OAKLAND – It\’s no secret that DubNation is teeming with Pinoy fans, a loyalty that the Golden State Warriors pay tribute to by holding an annual Filipino Heritage Night at Oracle Arena during the regular season.
And now Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and company are gunning for a historic 3-peat, they need the fans – the invaluable sixth man – to give them support as they hunt for the 16 wins needed to secure the title.
PRIMO AND MARITES DE GUZMAN have been Warriors season ticket holders for the last 20 years. It ain\’t cheap, $120 a game plus another $40 for prime parking. The De Guzmans, who trace their roots to Makati City, are now merrily nested in San Jose, a short drive from the arena.
Primo and Marites\’ beating hearts were crushed in 2016 when the Warriors, after a historic 73-9 regular season finish that broke the Chicago Bulls\’ previous record of 72-10, lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. But that pain has long been forgotten, thanks to the championship runs in 2017 and 2018, not to mention the pregnant promise of this ongoing campaign.
JENNELYN SORIANO, who is originally from Dumaguete City, and her husband purchased tickets to Game 2 of the Warriors-Rockets showdown two days ago. It cost them $600 plus taxes, but they didn\’t mind the expense. All they want in return is the joy of experiencing their favorite team vanquish the Rockets and retain the title.
ELIZABETH FERRER has been living in Oakland for the last 18 years, and the Warriors are a huge part in the fabric of her young life. She attended her first playoffs game last Wednesday and she tagged along her child. Decked in a glorious Steph Curry No. 30 jersey, Elizabeth, unlike most Game 2 spectators, didn\’t pay a penny for her tickets, thanks to a friend who gifted her the tickets.
Apparently, some of the best things in playoffs basketball is free. Like the fresh San Francisco air.
FAMILY AFFAIR. For Dave and Nina from Tandang Sora in Quezon City, cheering for Golden State is strictly a family affair that required the attendance of their daughter Angelica. They had great seats in the lower bowl and it wasn\’t cheap at way over $1000.
Last year, when the Warriors also played the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, the average asking price per ticket at the Oracle Arena was a preposterous $965, according to TicketIQ.com. With two more dates – potentially a Game 5 and a Game 7 – still scheduled at the Oracle Arena, the average ticket price for this semifinals series is still undetermined.
Whatever that price point is, you can bet that the Pinoy fans, whether their means are modest or princely, will eagerly fork that money to represent and wield their civic pride for their beloved Bay Area team. It is a testament to the Filipinos\’ everlasting love affair with basketball.
Polish airport police arrested and detained Ukrainian undisputed heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk in Krakow after he insisted on a Ryanair flight last September 18, 2024.
It happened when the Usyk team was denied boarding in the Polish airport. They are heading to London to watch Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois on September 21 (UK time).
Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk confirmed the incident. “While waiting for boarding, Oleksandr’s friend fell asleep on the seats in the waiting area,” Usyk promoter revealed.
The video clips went viral in social media as the 37 year old and undefeated Usyk (22 – 0) is being led away with his hands cuffed behind his back.
The Dutch rookie 7-footer power forward and center Quinten Post officially signed with the Golden State Warriors (GSW) last September 25, 2024 with two-way contract.
Along with fellow 7-footer NBA players Boban Marjanović of the Houston Rockets, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Bol Bol of the Phoenix Suns, the 24-year old Post will soon clash with the tallest players in the NBA.
Post is a 2024 NBA draft and 52nd pick, however Warriors get him ahead of training camp.
He came from the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Boston College Eagle during his college years.
He is averaging 15.1 points in 2022-2023 and 17.0 points in 2023-2024.
He will wear number 21 but as of this writing it’s uncertain when he will show off with Stephen Curry and other Warriors superstars. But Post is officially a Warriors.
Despite the 34 points per single game, Giannis Antetokounmpo of team Greece failed against Stephen Curry (team U.S.A.) who got 36 points in men’s basketball Olympics 2024 in Paris.
“I’ve waited. I have wanted to be on this stage for a long time but I wasn’t fortunate enough,” Giannis admitted.
Giannis, a Milwaukee Bucks power forward and center, recalled that Greek basketball took 16 years to be in the Olympics. “In 16 years, I will be 45 years old. When I see my kids out there, they are able to see me compete on this stage and I can tell them the stories of how it was.” 29- year-old NBA superstar added.
As the Olympics 2024 ended. Antetokounmpo and Curry topped as the player who has the most points in a single game.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic got the fourth and fifth-ever Olympic triple-doubles. Kevin Durant, now the first four-time Olympic gold medallist in men’s Olympic basketball history.
Moreover Victor Wembanyama (10 blocks) beat Anthony Davis (9 blocks) as he got the most blocks per game.
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