When Did the Warriors Leave Oakland? Inside Joe Lacob & Co’s $1.4 Billion Chase Center Move

“Warrior Coming Out.” For many years, when announced within the confines of the Oakland Arena, this was the phrase that sent cheers amongst fans, media members, staffers, and even VIPs as they watched the arrival of Stephen Curry. Built and renovated to seat over 19,596 basketball fans, the indoor arena stood as the center of life for Warriors fans, entertaining different generations of them for 47 years.

Hosting 5 NBA Finals from which the home team won 3, Steph Curry once said, “I have a special spot in my heart obviously for my relationship with our fanbase, with our relationship with Oakland.” Despite this, the vibrant atmosphere at Oakland had to be waved goodbye after the decision to shift the Warriors games to the Bay Area. Therefore, without any further ado, let us look into the reasons that compelled Joe Lacob and Co. to shift to the Chase Center, built at a reported cost of over $1.4 billion.

When and why did the Warriors leave the Oakland Arena?

The decision to make the shift was announced by the Golden State Warriors in 2013. Initial plans had the franchise looking to build their reported “17,000- to 19,000-seat arena” on the Piers 30–32 sites just south of Bay Bridge. However, because of concerns regarding traffic, view obstruction, and overall environmental impact, Mission Bay, the future Chase Center’s location, was slightly altered. The Warriors played their last game at the Oracle Arena in June 2019, which was also Game 6 of their NBA Finals against the Raptors. Unfortunately, they lost the game and the finals series, not giving the expected farewell to the home they were leaving.

Opened in November 1966, Oakland Arena was not only the oldest but also one of the loudest indoor play areas to host NBA games. According to reports, the decibel level reached a high point of 112 decibels (somewhere between the noise created by a loud saw machine and a rock concert) when Andrew Bogut made a one-handed hammer over Boris Diaw!

Unfortunately, the arena lacked in several areas that made it unappealing to host a championship-contending team, with narrow corridors, low ceiling, and a reported lack of proper restrooms coming in as major complaints.

Then, another situation arose. According to a report by Distractify, the city of San Francisco played host to a wealthier community of fans than Oakland. Therefore, having an arena, especially in the Bay Area, would attract fans who were more than willing to spend thousands per game for their exclusive suites, and generate over $2 million per year.

The decision based on the economic factor was criticized by then Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. She went on to state, “San Francisco has always been sparkly and fancy, much wealthier, and Oakland has always had grit and grind and celebrates its diversity, authenticity and working-class culture. We all felt the Warriors embrace that. This idea that teams abandoned the communities that have linked their identity with the team for economic reasons always feels hurtful.”

One would be remiss not to mention the move was certainly emotional for the Warriors. Stephen Curry paid tribute to the arena for providing him and his teammates so many memories. “It’s not without some sadness, though, that we leave Oakland. But we’re only leaving it in our physical proximity. We’re not leaving it in our hearts and we’re not going to be leaving it in our actions,” the Splash Brother said. While he would certainly be upset, the legend would’ve also been glad to get some new digs for one specific reason.

The popcorn at Oracle Arena barely made it to Stephen Curry’s Top 10 list!

If there is one thing that longtime Stephen Curry fans know about him, it is that the player has a crazy love for popcorn! In a 2019 interview with the New York Times, he revealed his ‘addiction’ and how, before a game at a different arena, he always made a stop at the popcorn table. “If it’s really good, I’m eating it before the game, at halftime and after,” Curry said. This led to him forming a ranking for which arena serves the best. It may surprise you to know that even personal factors did not allow him to be biased!

Stephen Curry, in 2019, ranked the snack based on 5 factors: Freshness, Saltiness, Crunchiness, Butter, and Presentation. The American Airlines Center, the arena of the Dallas Mavericks, ranked #1 by a score of 24. It got a perfect 5 in all areas except for Crunchiness. Meanwhile, his home base, the Oracle Arena, was ranked #9!

With a score of 18, it received a score of 2 for freshness, 3 for butter, alongside receiving 4 each for salt and butter, and full marks for crunchiness. Any future report that the hooper sends out will certainly have fans looking for where the Chase Center stands, when compared to the predecessor. Don’t you think?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.