The Golden State Warriors honored the Oakland High School basketball team at the Chase Center on Tuesday night. The Wildcats, who won the program’s first state championship earlier this month, were invited by the Warriors to celebrate their historic achievement.
Money Williams, the star point guard for Oakland High, attended his first Warriors game when he was just 10 years old. Sitting in the nose bleeds, Williams remembers being in awe when Stephen Curry hit a half-court shot. Now, seven years later, Williams and his teammates were standing at center court, watching highlights from their championship run play on the jumbotron.
For the teens, the experience was a dream come true. “Half of these kids, the Warriors are their favorite team. Steph is their favorite player. And now to be here on the court where he’s playing at, seeing the game and then after the game, seeing Steve Kerr [and some players], that’s big,” said Oakland High coach Orlando Watkins.
Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr emphasized the importance of celebrating the success of local teams. “The game is connected from the youth level all the way through the NBA. You get a lot of young players who are NBA fans, Warriors fans… So I’m really excited that we’re doing that,” said Kerr.
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The Warriors plan to continue honoring local teams in the future. On Friday, they will host the Oakland Tech girls basketball team. For Williams and his teammates, Tuesday night was a memory they will never forget.
“It feels good, we made history,” said Williams. “We’re putting on for the city and it feels good that the Golden State Warriors are acknowledging our accomplishments.”
