Warriors fans hitting exits early new for Kerr — plus notes from practice
By BY Karl Buscheck • October 26, 2016 12:00 am
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) reaches for a steal against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on October 25, 2016. (Stan Olszewski/Special to S.F. Examiner)
During the Golden State Warriors' season opening blowout loss, the team's fans began streaming toward the exits with just under nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
The early exodus was a new phenomenon for head coach Steve Kerr.
"Basically, the only reason fans would leave is if we were ahead," said Kerr, whose team didn't drop its first home game last year until April 1.
"That was a weird night all the way around. We're not used to losing at home — much less losing by 29 points. Strange night. Slap in the face. 81 more games."
On to the next one
The first of those remaining 81 comes on Friday night when the Warriors visit the Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Kerr knows that game will be the first of many rude receptions his teams receives in away arenas.
"Maybe that will motivate us," Kerr said. "But this stretch of games is good for us. It will be good to get out on the road and bond a little bit and get our game going."
With all the time that that the squad will be spending together on the three-game road swing, Kerr said the Warriors have no choice but to build some chemistry.
"You're together constantly. When you're at home, when you finish practice everybody goes home and you don't see each other until the next day, but on the road, you're on the plane, on the bus, team dinners — you're constantly together."
Bleacher Report video amuses
Both Klay Thompson and Zaza Pachulia said they were fans of the Bleacher Report cartoon titled "Superteam: A Warriors Musical."
The video, which spoofs the team's role as the new villain of the NBA, was released just hours before Monday's opener but both Thompson and Pachulia said they'd seen it at the beginning of training camp.
Thompson was particularly impressed with the inclusion of Rocco — his English bulldog.
"I liked the Rocco cameo," Thompson joked.
Tags: Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson, NBA, Steve Kerr, zaza pachulia
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