Best fans in the NBA? No way in hell, Golden State.
During what was supposed to be a spectacular ceremony to honor one of the greatest Warriors of all time, Chis Mullin, the so-called "best fans in the NBA" booed Warriors owner Joe Lacob to the point where he couldn't be heard inside Oracle Arena despite his use of a microphone.
Wow.
Regardless of how everyone feels about Joe Lacob right now, Chris Mullin deserves far better than that. This was supposed to be his night, his honor. Players only get to retire their jersey once, and only a handful of players get to see their jersey retired at all. Mullin is a classy guy and a damn good player. He deserves better from the so-called "best fans in the NBA" as Warrior greats like Alvin Attles and Mitch Richmond called Golden State fans. Instead of the evening belonging to Chris Mullin, the evening will now forever be remembered as the night Warriors fans acted like complete disrespectful idiots.
Sure, fans can have their opinions about what the franchise is doing. That's part of being a fan. But I'll be damned if the best fans in the NBA act this way.
If you don't think Chis Mullin deserves better than this, try this on for size: he stepped in during the chorus of boos to show his support for Joe Lacob as he was struggling to give his speech with all the booing. That's a classy guy to step in in a situation like that.
Then, Rick Barry jumped in to do the same, except he called the fans out. He told them to "show a little class." Rick Barry, you're absolutely right. Come on Warriors fans, what the hell is up with that? Boo Lacob if you want, but not during a ceremony that is supposed to be a celebration of a great player in the franchise's history.
Mullin and Barry really said it all, didn't they?
Yes, the Warriors have been bad for about 17 years now. I'm a fan too, and I know how much that hurts. But let's not forget one thing: this is Joe Lacob's first season at the head of the organization. Obviously changes needed to be made, and he is making them. If you don't agree with what he's doing, that's fine. But don't take it out on Chris Mullin.
As Dallas McMurry wrote a few days ago, the Warriors' trade of Monta Ellis is a good move from a business and basketball standpoint. Fans can be pissed off all they want, but the move makes sense.
But even if the move ends up not working out and the Warriors don't improve under Lacob's leadership, this is still ridiculous. Warriors fans should not be regarded as some of the most disrespectful in sports. There's no excuse for the sheer rudeness of what happened Monday night because the booing ultimately hurts Chis Mullin and the fans themselves more then Lacob. The best fans in the NBA don't act this way.
No comments:
Post a Comment