the 18,000-seat arena.

In an interview with California Black Media ( CBM), Butts highlighted Inglewood’s central role in the upcoming Games, stating, “Inglewood will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, basketball, and swimming competitions of the 2028 Olympic Games. This will be our second hosting of Olympic Basketball, the first in 1984.”

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, also attended the tour.

Harris-Dawson is one of the leading backers of PlayLA, a parks development program that promises to provide sports programming to “young Angelenos of all abilities.” The initiative is funded by a $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee.

Black Californians serving on the LA28 Board include Businesswoman Mellody Hobson; decorated Paralympian Lex Gillette; former Netflix Executive Dana Smith; President of the LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Yvonne Wheeler; and television host, retired sprinter and four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Rosalyn Brant Clark, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist and mother of three-time Paralympian Breanna Clark, said while the “Games for All” theme is promising, she is looking for more concrete action that impacts the lives of ordinary people, including Black Californians.

“They are going to need to show me more on that one before it gets my stamp of approval,” she added, challenging organizers to ensure genuine inclusivity.

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Bay Area

Ohemaa Nyanin Named GM of Valkyries WNBA Team

The Bay Area is filled with excitement, and much of the conversation is about the Bay Area’s newest WNBA team — the VALKYRIES! The Golden State Warriors were awarded the 13th team in the WNBA last October, and just four months ago, the team’s General Manager was announced — Ohemaa Nyanin.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Getty Images

By Y’Anad Burrell

Nyanin’s parents are from Ghana, and she was born in Maryland. Nyanin’s experience in this industry precedes her both as a former college player and on the business side. Nyanin is an American University alumna who played on the Eagles’ women’s basketball team. In 2019, Nyanain joined the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, initially serving as the director of basketball operations before she became assistant general manager.

“No excuses,” Nyanin said. “We are here, first and foremost, as humans, and secondly to win basketball games. So how do we do that, and how do we do that in the most inclusive way?”

From viewing interviews that Nyanin has done since her arrival in the Bay Area, a constant theme in her conversations is talking about taking a “people first” approach. Nyanin talks about how she will be focused on the players, staff, and fans as she navigates and executes her role as general manager. Health, both mentally and physically, is important to Nyanin, as I’ve seen in her many interviews.

Just days ago, The Golden State Warriors announced the head coach for the Valkyries — Natalie Nakase.

Nakase has been the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces for the past three seasons, where she was a part of the Aces’ back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before joining the Aces’ coaching staff, Nakase spent ten seasons with her hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their G League.

The Valkyries will practice at downtown Oakland’s Golden State Warrior space and play games at Chase Center in San Francisco. This is an excellent opportunity to experience both sides of the water.

The Valkyries WNBA season opens May 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Valkyries website shows over 18,000 season-ticket deposits. For clarity, if someone is ‘interested’ in purchasing season tickets, a $25 deposit is required. The Chase Center’s capacity is a little over 18,000, so you can imagine how electrifying the stadium will be during all home games.

Ohemaa, welcome to the Bay and The Town!