After Steph Curry, Kevin Durant Upholds Oakland’s Dying Legacy as “Reverse Boycott” Fails Miserably

Only a few years ago, Oakland was thriving as the city of Champions. Home to the mighty Golden State Warriors, fans couldn’t wait to fill the Oracle arena and witness the magic live. But in 2019, Stephen Curry and Co. left Oakland in the dust and moved to San Francisco. Soon after, the NFL’s Raiders also skipped town and left MLB’s Oakland Athletics as the lone pro sports franchise in the city. And to keep the As in Oakland despite owner John Fisher’s constant attempt to move the team to Las Vegas, Oakland’s faithful organized the infamous “Reverse Boycott” last June, even getting support from their beloved Steph and now KD.

“Just keeping as many professional teams in this area because it matters. The community has something to look forward to and be proud of and bring out that Oakland pride.” Curry said this last year while fans planned the reverse boycott. And last night, Kevin Durant seemed to join in the movement as he attended the Phoenix Mercury vs. Dallas Wings game dawning an Oakland A’s cap. But despite KD and Steph rooting for the Athletics and the year-long efforts of the people of Oakland, the MLB team’s legacy in Oakland might be nearing its brutal end.

On Wednesday, Oakland’s Mayor Sheng Thao announced the heartbreaking news that the city of Oakland will be selling its share of the Coliseum, which has been the home of the Athletics for decades, to a local development group. With the deal projected to bring nearly $105 million to Oakland, it surely seems like the final nail on the Athletics.

While heartbreaking for many, the move is not surprising after it was made official that the As would relocate to West Sacramento until their new arena in Las Vegas is ready for action. Although the new $1.5 billion ballpark which can seat 33,000 fans will take 4 more years to be fully ready, this season will probably be their last one in Oakland.

Was “Reverse Boycott” ever going to work?

After Fisher took over in 2005, the Oakland Athletics gradually began its downfall. From shutting down the $400 stipend for their 200 minor league players during the pandemic to leaked photos of them providing horrible meals to the players, Fisher made it clear that he didn’t want the team to stay. But everything imploded when last year, the franchise hiked ticket prices and cut down the amenities for their loyal fans with season passes. When asked why, Fisher always blamed the Oakland economy and the lack of fandom and love for the sport in the city.

Citing that as a reason, Fisher pushed for the team to relocate to Vegas. To let the world know that they weren’t the problem, the people of Oakland began the “reverse boycott” on June 13 last year as the As played against Tampa Bay. Nearly 28,000 fans showed up to the arena with nearly seven thousand wearing t-shirts with “Sell” written on them for the owners. They also sparked a “sell the team” chant during the game. But on the same day, the Nevada senate voted to approve a $380 million budget for the team’s new arena in Las Vegas, leaving the fans heartbroken.

Despite the setback, the movement continued as it had earlier this year when thousands of fans gathered at the Coliseum parking lot with the same agenda during opening day. While Fisher and the crew have started packing their bags to leave the city, the people of Oakland are still keeping the reverse boycott strong, with the next gathering planned on the 7th of next month. All around the city, you will find people wearing “Sell” t-shirts supporting the movement. While the movement failed to keep the team in Oakland, the fans have clearly proved that the lack of fanbase was never the reason for John Fisher’s failure with the team.

Do you agree?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.